PROTECTED FOR ETERNITY: The Coffins of Pa-debehu...

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The Coffins ofPa-debehu-Aset

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The World ofPa-debehu-AsetInside the Gill Discovery Center are two coffins thatwere made for Pa-debehu-Aset, a man who lived anddied in ancient Egypt. He lived in the village of Asyut,midway down the River Nile, over 2,300 years ago.Although the world of Pa-debehu-Aset may seem longago and far away, we can learn quite a lot about thebeliefs that were important to him and about ancientEgypt in general, by studying the hieroglyphs andsacred symbols on his coffins.

Egyptian society was divided into distinct socialgroups. There was one pharaoh, usually a king, but sometimes a queen, who ruled over all the land.Pharaohs, and all the members of his or her family,were very rich and powerful. Pharaohs were treatedlike gods on earth, and many people helped them intheir daily lives and with running the kingdom. Pa-debehu-Aset was probably a member of the uppermiddle class—a social group that also included doc-tors, engineers, merchants and scribes. MostEgyptians, though, were members of the lower class-es. They might be soldiers, dancers, farmers, or any of a number of other occupations.

Both of these coffins were made forPa-debehu-Aset. The anthropoid(human-shaped) coffin once held hismummy. Unfortunately his mummybecame separated from his coffinslong ago, and we do not know whereit is, or if it still exists. The box-likecoffin is called a sshhrriinnee ccooffffiinn, andthe anthropoid coffin fits inside it.Only wealthy Egyptians could afford two coffins.

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coffin

A coffin protectedthe mummy fromsun, heat and rain.It also provided aplace to recordsacred prayersand the name ofthe deceased.

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Most of what we know today about ancient Egypt is aresult of the hard work of Egyptologists—people whostudy ancient Egypt. They need to learn how to readhieroglyphs so they can study the art and history ofEgypt, and the objects that survive from that time.They also need to learn about the geography, environ-ment and politics of ancient Egypt, because, like today, those things affect how people live.

Try your skill at being an Egyptologist! Locatethis image of the god Horus on Pa-debehu-Aset's shrine coffin. Horus was the son of thegod Osiris and the goddess Isis. Here he isshown as a falcon, a type of hawk common inancient Egypt.

Ancient Egyptians lived in a climate that was both inviting and extreme. Most of the country was dominatedby a harsh, hot and dry desert environment. Fortunately,the land of Egypt was also enriched and nourished bythe River Nile, the world's longest river. The Nile floodedits banks once every year, leaving behind deposits offertile topsoil, which provided the Egyptians with their

only source of rich, work-able farmland.

Turn the page to explorethe remarkable world of Pa-debehu-Aset…

¥T H I S II S TT H EH I E R O G L Y P HFOR

desert

Like most Egyptians,Pa-debehu-Asetlived in a city located very nearthe River Nile. In aland that wasmostly desert, itwas important tobe near water.


water

The River Nile wasthe most importantsource of freshwater for ancientEgyptians.

The symbol below is called a wedjat-eye. It is also known as “the eye of Horus.” It is avery powerful symbol of rebirth and protection,and it will be your clue to explore the Gill Centeras you test your knowledge of ancient Egypt!

Find Pa-debehu-Aset's city of Asyut on the map.

Sacred Stories Like all ancient Egyptians, Pa-debehu-Aset worshippedhundreds of gods and goddesses. They helped him livehis life on earth and prepare for eternal life after death.In the ancient Egyptian creation story, the world beganwith Nun, the raging waters of chaos. The sun god Reemerged from Nun and created Shu, god of the air, and Tefnut, goddess of the morning dew. Shu and Tefnutthen created Geb, god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky. These deities created all the other gods and goddesses.

This is an imageof Nut, the goddess of thesky. She is alsothe mother of the gods Osirisand Seth.

Find Nut on Pa-debehu-Aset’santhropoid coffin.

A grandson of the god Re, Osiris was the most power-ful Egyptian god. He was originally a god of agricultureand fertility, and the first pharaoh of Egypt. He wastricked and killed by his evil brother Seth, the god of thestorm, chaos and the desert. Seth tore Osiris' body intomany pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt.Osiris' wife Isis and her sister Nephthys searched tire-lessly until they gathered together all the pieces ofOsiris' body. Anubis, the god of mummification, put allthe pieces of Osiris' body back together and wrappedhis body in linen. Anubis magically reunited Osiris' spiritwith his mummified body, and Osiris began a new lifeas the god of the Underworld.

