Book of Aker 1

Aker1

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Entrance to the Book of Aker The Tombs are the Books of the Ancients Past translations of the ancient texts have been done by studying the artistic illustrations, with only an elementary understanding of the hieroglyphs. It was a beginning, but created illogical stories. If we are to understand the books of the ancients, we must see the world as they saw it. When we learned that the celestial lions were the ‘guardians’ mentioned so often in the ancient texts, we finally understood that those texts were all talking about the drama going on in the sky, and it became possible to take the meaning to a new level of understanding. Now, after years of study, this series of translations of the Book of Aker is a re-telling, a re-translation, from that perspective. The texts appear to describe the life of the sun god in his circling of the earth. He takes the form of the radiant sun during the day, but at night, in the ‘abode of the dead,’ he is transformed into the great god Aker, the double lion god, the double mystery, composed of the lion constellations of Leo and Centaurus. The constellations are the ‘designs’ in the night sky. At dawn, the sun again becomes radiant, dividing Aker and destroying the last vestiges of the characters in the night drama, bursting forth, ablaze. Deciphering these texts has been an exciting adventure. We have examined and translated all of the hieroglyphic writing and provided a detailed translation that can be verified by anyone using Budge’s 2-volume Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary (referred to in the footnotes as EHD). © John Bunker & Karen Pressler 2011 All Rights Reserved

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This is Plate 113 from taken from the Tomb of Rameses VI, Egyptian Religious Texts and Representations, Bollingen Series XL-11. This depicts what is believed to be the first part of the Book of Aker. Sections will be presented in order, and a red outline will identify the area being translated.

First Section We believe the first section of the Book of Aker begins at the top, right side, outlined in red in the previous illustration. The first section is divided into upper and lower components.

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Piankoff, Alexandre. The Tomb of Ramesses VI. [New York]: Pantheon Books, 1954.

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Aker1 The Upper Component First Section

The hieroglyphic text is written in columns that have been numbered and translated in the following sections. The text reads from right to left, beginning with the upper component. Since we normally read from left to right, the image has been “flipped-over” for easier reference below.

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1. these gods in designs 2. in this place go as one flesh 3. mighty divine bodies give to him his flesh, 4. his divine bodies give entrance to him, the god of the solar disk 5. this god becomes bright from his radiance which is within him 6. which makes him go above in flesh, he is the Sun god of night, he is above this god 7. these gods give him great praise without seeing him 8. they will breathe anew; from them2 hear voice. 9. He becomes bright in them, in strength they come to open [the way] 10. the sun god travels in the darkness in these gods, in the abode of the dead, 11. the divine bodies of the god travel about in a boat,3 the entrance becomes bright in his glory, 12. these travel, he is behind his bodies, they are first, 13. the sun is the place of their flesh, the mighty bodies come [to] 14. place of flesh, his image, the two eyes, the double mystery 15. from behind travels the god, the glorious god, the sun, at rest, 16. power to cover over with darkness his divine radiance. 17. Neb-maat-Ra travels these regions over this beautiful circle, 18. the spirit of the king, lord of the two lands,4 travels these spirit regions. 2

“their voice is the sound of thunder” = the roar of the double lion gods The coffin texts connect the double lion god with the Hen Henu boat. (see Faulkner, Raymond O. The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Warminster [Eng.]: Aris & Phillips, 1973, p. 148-49: “I am the Double Lion, older than Atum… I have made the circlings of the hnhnw-bark of Khopri.”)

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Aker1 The Lower Component of the First Section This section can be viewed as two parts.

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2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

18. 19. 20.

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22. 23. 24.

|---------------------------------- Part 1 ----------------------------------------------||------------------------- Part 2 ------------------------------|

Part 1 1. bodies travel 2. come powerfully 3. over the gods by this god 4. his bodies travel his great horizon 5. praise the bodies transformation which come 6. over and give great god 7. the things that belong to the abode of the dead, praise bodies which come, 8. give gods above without the Sun 9. over them, praise the bodies which 10. come in power above, overthrow gods, 11. they circle the sun, praise flesh, praise them within, 12. praises to this, above comes the almighty 13. god which travels in the images 14. they follow, praise bodies which 15. come in power the gods above, overthrown, split 16. by flame, see them blaze in 17. radiance, they are spirits.

