The Role Of God In The Book Of Gates

When the sun god passes the blessed dead in the netherworld, as illustrated in the Book of Gates, he wakes them from their slumber, imbuing them with renewed life and allotting them land and time in the afterlife. In the lower register of the fifth hour, one of the duties performed for the blessed dead is rendered. In this scene, lifetimes for the blessed dead in the netherworld are measured.
The twelve gods with no attributes stand in a row, with a hieroglyph alternating between the human figures. In their hands, they bear a snake, from which emerge the fused hieroglyphic signs, and . The figures are identified collectively as Xr.jw aHa.w m jmn.t, “Those who carry the lifetime in the West.” In the Osireion, the gods number thirteen,