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Osiris

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Nephthys

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Isis and Nephthys are sisters,and they are often difficult to tellapart. The one difference is theheaddress each wears—Isisusually wears a headdress in theshape of a throne or a sundiskwith horns; Nephthys usuallywears a headdress with a pictureof a palace topped by a basket.

Find the two sisters together on Pa-debehu-Aset's anthropoidcoffin. Which one is which?

Pa-debehu-Aset would have relied on Osiris, Isis,Nephthys, Horus and Anubis for protection from harm. If Pa-debehu-Aset had a family, he and his wife wouldhave asked the god Bes and the goddess Taweret—both important household gods—to help keep them safe and healthy.

Find Bes and Taweret. Look carefully—in thisexhibit they are represented as amulets—small charms carried or worn for protection or rebirth.

Most of the important gods and goddesses are namedand pictured on Pa-debehu-Aset's two coffins. AncientEgyptians believed their powerful presence protectedthe deceased throughout eternity. Look around the GillDiscovery Center for clues to help you identify “Who'sWho” on the coffins.

Turn the page to learn about how mummies are made…

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Isis

T H I S II S TT H E GG O DHorus

Bes was the god of the home, childbirth, infants, humor,song and dance. Along with Taweret, he was one of the mostimportant household gods because he warded off evil spiritsfrom newborns at the moment of birth. He is always shownas half-lion, half-man. Taweret protected mothers and theirchildren against the many risks surrounding pregnancy andchildbirth. She is always shown as a pregnant hippopotamuswith the limbs and paws of a lion.

See howmany godsand goddessesyou canrecognize!

How a Mummy isMadeUnfortunately, Pa-debehu-Aset's mummy is missing.However, we know his body was mummified, and thenplaced inside his anthropoid coffin because a frag-ment of linen and some small decorative beads thatonce adorned his body remain inside the coffin. Theancient Egyptians took great care to preserve a per-son's body after death. They believed both the ka, a person's spirit double, and the ba, a person's eternalsoul, needed to return to the body in the next world.

This is Isis, the goddess of mourn-ing. She was the wife of Osiris,and assisted Anubis with mummi-fication. Look at the position of herarms—they are in the same posi-tion as the hieroglyph for ka, whichis written as K. The hieroglyphfor ba is written as a ba-bird, likethis Ö.

Find Isis on Pa-debehu-Aset's shrine coffin.

After someone died, the bodywas taken to an embalmer—

a specialist trained in mummification. AncientEgyptians believed the brain wasn’t important, so itwas removed and discarded. The heart was treatedwith great care, as it was believed to be the center ofintelligence. It was removed, wrapped separately andreturned to its place in the body. The lungs, liver, stom-ach and intestines were removed, individuallyembalmed, and placed in canopic jars..

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Anubisas a jackal-headed man


Anubisas a jackal

Canopic jars were special containers that held the embalmed internal organs of a dead person. Each jar held a specific organ, and each lid shows of one of the four sons of the god Horus.

Once the organs were removed, the body was cov-ered with a special salt called natron that removed allthe moisture. After about 40 days, the body was driedand ready to be wrapped in hundreds of yards oflinen strips. (Try to picture strips of cloth the length ofseveral soccer fields laid end to end!). Fingers werebandaged individually; then the arms and legs werewrapped separately before being wrapped togetherwith the rest of the body. The head was wrapped last.Priests were present during the wrapping process, andthey said special prayers as they inserted amuletsbetween the linen strips. The entire process of prepar-ing the mummy could take up to 70 days.

Anubis was the god ofmummification. AncientEgyptians believed heguided the process ofmummification. He isalways shown as a jackal—a type of wild dog—or a jackal-headed man.

Turn the page to learn about Pa-debehu-Aset's journey to the afterlife…

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The human-headed godImsety guard-ed the liver

The jackal-headed godDuamutef wasin charge of thestomach

The baboon-headed godHapi watchedover the lungs

The falcon-headed godQebhsenuefprotected theintestines

Find Anubis on Pa-debehu-Aset’s anthropoid coffin.


mummy

Usually Egyptiansdrew the humanbody with botharms and legs infull view. But herethe body is shownall wrapped up—just the way amummy shouldlook!


intestine

The ancientEgyptians learneda great deal aboutthe human bodythrough theprocess ofembalming andmummification.

