Knowledge for the Afterlife

WHY THE AMDUAT IS SIGNIFICANT Every evening the sun becomes old and weak and finally sets behind the Western horizon. Yet, it rises again in the morning, rejuvenated. How is that possible? How could the sun for the Ancient Egyptians the Sungod become young and revitalized during the night, during his night journey? What happens during this time? The Amduat is a description of the journey of the Sungod through the nightworld, that is also the world of the deceased. The knowledge contained in the Amduat is meant for the dead Pharaoh. But the text also recommends this knowledge for living beings. Thus, the journey of the Sungod can also be seen as a symbolic representation of an inner psychic process of transformation and renewal.

Theodor Abt received his Ph.D. from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich in 1977, 1973-79-project leader of overall regional development concepts for two Swiss Mountain regions. His research focuses on the relationship of the outer world with the needs of the inner unconscious world. Erik Hornung received his Ph.D. from the University of Basle, Switzerland in 1956.His research has focused on the Valley of the Kings and the edition of the Books of the Netherworld.