Wednesday, October 18, 2023

False Doors of Ancient Egypt stem from a False Belief System: Ancestor Worship

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward... Ecclesiastes 9:5 NIV

"Ancestor worship was an important part of household religion and the belief that the dead could not only be communicated with but could also use their power to both help and hurt living beings, was an ingrained part of the ancient Egyptian belief system.

False doors were a specific type of funerary decoration often found
in the tombs of the Egyptian elite during the Old Kingdom...
False doors were carved from a single piece of limestone and took the form of a narrow doorway surrounded by inscribed door jambs and surmounted by a lintel. 

The tomb’s occupant was usually represented seated at a table laden with food offerings: vegetables, fruits, bread, wine, beer, and meats—everything a soul would need to sustain itself in the afterlife. The family members and friends of the deceased could also be immortalized on the false door. These carvings were not portraits, however, but idealized representations. Both men and women were shown in the prime of their life: strong, healthy, vigorous, and fertile."
AtlasObscura