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807717001
Book of the Dead of Hunefer (Hw-nfr) sheet 5; the main vignette from the funerary papyrus of the Royal Scribe Hunefer illustrates the ceremonies carried out at the entrance of the tomb on the day of burial. The beginning of Chapter 17, a text so obscure in content that the Egyptians themselves added explanatory glosses. In the accompanying vignettes Hunefer is depicted leaving the sign for "the West" in two directions, indicating his ability to roam at will in the afterlife. The scene showing him seated in a booth playing the board game senet is partly to ensure his continued enjoyment of a favourite leisure pursuit, but also has an underlying funerary significance: victory probably symbolized the overcoming of any obstacles which prevented entry to the afterlife.
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