Ackland Fun, 62.19.5
Shabtis, also known as shawabtis or ushabtis, were Egyptian objects that were placed in the tomb with the deceased. Because the Egyptians believed that the afterlife was a mirror of earthly existence, the shabtis were thought to be a substitute for the individual in the afterlife. They were believed to perform manual labor, allowing the individual to enjoy a leisurely life and not spend an enternity working. The work that they were designed to replace was agriculture work, which explains why our figure to the left holds a hoe in each hand and has two baskets on its back. Shabtis varied in size and by the material in which they were made.
Shabtis were first used in the 9th through 11th Dynasties, where they were made out of wax or mud. These early models were very different than the one pictured to the left. They consisted of a naked body with outstretched arms, and it wasnt until the 12th Dynasty that the mummified version of shabtis came into practice. During the 13th Dynasty, Shabtis were used for high ranking officials and were of amazing stone work. And it wasn't until the 17th Dynasty that Shabtis really became popular. During this time, shabtis were used for kings as well as the common man. They were now not only of great workmanship, but painted and of high quality. This theory however, soon changed while approaching the 21st Dynasty. It was here that a belief in power of numbers was formed. There were 365 shabtis place with the deceased, one for each day of the year, and 36 more shabtis to supervise the workers. The two different types were easily distinguishable, because they were made to look like slaves and overseers. Once the 25th Dynasty, the one in which King Taharqa's shabtis came from, the funerary objects resembled that of a more traditional form. They were made of stone, like the earlier shabtis, yet they were not painted like the more resent models. Yet, eventhough being as impressive as they were, the trend was short, and Taharqa's shabtis were the last which were made of stone. The quality of the shabtis dropped as the 26th dynasty came along with bad stonework, and filled with errors.
King Taharqa was considered the greatest of the Nubian pharaohs with his empire running from
- Michael Jordan's afterlife would be made easier with shawabtis that replaced him for interviews and signing autographs. Not for the rest of eternity will Jordan have to worry about answering personal questions or signing shirts, caps, or basketballs. He will be able to enjoy his afterlife playing baseball and golf (maybe baseball??) without any distractions from the press.
- The shawabtis Oprah would use would help keep her business running. They would be used to edit her magazine O, produce her show, and run her company Harpo Inc. Some would be used to keep the press at bay, and others would become her personal trainers so that she can stay in shape in the afterlife.
- The shawabtis placed into Michael Jackson’s tomb would be a figure that performed plastic surgery whenever it was needed. In addition, there would be a shawabti that enabled Michael to help terminally ill and underprivileged children in a non intrusive way and without feeding them Jesus juice.
- George Bush would also have several shawabtis placed in his tomb to help him in the afterlife. Some prime choices might include his advisors and cabinet to help him handle governmental business in the afterlife. Other shawabtis might include a few personal attendants, some Republican citizens so he feels forever respected, and a band of destructive terrorists to keep his eternal approval ratings high.