Statues as Living Beings

Egyptians did not treat statues as decorations. Priests performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony to activate them, believing the ritual brought the figure to life. Temple statues were then bathed, clothed, and offered food daily as living representatives of the gods.

This makes the targeting of noses even more striking: it was not random vandalism but spiritual assassination, designed to kill what Egyptians believed was genuinely alive.