The Book of Amduat, an Egyptian artifact from the New Kingdom period, specifically the 18th Dynasty (approximately 1550 to 1292 BC), is a religious manuscript. Crafted on papyrus, it is composed of twelve individual chapters that narratively encapsulate the sun god Ra's twelve-hour journey through the underworld during the night. The story is arranged in twelve rows of hieroglyphic text, accompanied by illustrations that illuminate specific narrative elements.
The illustrations are richly colored using traditional Egyptian pigments indicative of natural elements, such as lapis lazuli, malachite, and iron oxide, leading to hues of indigo, turquoise, rust-red, black, and ocher. These drawings depict a wide array of deities and mythological beings from Ancient Egyptian mythology.
The writing is in formal hieroglyphs, predominantly in a black carbon-based pigment. The finely detailed calligraphy presents information about the religious beliefs, ideologies, and cosmological viewpoints of the ancient Egyptians. Each of the twelve chapters represents a symbolic hour of the night, featuring significant events and beings encountered in the afterlife.
Traditionally, the Book of Amduat was placed within the tomb of the deceased, particularly among high officials and pharaohs, serving a ritualistic function to guide the deceased through the underworld and aiding in the overcoming of its challenges to ensure rebirth with the sun god, Ra.
