A firm conviction among those ancient Egyptians (says Professor Steindorff) was that life did not end at death, but that man continued to live just as he had lived upon this earth, provided that measures for his protection to usher him through the labyrinth of the Underworld and necessaries for his future existence were assured him. We shall now see from the equipment placed in this room beyond the Burial Chamber at least part of what was considered necessary for his protection and for his future existence.

The magical torch and clay-brick pedestal (Plate LII) found at the entrance of this room, must not be confused with the four brick pedestals with figures that were sealed within recesses in the four walls of the Burial Chamber (Vol. II, p. 37), for those magical figures were found intact hidden in niches in the walls of that chamber. This little clay brick with its tiny reed torch and a few grains of charcoal seem not to have been dropped by mere chance on the floor within the threshold in front of Anubis. The magical formula scratched upon the brick tells us that: “It is I who hinder the sand from choking the secret chamber, and who repel that one who would repel him with the desert-flame. I have set aflame the desert (?), I have caused the path to be mistaken. I am for the protection of the Osiris [the deceased].”