0 Doors in Egyptian Tombs / Ancient Egypt Secrets.
The Ancient Egyptians believed that the 0 Door was a threshold between the Reals of the Living and the Dead, through which a deity or Spirit of the deceased could enter and exit. The 0 Door was first used in the Mastabes of the Third Dynast of the Old Kingdom Twenty Seventh Century BC, which then became used indefinitely in the Tombs of the Fourth through to the Sixth Dynasties. The false Door was normally the centerpiece of the offering Chapel, this is where the Family Members could make offerings to the deceased on a special offerings board which was placed in front of the Door.
The imaginary Door was one of the most important sections of the Cemetery in the Old State, however it’s importance began to fade in view of the Osiris doctrine which moved the place of the second World from the Cemetery to the Underworld.
Egypt having had a large share of components that made it into a civilized Country and attraction for tourism, from which visitors all over the World come to view not only the beautiful scenery but learn about the History and the Culture which includes the architecture and decorative constructions which still impress to the present Day. It is these components for example the 0 Doors in the Ancient Egyptian Civilization within the framework of Religion and Funerary.
In most cases it held wide bodied interfaces centred with involvements close to the rear Cylinder and topped with Stone so that it can be called by the name of the entrance to the Spirit when the Human Spirit is separated after the death, so the flesh can then accept offerings and in the Ancient Egyptian Language this is called r – pr. The 0 Door is an image in Stone or Wood to the real Door which was the communication between the Upper part of the Cemetery where offerings and Funeral Rites were performed . It was believed that what the dead received out of the offerings was a return to enter the Cemetery as a Door to the Spirit Guides so that the Body of the deceased can be visited.
The Egyptians in the Old State used to fill the sides of the imaginery Door , which consisted of an Upper Lintel, and then a panel which appeared as if it represented a Window above the Door, then a lower Lintel, plus from the Door’s Shutters, topped by a horizontal Cylinder which represented either a wrapped curtain or mat. They used to fill hese Areas with a vast amount of images that represented the Owner of the Cemetery, which showed him sometimes sitting in front of the offering Table, surrounded by a List of Offerings, whilst at other times standing surrounded by his Wife and Children.
The Ancient Egyptians in their early Years believed that the Cemetery was the lower world in which the deceased would spend the life of immortality,
The movement sometimes resides in the Burial Chamber and at other times ascends to the Shrine Chambers which are built above the Ground.
In the Era of the Modern State , the Imaginary Door was pointed in a few Tombs, however it reappeared again and returned to it’s Ancient Importance in the Era of the of the Twenty Sixth Dynasty Six Hundred BC.
There is a belief that the 0 Doors appeared since the earlier Historical Years, where the Family first appeared in the rectangles and depths of some part of the Walls, a bottom was found in the Burial Chamber as a storage tools for Food and Drink.
There is a Door from the Tomb of Sinnjim. This Wooden Door was found in Deir al – Madina in the Year of one Thousand eight hundred and eighty six AD, The Importance of this Tomb is due to the scenes painted on it. On the Inner Façade you will see the Image of Chapter Seventeen from the Book of the Dead, in the scene it depicts a Star sitting with his Wife under a Canopy of Twigs, playing a Game which was called Cent. The Game was very popular with the Egyptians, in addition to it’s Religious Influence on the Deceased in the Other World..
Another Fake Door which belonged to Ika, Ica who was a Royal Priest of Purgatory and head of the Great House known to the King. His Wife was Ly – Meret who was a Priestess of Hathor. This Unique 0 Door consists of fourteen pieces of Wood collected and bound together with Wooden Spines and Leather Belts.
The Upper Panel depicts a Scene of Ica who is sitting with his Wife at an Offering Table, which is stacked with Symbols of the Field, which translates to Food and Goodness, and below are placed many Symbols of Offerings, also on the Doorposts like Aika on the Left, and Lyi Meret on the Right, smelling a Lotus Flower, accompanied by their Children.
Fake Door for Baby – Sanab.
The top of this Imaginary Door is decorated with an Egyptian Corniche. Below the Cornice you will see in the Window a view of the Royal Scribe Bibi – Sanb sitting at a crowded offering Table. On the Upper Lintel of the Door the procedure for Offerings, Hetep – de- Nusu, was engraved, in order to make sure that the devotee received the eternal Offerings. Bibi Sanb is depicted holding a long stick as a sign of his Nobility, and is seen wearing a Kilt, a Necklace, and a Short Wig.
0 Door for Ptah – hotep.
A 0 Door with amazingly beautiful decorations made of Stone is that from the Tomb of Ptah – hotep who was a Vizier and chief judge in the middle of the Fifth Dynasty. It depicts him to be sitting in a niche between two horizontal Thresholds, which is a Group of Stones that form a Beam above the Door, and in front of him is a Table with a vast amount of Offerings.
In the Sixth Dynasty the 0 Door had three differences in Height and was decorated in the Corniche. Throughout the New Kingdom 0 Doors in Temples were often associated with a Chapel known as The Hearing Ear, which was generally Located in the Outer Wall near the back of The Temple close to The Sancutrary. These Chapels allowed those who were outside The Temple to communicate directly with The God who could hear them throught The 0 Door, however the majority of False Doors are to be found in Tombs and Morturary Temples to allow the deceased to access The Living World, and to receive Offerings. Actually ,The 0 Door can be seen as the combination of an Offering niche with the Offering formula inscribed on it.
Besides the name and titles of the deceased, plus the Offering formula, the decoration on The 0 Door often included a Curse to thos who wanted to harm the deceased, and a Blessing to those who made Offerings. As an example The 0 Door in the Tomb of Rdi – ness at Giza has the following text inscribed on it. In the Sixth Dynasty dominated The 0 Doors of three differences in height and was decorated in the Corniche or Kirzanp and the representation of Eye – Alaudjat.
During The New Kingdom, 0 Doors in Temples were often associated with a Chapel known as The Hearing Ear, which in general was Located in the Outer Wall near the back of The Temple close to The Sancturary.
These Chapels allowed thos outside The Temple to communicate directly with The God who could hear them through the 0 Doors, however the majority of 0 Doors are to be found in Tombs and Mortuary Temples to allow the deceased to access The Living World and receive Offerings. Actually the 0 Door can be seen as the combination of an Offering niche with the Offering formula inscribed on it.
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