370 shadufday of the year, plus one overseer shabti.The figures were
usually inscribed with prayers urging the shabtis to
assume all obligations assigned to the deceased. There is
an undocumented connection between the PERSEA TREE
and the shabtiin Egyptian traditions. The tree was called
a shawab.In some eras, the shabtiswere buried in indi-
vidual boxes with vaulted lids. Scribe shabtiswere found
in some tombs.
shaduf An ancient Egyptian irrigation device still in
use on the Nile, introduced into the land by the HYK-
SOS, or Asiatic, invaders of the Second Intermediate
Period (1640–1550 B.C.E.), the shaduf is a simple
wooden instrument consisting of a pole with a bucket
on one end and a weight on the other. The shaduf
enabled a farmer, working alone, to raise water from the
Nile and to deposit it in the appropriate canal or irriga-
tion ditch. The use of the device after the Hyksos
period increased Egypt’s agricultural output. Scholars
estimate that the shadufincreased cultivation by 10 per-
cent. The device was just one of the many contributions
made by the Hyksos during their occupation of the east-
ern Delta.
Shai She was an Egyptian goddess who determined
the fate of individuals and events, associated with
mortuary rituals and the JUDGMENT HALLS OF OSIRIS.
Shai was part of the cult of RENENET, the goddess of for-
tune. Shai had powers over the living and the dead, and
her name is translated as “what is ordained.” Consid-
ered the guardian of shay,fate, Shai was one of the
attendants of the scales upon which the goddess MA’AT
weighed the hearts of the deceased Egyptians in
judgment.
Shalmaneser III (d. c. 828 B.C.E.) Assyrian ruler who
tried to conquer Egypt
He made attempts to begin an assault on the Nile Valley in
the reigns of OSORKON II(883–855 B.C.E.) and TAKELOT II
(860–835 B.C.E.). The son of Ashurnasirpal, Shalmaneser
III reigned over the Assyrian empire from 858 B.C.E. until
his death. He was militarily active and faced Egyptian
cohorts on several occasions, as the Egyptians were part
of confederations of Mediterranean countries determined
to halt Assyrian advances. Shalmaneser III was victorious
at the battle of Qarqar on the Orontes River but was
delayed as a result and died before he could enter the
Nile Valley.
Shat en Sebau This was the ancient text called The
Book of the Pylons,a mortuary work that was a version of
THE BOOK OF THE DEAD. The journey through TUAT, the
Underworld, was the central theme of this mortuary text.
See also TOMB TEXTS.
Shawab See PERSEA TREE.Shebitku (Djedkauré)(d. 690 B.C.E.)Ruler of the
Nubian Twenty-fifth Dynasty
He was the successor of his uncle, SHABAKA, and reigned
698–690 B.C.E. He was the son of PIANKHI(1) and Queen
PEKASSATER. Shebitku married AMENIRDIS (1), a GOD’S
WIFE OF AMUN, or Divine Adoratrice of Amun, who
retired from that office. His sister, SHEPENWEPET(2), took
her place as the God’s Wife at Thebes.
Shebitku sided with the Palestinians and Phoenicians
(modern Lebanese) in their revolt against the Assyrians.
He faced the Assyrian King SENNACHERIB(r. 704–681
B.C.E.) in battle as a result but kept Egypt secure. He left
no major monuments but did build at MEDINET HABU.
When he died, his remains were taken to Napata, in
NUBIA(modern Sudan). He was followed on the throne by
his brother, TAHARQA.shebyu This was a collar worn as an insignia of honor.
Originally the collar was associated with the cult of OSIRIS
as a symbol of union with RÉand transformation in the
afterlife. The pharaohs wore a shebyuof intricate design,
and others wore modified versions. The collar was fash-
ioned out of solid gold rings strung on five or more cords,
with a clasp covered in gold and bearing the cartouche of
the royal hieroglyphs or a spiritual admonition. Smaller
gold beads were strung on 14 smaller cords, sometimes
tipped with metal bell-shaped ornaments. The dead
pharaohs were depicted wearing the shebyu, although
some wore it in life.
See also AMULETS; MORTUARY RITUALS.Shed (Hor-Shed) He was an Egyptian deity called
“the Savior,” the patron of deserts and the hunt. His cult
originated in THINIS, and he was depicted as a young
prince, wearing the lock of youth. Shed hunted serpents,
scorpions, and crocodiles, thus serving as a pest con-
troller. The god often appeared in a chariot drawn by two
horses. He was sometimes called Hor-Shed, “the lord of
deserts and heaven.”
See also GODS AND GODDESSES.Shedet See CROCODILOPOLIS.She-dou(fl. c. 23rd century B.C.E.)Priest of the Old
Kingdom
She-dou’s tomb was discovered on the GIZAplateau. He
described himself as a “servant of the goddess NEITH.”
Four painted statues of She-dou were found in his tomb
near the pyramids. He is depicted as wearing a white
kilt and a wide collar with blue, yellow, and white
stones.