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Two Lands = Egypt: The North Land and South Land

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Aker1 Part 2

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[Written inside the body of the great standing god at his ankle: mighty mighty] 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

this god in this design, this place, darkness, the abode of the dead this god in this design, this place, darkness this god in design of great bodies which are in him this design in the goddess, place of darkness5 this design in the goddess, place of darkness this design in the goddess, place of darkness this design in the goddess, place of darkness

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May refer to Nut: the sky goddess, her body contained all the stars. The four repetitions of the phrase may infer four cardinal directions; e.g. the entire night sky - the place of darkness.

© John Bunker & Karen Pressler 2011 All Rights Reserved

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Aker1 DETAIL OF TRANSLATION The Upper Component First Section (image reversed for ease of reading)

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1. nen neteru em skher these gods in designs these gods in designs 2. pen em aat auf ua 6 this in place flesh one in this place go as one flesh

ai to go 7

3. nekht khat neter ta en ef af ef mighty bodies divine give to him flesh his8 mighty divine bodies give to him his flesh, 4. er Amen ta ef khat ef neter entrance god of the solar disk sun god give he bodies his god9 his divine bodies give entrance to him, the god of the solar disk 6

Mercer, Samuel A. B. The Handbook of Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Study of the Ancient Language. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1993, Sign List, Buildings and Their Parts, #26, p. 162. 7 KP: The double lion god of the sun goes with him. 8 KP: God gave these mighty lion bodies to the great sun. 9 KP: The sun then gave these great lion bodies to guard the hidden entrance.

© John Bunker & Karen Pressler 2011 All Rights Reserved

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Aker1 5. pen hetch ef ami ef em stiut this to become bright he which is in him from radiance10 this god becomes bright from his radiance which is within him 6.

net ashem11 af en au ef afu ef au neter pen which make go flesh in come he Sun god of night he above god this which makes go, he comes in the of flesh the Sun god of night, he is above this god

7. a ta a ef nen neteru nti sut great give praise him these gods without him these gods give him great praise without seeing him

maa see

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sen su serq an sen em stem kheru they will breathe anew15 them from hear voice they will breathe anew; from them16 hear voice. 9. ef hetch sen em ai nekht sen su17 up he become bright them in come mighty they to open 18 He becomes bright in them, in strength they come to open [the way] 10. nen neteru em keku app ra em Amentt these gods in darkness travel sun god in the abode of the dead19 the sun god travels in the darkness in these gods, in the abode of the dead,

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KP: The two lion constellations rise, until together they take up the entire night sky, and then, ablaze, they become the glorious sunrise. 11 Budge, EHD, 92A 12 KP: The sun can not be constrained. 13

Budge, EHD, 612A: serq to open [the windpipe]; to breathe Budge, EHD, 648A, used as a particle 15 Budge, EHD, 58A 16 “their voice is the sound of thunder” = the roar of the double lion gods 17 Budge, EHD, 648A, a particle. 18 KP: The mighty lion gods open the way for him. 19 KP: Across the darkness travels the double lion god, this “night side” of the great sun. 14

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11. sqett khat neter er hetch ami ef akh 20 travel about in a boat bodies god entrance become bright in his glory the divine bodies of the god travel about in a boat,21 the entrance becomes bright in his glory, 12. nen apt sen em khet ef khat sen khent these travel them in behind he, bodies they first 22 these travel, he is behind his bodies, they are first, 13. aat af sen hai af ai nekht khat place flesh they sun23 flesh to come mighty bodies24 the sun is the place of their flesh, the mighty bodies come [to] 14. aat af ef shesp25 arti 26 sheta-ti place flesh his image the two eyes double mystery 27 place of flesh, 28 his image, the two eyes, the double mystery 15. ar em khet app neter akh neter hetep t Ra at from behind travel god glorious god reposed thou sun from behind travels the god, the glorious god, the sun, at rest, 16. hap29 hebs30 nekht kher seth keku hetch ef neter to cover over power with behold darkness radiance his divine31 power to cover over with darkness his divine radiance. 20

KP: In their boat on the celestial river they bring the sun. The coffin texts connect the double lion god with the Hen Henu boat. (see Faulkner, Raymond O. The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Warminster [Eng.]: Aris & Phillips, 1973, p. 148-49: “I am the Double Lion, older than Atum” … “I have made the circlings in the hnhnw-bark of Khopri.”) 22 KP: Their bodies precede his. 23 Budge, EHD, 459B 24 KP: In the repository of heaven come these mighty lion bodies. 25 Budge, EHD, 752B 21

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Budge, EHD, 68A; KP: The sun receives their might, and becomes radiant. 28 The sky 29 Budge, EHD, 462B, to cover over, to hide, to conceal, to envelop, to shroud. 30 Budge, EHD, 476B, to put on clothes, to clothe, to dress, to cover over 31 KP: They conceal him in darkness as they traverse the night sky, where he becomes bright again. 27

