Ancient Egyptian acacia wood statue of Pi3y the doorkeeper, 18th Dynasty New Kingdom.
An Egyptian Statue
This statue from ancient Egypt presents a young man by the name of Pi3y (possibly pronounced “Pee-ah-ee”).* The figure is carved from acacia-wood, stands about 20 inches tall, and is remarkable for at least three reasons.
A Masterpiece of the New Kingdom
One reason has to do with the date of manufacture and artistic presentation. Scholars place this piece at the end of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, approximately the time of biblical Moses. Pi3y’s details are amazing (check out his curls and pleats). We see here a blend of older traditional elements and newer naturalistic tendencies.
The Name Pi3y
Second, the name of the young man is recorded four times on the piece, once on the base and three times on the back. Pi3y is a common name in New Kingdom Egypt but is not attested earlier.
The Role of a "Doorkeeper"
Third, not only does this personal name affix itself to the figure, so too a title. Pi3y was a “keeper” or “doorkeeper” to the palace. Some believe this to be the position of a guardian, porter, bouncer, or some type of administrator.
The Doorkeeper in Psalm 84:10
I find it fascinating to compare Pi3y’s status with the sentiment found in Psalm 84:10:
"For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."
In the biblical context, the doorkeeper is one who stands at the threshold (Hebrew: histofef), likely at the Temple in Jerusalem. While Pi3y’s inscription on his back pillar begs the goddess Werethekau to let him remain in the service of his master, the Psalmist makes a counter-cultural claim: that the humblest position in the presence of God is superior to any status among the godless.
The author proposes that being near to the presence of God is better than human status or ease among the godless.
A Prayer for Service
Returning to the wooden statue of Pi3y, consider the inscription on its back:
“O Werethekau, lend me your ear, I am your doorkeeper grant that (I) may remain in the service of my master, that (I) may open (?) his doors.”**
Whether in the palaces of Egypt or the courts of Zion, the "doorkeeper" reminds us that who we serve is far more important than the threshold we stand upon.
——————————————
*This statue is on display in the Museum of the Louvre, Paris, Pavilion Sully, Hall 26, Showcase 4.
**For more on the statue of Pi3y, see the article here: https://www.academia.edu/19956252/The_statue_of_the_Doorkeeper_of_the_palace_Pi3y_Louvre_E_124_ (accessed 1/15/2026).