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Journey to theAfterli feAfter the body was mummified, it was placed in acoffin—or like Pa-debehu-Aset's mummy—a set ofnesting coffins. A funeral procession was held thatincluded friends and family members of the deceased,as well as musicians and dancers. The coffins werethen placed in a tomb with gifts such as food, furni-ture, jewelry and many other items that would make lifecomfortable for the deceased in the next world.

This is a funeralprocession inancient Egypt.On the far left isthe god Anubis,shown as a

jackal. In front of him, a group of male mourners followthe anthropoid coffin of the deceased. The wife of thedeceased kneels in front of her husband's coffin. Thisimage is from the Book of the Dead, a collection ofhymns, prayers and spells that were written onpapyrus and placed inside the coffins or on themummy itself.

The ancient Egyptians enjoyed their life on earth, andthey believed in an afterlife that lasted for eternity.According to ancient Egyptian beliefs, after Pa-debe-hu-Aset was mummified and buried in a tomb, his soulbegan a journey into the next world. This journey was

difficult and risky, but the sacredsymbols and hieroglyphs on his twocoffins offered his spirit assistanceand protection.

Egyptologists have deciphered thehieroglyphs on Pa-debehu-Aset'scoffins. One prayer from the top ofthe shrine coffin appears at left...

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djed–pillar

This sign of Osirissignifies stabilityand represents his backbone.


life

It is called an ankh sign and can be foundmany times onboth coffins.

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...And here is what it says:“1,000 jugs of beer, 1,000 oxen, 1,000 fowl, 1,000 ofevery good and pure thing for the kaof the veneratedone, the Osiris, Pa-debehu-Aset.”

Bread and beer were an important part of mostancient Egyptians’ diet. Even so, one thousand loavesof bread and one thousand jugs of beer would feedone person for a long time. This prayer meant that thedeceased would have food and drink for eternity. Italso asked that Pa-debehu-Aset be given “1,000 ofevery good and pure thing” once he reached eternity.What “good and pure things” do you think he wouldhope to receive?

The ancient Egyptians wanted to enjoy eternity without working too hard, so they included shawabti figures in their tombs. These small models of human beings acted as substituteworkers for the deceased. If any planting or harvesting was required of the deceased,the shawabti figure would magically perform the task in their place.

Sometimes as many as 365 shawabti figures—one for each day of the year—would beincluded ina tomb. Andsometimesthey wereplaced in aspecialshawabtibox like thisone.

Find these two objects in the Gill Discovery Center.

Turn the page to learn about reading and writing in ancient Egypt…

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scarab

The scarab beetlewas a symbol ofthe rising sun andrebirth.


sun

This solar disk was also a sign ofthe sun god Re.

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Reading and Writing inAncient EgyptMost people in ancient Egypt could not read andwrite. That skill was learned and practiced by a smallnumber of people called scribes. Scribes were impor-tant and respected members of Egyptian society. They trained for many years,beginning around the age of nine.

This is Thoth, the god of scribes,wisdom, and the moon. He isshown here with the body of a manand the head of an ibis—a belovedbird to the ancient Egyptians.

Find Thoth on Pa-debehu-Aset's shrine coffin.

The ancient Egyptians used acomplicated system of writing called hieroglyphs.Hieroglyphs were symbols that represented sounds,ideas, people or objects found in ancient Egyptian life.Sometimes they were painted on wood or papyrus—a type of paper made from the papyrus plant—andsometimes they were carved into stone. There wereover 700 different hieroglyphic signs. Imagine trying tolearn that many!

This is the hieroglyph for a scribe's toolkit. Itshows the container that holds one circularcake of red ink, and another of black. Thehieroglyph also includes pictures of a smallwater jar and a brush used for writing.

When you combine the hieroglyph for a “scribe's toolkit” with the hieroglyph for “man,” you get the hieroglyph for “scribe.”

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papyrus

Papyrus grewalong the banks ofthe River Nile.

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Thoth

Here Thothappears in theform of an ibis.

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Hieroglyph is a Greek word that means “sacred carv-ing.” Sometimes hieroglyphs really look like the wordsthey represent. For example, look at the four hiero-glyphs below and try to guess what they mean:

ˆ G [ oBut sometimes they can be pretty tricky! Try to guesswhat these four hieroglyphs mean:

r 0 H †(The answers are at the bottom of this page.)

Now look closely at the hieroglyphs below.Can you find them on Pa-debehu-Aset’s coffin?

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The ancient Egyptians believed that as long as theyrepeated the name of someone who died, that personwould continue to live on in eternity. You can helpkeep the spirit of Pa-debehu-Aset alive by saying hisname out loud (pah-deh-beh-HOO-AH-seht), andlearning more about his world.

