Abstract
The iconographic treatment and the context in which ropes and snakes participate evidence a relationship between both elements in the Book of the Gates. This relationship is reflected in the meanings they represent. The underworld hours display ropes being carried by several deities in an equivalent composition and context.
The strong presence of snakes in Egyptian written sources and iconography proves the Egyptian fascination of these creatures. snakes are often mentioned as primal creatures. The snakes and rope-carriers are symbolically linked. both elements are strongly associated with time and being more explicit on some occasions with cyclical time and time inversion which leads to rebirth.
The depictions of ropes as the solar boat are obviously connected with the underworld journey but at the same time, they often display elements related to the hours. The punishment of the enemies of the Sun god in which both snakes and ropes are involved, is another important step in the Underworld journey.
The aim of the paper is to discase the roles of ropes and snakes in the underworld hours in the Book of The Gates.