Tablet from false door with husband and wife

The ancient Egyptians believed that a special false door in a tomb allowed for the ka or soul of the tomb owner to pass through it, thereby connecting the world of the dead with the world of the living. Friends and relatives placed offerings before the door, located in the offering chapel, to allow the deceased to receive nourishment during his new life in the Netherworld. This tablet from an Old Kingdom false door in a mastaba tomb depicts Ineb and his wife Khenit. The inscription in hieroglyphs between the seated couple reads, “Judge, Inspector of Scribes, Ineb. His wife, whom he loves, Khenit.”

Sources:
- David A. Pendlebury, “Ineb and Kheenit, an Old Kingdom Couple,” _Glencairn Museum News_, date unknown; see curatorial file for the object).