This is the False Door of a man ๐๐๐ค named Bateti ๐๐๐๐๐๐ who was an official during the 5th Dynasty (2494-2345 B.C.E.). This particular False Door is interesting because it shows Bateti ๐๐๐๐๐๐ emerging from it – the statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ served as a vessel for his soul ๐ to pass through the door. This False Door stood in the chapel of his mastaba tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐. The False Door remains unfinished and his name ๐๐ should be carved above the statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ, but only two ๐ป hieroglyphic symbols were carved.
Batetiโs full name: ๐๐๐๐๐๐
What appears on the False Door: ๐๐๐ (the โ๐๐โ has been fully carved but the โ๐โ has only been sketched on to the limestone ๐๐๐๐).
False Doors are an extremely important part of ancient Egyptian funerary practices. False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ to the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ. The offerings ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ usually consisted of food ๐ฌ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฅ- bread ๐ and beer ๐ were two common ones! The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living and the land of the dead. The ancient Egyptians ๐๐๐๐๐ช believed that the soul ๐ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ could travel between the two lands ๐ฟ๐ฟ through the False Door. They are also known as โka ๐ doorsโ or โsoul ๐ doors.โ
False Doors were usually located on the western ๐๐๐ญ walls of tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ because the west ๐๐๐๐ is associated with the dead ๐ ๐๐ฑ. The west ๐๐๐๐ is associated with the dead ๐ ๐๐ฑ because the sun ๐ณ๐บ sets in the west ๐๐๐๐ – when Ra ๐ณ๐บ๐ makes his daily journey across the sky ๐ช๐๐ฏ, sunset ๐๐๐๐ ฑ๐ถ is representative of his death.
๐๐น๐ฝ๐
