Qabalah: Ushabti, Shabti

What are Egyptian Shabtis?

Ushabti, shabti, Egyptian statue

History and Background
Shabti, Ushabti and Shawabti

Ushabti Incantation

Ushabti / Shabti Resources
Web Links, Photos, VR, 3D

Shabti (also called ushabti, or Shawabti) are magical, clay figures of the early dynasty of the Egyptian empire.

Shabti is the Egyptian word for "answerer." The term shabti applies to these figures, prior to the Twenty-first dynasty (21st) of Egypt, after the end of the First Intermediate Period.

Shabti also applies to statuettes inscribed with Chapter Six of the Book of the Dead. Otherwise, they might better be defined by the generic term, funerary figurines. (wikipedia: Ushabti)

Egyptian myths claim that ushabtis are funerary figurines help do the work of the owner after they are deceased. An Egyptian prayer is made to the clay statue to bring it to life. Read about theory on life from clay.

Ushabtis (shabtis), like golem, are suppose to obey the orders of the owner. But these statuettes animate to specifically serve the soul of the deceased- whose name is carved into its chest along with the prayer to "carry the water" and "do the work" in the netherworld. The earlier shabti may have planted the seed for the later golem and teraphim legends.

(Paperback)
by Paul Whelan (Author)

This monograph represents the first comprehensive investigation of the characteristically crude wooden "stick" shabtis of the late 17th and early 18th Dynasties. Developed from a case study of examples in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and building upon scholarship that has until now focussed almost exclusively on the importance of their inscriptions, the work offers new perspectives on stick shabtis and their role in the cultic milieu during a transitional period in ancient Egyptian history.

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Golden House Publications (May 30, 2007)
• Language: English

Carved into the likeness of ancient gods, these giant statues guard the temples and pyramids ready to be reanimated in times of war. This blister pack contains a single model. All models are to 28mm scale and will need assembly and painting.

• Product Dimensions: 1.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Manufacturer Recommended Age: 3 years and up

Index: Teraphim | Golem | Sefer Yetzirah
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Selected Reference Books and Collectibles
on Ushabti/Shabti from Amazon:

Egyptian Shabtis
(Shire Egyptology)

Author: Harry M. Stewart

This short book provides much information about the Egyptian shabtis, figurines created to act for the deceased in the afterlife. The author explains their manufacture in wood, stone, Egyptian faience and other materials; he also traces their evolution from the Middle Kingdom to the Ptolemaic Period. Inscriptions and spells are briefly discussed. This is a very useful reference for students, Egyptologists and art historians. Click image to see inside the book.

King Tut, Tutankhamun, Ushabti, Luxor Museum, Egypt Photographic Poster Print by Kenneth Garrett, 12x16