[1] The Duat was also a residence for various gods, including Osiris, Anubis, Thoth, Horus, Hathor, and Maat, who all appear to the dead soul as it makes its way toward judgement.
In spite of the many demon-like inhabitants of the Duat, it is not equivalent to the conceptions of Hell in the Abrahamic religions, in which souls are condemned with fiery torment.
The role of the dead king, worshiped as a god, was also central to the mythology surrounding the concept of Duat, often depicted as being identical with Ra.
Any heart that is heavier than the feather failed the test, and was rejected and eaten by Ammit, the devourer of souls, as these people were denied existence after death in the Duat.
The souls that were lighter than the feather would pass this most important test, and would be allowed to travel toward Aaru, the "Field of Reeds", an ideal version of the world they knew of, in which they would plough, sow, and harvest abundant crops.
[1] The Book of the Dead and Coffin Texts were prepared as guidebooks through the Duat's dangerous landscape and to a life as an ꜣḫ for people who had recently died.
The purpose of the books is not to lay out a geography, but to describe a succession of rites of passage which the dead would have to pass to reach eternal life.
Judgment scene from the
Book of the Dead
from the Papyrus of
Hunefer
. In the three scenes from the Book of the Dead (version from ~1275 BCE) the deceased Hunefer is taken into the judgment hall by the jackal-headed
Anubis
. The next scene is the weighing of his heart, with
Ammit
awaiting the result and
Thoth
recording. Next, the triumphant Hunefer, having passed the test, is presented by the falcon-headed
Horus
to
Osiris
, seated in his shrine with
Isis
,
Nephthys
and the
four sons of Horus
. (19th Dynasty, c. 1300 BCE)
A section of the Egyptian
Book of the Dead
that is written on papyrus, showing the
Weighing of the Heart
in the Duat, where
Anubis
can be seen on the far right. The scales are shown with the feather balance, and
Ammit
awaits hearts that she must devour. The presence of
Osiris
at the gateway to the paradise of
Aaru
dates the papyrus to a late tradition of the myth.
Af
or
Afu
(commonly known as
Afu-Ra
), the ram-headed form of Ra when traveling the
Duat
on the subterrestrial
Nile
(the 12 hours of night and the underworld) on the
Mesektet
barque along with
Sia
(left and front of barque) and
Heka
(right and behind of barque), surrounded by the protective coiled serpent deity
Mehen
.
Papyrus of Ani: some of the 42 Judges of Maat are visible, seated and in small size
