In ancient Egypt, the meal is not served in successive courses but arranged all at once on the offering table (hetep), facing the god. At the heart of the cult of Ra — he who defeats Apep each dawn — priests and worshippers place the "ta-henqet" (bread-and-beer), the foundation of every offering, surrounded by honey cakes, fruits, onions, and meats. A portion then goes to the attendants: this is the "reversion of offerings." The structure is therefore read vertically (from divine to human), not as starter-main-dessert.

Two emblems: emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum), the ancient Egyptian cereal for bread and beer, and golden honey — the color of the sunlight that Ra defends against the darkness of Apep. Honey sweetens, preserves, and sanctifies; emmer nourishes both the living and the dead.