11cup, tree, sunshine, turtlemouth, seat, garden, heart


friend

This sign is verysimilar to the ankhsign, which symbolizes “life”.


strength

Do you recognizethe head on thestaff? (It's Anubis,the god of mummi-fication.)

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rPa-debehu-Aset's nameappears many times onboth of his coffins. His namemeans “theone whowas arequest ofthe god-dess Isis.”It is writtenlike this:

And this is the way itappears on the lid of hisanthropoid coffin:

Can you find Pa-debehu-Aset's nameon hiscoffins?

horned viper ripple of water star

CC RR EE DD II TT SS :This Gallery Guide is made possible by Dan and Dorothy Gill, with additional funding from the , a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.All objects are owned by the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester with the exception of the following objects: amulets(page 5); shawabti figure and shawabti box (page 9), Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts; canopic jars (page 7), TheMetropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of James Douglas, 1890. (90.6.31ab, .32ab, .33ab, .34ab) Photograph © 2003 The Metropolitan Museumof Art; The Egyptian Book of the Dead (page 8), copyright 1994,1998 James Wasserman, Chronicle Books, www.bookofdead.com.

Glossaryamulets (AM-yoo-lets): small charms

worn or carried for protection orrebirth; worn as jewelry in lifeand also tucked into linenmummy wrappings

anthropoid (ANN-throw-poyd): shaped likea person

Anubis (ah-NOO-bis): god of mummification

ba (bah): eternal, imperishablesoul that often takes the form ofa human-headed bird

Bes (bess): household god whoprotected infants from evil;appears as half-lion, half-man

canopic jars (can-OH-pick): a set of four lidded jars intended to hold theliver, lungs, stomach and intestines

Duamutef (doo-AH-moo-tehf): one of thefour sons of the god Horus;canopic protector of the stom-ach; has the head of a jackal

Hapi (HAH-pea): one of the foursons of the god Horus; canopicprotector of the lungs; has thehead of a baboon

hieroglyphs (HIGH-row-GLIFS): “sacredcarvings;” a writing system thatcombines symbols represent-ing sounds, ideas, people orobjects found in ancient Egypt

Horus (HOR-uhs): the son of the godOsiris and the goddess Isis, herepresents the power of the ruling pharaoh

ibis (EYE-bis): native Egyptian birdwith long legs and a curvedbill; represents the god Thoth

Imsety (im-SET-ee): one of the foursons of the god Horus; canopicprotector of the liver; has thehead of a man

Isis (EYE-sis): a goddess of mourning, she was the wife ofthe god Osiris, mother of thegod Horus and sister of the goddess Nephthys

ka (kah): divine, spiritual double or “twin,” born with a personand returns to the spirit worldafter death

linen (LIH-nin): cloth made from theflax plant; used for clothing andmummy wrappings in ancientEgypt

mummification (MUM-mi-fa-KAY-shun): theprocess of drying out and pre-serving a body after death

natron (NAY-tron): natural salt used inthe mummification process

Nephthys (NEP-this): a goddess ofmourning and sister of the goddess Isis

Nut (nuht): goddess of the sky

Osiris (oh-SIGH-riss): the god of theUnderworld, husband of thegoddess Isis and father of thegod Horus

Pa-debehu-Aset (pah-deh-beh-HOO-AH-seht): aman who lived in ancient Egypt2,300 years ago. His namemeans “the one who was arequest of the goddess Isis”

papyrus (pah-PIE-ruhs): a tall reed-likemarsh plant used for making apaper-like material for writingand record-keeping

pharaoh (FAIR-oh): title for kings inancient Egypt

Qebsenuef (kehb-SEH-noo-ehf): one of thefour sons of the god Horus;canopic protector of the intes-tines; has the head of a hawk

scribe (skribe): well-educated officialswho learned and practicedhieroglyphic writing

shawabti (shah-WAHB-tee): small mum-miform figures buried in tombsto act as helpers, workers andservants in the afterlife

shrine coffin (shrine COF-in): a rectangularouter coffin that holds ananthropoid coffin, shaped likethe shrine of a god

Taweret (tah-WHERE-et): householdgoddess of childbirth and chil-dren; appears as a pregnanthippopotamus with the limbsand paws of a lion

Thoth (thohth): god of scribes, wisdom, and the moon

PROTECTED FOR ETERNITY: The Coffins of Pa-debehu...

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