Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be learning about the Shabti Spell! The Shabti Spell was a special hieroglyphic inscription 𓎘𓅱𓎖 which gave the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figure the ability to perform tasks, such as manual labor, for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.
We are going to look at the blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 that is in this picture!
The “Shabti Spell” usually starts off with the following phrase:
𓋴𓌉𓆓𓇶 – The Illuminated One
𓁹𓊨𓀭 – The Osiris
Then the “Shabti Spell” will usually list the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 job/titles:
𓏟 – Scribe
𓉒 – Treasury
So this specific ushabti’s 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 spell starts off with “The Illuminated One, The Osiris, The Scribe of the Treasury…” – after this, the name 𓂋𓈖 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 person would appear (we can’t see it the text wraps around the ushabti) and then the name 𓂋𓈖 of either the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐 or father 𓇋𓏏𓀀 would also be listed.
The word for “ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾” also appears in the Shabti Spell! It is usually part of the phrase “O these Shabtis, if I am counted, if I am reckoned at any works in the god’s land…” which is the part of the spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 that calls on the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 to do the work for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 so it is very important because this is the whole point of the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 figure!
Let me know if you like the image above with the inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 highlighted!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.