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Aker1 17. (Neb-maat-Ra)32 ap ef atebu pen nefer her qerrt ten ` travel he regions this beautiful over circle this33 Neb-maat-Ra travels these regions over this beautiful circle, 18. khu nen ap atebu akhu neb ta ta spirits these travel regions34 spirit king lord two lands35 the spirit of the king, lord of the two lands,36 travels these spirit regions. The Lower Component of the First Section

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1. travel bodies bodies travel 2. ai nekht come mighty come powerfully 3. her neteru an neter pen over gods by god this over the gods by this god 32

This cartouche is a mock-up because I could not read the original in the photo; it may be the name of the king, Neb (Lord)-maat (truth)-Ra (Sun god). 33 KP: The sun follows the ecliptic river that runs across the sky. 34

Budge, EHD, 13A land, region KP: From the two lands of Egypt, we watch the constellations travel the great ecliptic river in the sky. 36 Two Lands = Egypt: The North Land and South Land 35

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4. aa aakhut ef ap ef khat great horizon he travel his bodies his bodies travel his great horizon 5. kheperu37 a khat neth ai transformation praise bodies which come praise the bodies transformation which come 6. ta her neteru aau give over gods great over and give great god 7. khert38 em Amentt a khat net ai things which belong to the abode of the dead praise bodies which come the things that belong to the abode of the dead, praise bodies which come, 8. ta her neteru nti bennu39 give over gods without the soul Ra give gods above without the Sun 9. her sen a khat neth over them praise bodies which over them, praise the bodies which 10. ai nekht her neteru neta40 go mighty over gods overthrow come in power above, overthrow gods, 37

Budge, EHD, 542B, form, manifestation, shape, similitude, image, change, transformation

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Budge, EHD, 580B, phonetic spelling for Budge, EHD, 218A, Benu: a bird-god sacred to Ra and Osiris and the incarnation of the soul of Ra and the heart of Osiris; Venus as a morning star was identified with him. Benu was self produced and appeared each morning at dawn on the Persa Tree in Anu; the Greeks connected it with the Phoenix

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Budge, EHD, 409A,

neta-overthrow

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Aker1

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(= ) sen ra shenu k (auf) en a sen am they sun orbit flesh41 to praise them within they circle the sun, praise flesh, praise them within,

ha praise

12. a a en then ai nekht her praises to this come mighty over praises to this, above comes the almighty 13. neter net app em aru god which travel in images god which travels in the images 14. khet sen a khat net/neth follow they praise bodies which they follow, praise bodies which 15. ai nekht her neteru neta ses42 go mighty over gods overthrow divide come in power the gods above, overthrown, split 16. ta43 em maa44 sen amit45 flame by see they blaze by flame, see them blaze in bodies

em in

khat bodies

17. stuit46 sen khu radiance they spirits radiance, they are spirits. 41 42

Budge, EHD, 782A, ; Budge, Egyptian Language, page 93: to split ; Mercer, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, p. 168: to divide

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Budge, EHD, 864B, Budge, EHD, 266B 45 Budge, EHD, 49A, to burn, to flame, to blaze, fire, flame 46 Budge, EHD, 708B, rays, light, splendor, radiance 44

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[Written inside the body of the great standing god at his ankle: mighty mighty] 18. neter pen em sker pen ten aat47 keku Ament god this in design this this place darkness the abode of the dead this god in this design, this place, darkness, the abode of the dead 19. neter pen em sker pen ten aat48 keku god this in design this this place darkness this god in this design, this place, darkness 47 48

Budge, EHD, 27A Budge, EHD, 27A

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20. neter pen em sker neth khat aai49 god this in design of bodies great this god in design of great bodies which are in him

ami ef which are in him

21. netrit em skher pen em aat keku goddess in design this of place darkness this design in the goddess, place of darkness50 22. netrit em skher pen em aat keku goddess in design this of place darkness this design in the goddess, place of darkness 23. netrit em skher pen em aat keku goddess in design this of place darkness this design in the goddess, place of darkness 24. netrit em skher pen em aat keku goddess in design this of place darkness this design in the goddess, place of darkness

49 Budge, EHD, 107B, aai: , to be great, to be large, to be mighty, to be spacious, to be abundant, to be powerful. 50 May refer to Nut: the sky goddess, her body contained all the stars. The four repetitions of the phrase may infer four cardinal directions; e.g., the entire night sky-the place of darkness.

© John Bunker & Karen Pressler 2011 All Rights Reserved