Alabaster Heb Sed Vase .

During Heb Sed, the king would repeat his coronation rituals by sitting on the thrones of Upper and Lower Egypt - shown here at the base of the handle. These thrones were within a pavilion on a stepped platform that symbolized the primaeval mound of creation.

The rectangle below, in which a royal name would have been inscribed, is supported by the god Heh, the hieroglyph for millions. On the top of the handles a scarab beetle, signifying rebirth. All of this served to ensure the king´s perpetual resurrection and eternal rule.

The old Kingdom, 3rd Dynasty, reign of Djoser, ca. 2686-2649 BC. From the step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.