The ancient world was certainly unacquainted with the techniques of modern medicine, but they were very certainly familiar with death. In this case, however, the condition of the body was such that some had supposed the king must be dead. The king was therefore unmoving and unresponsive. His condition was probably similar to a coma. The queen understood that he was not dead, probably because she was in closer proximity to him than the others. She would know that he did not have the characteristics of death, that he still had the warmth of life about him. Whether or not she could feel the faint breath, or understood the coursing of blood we do not know. We do know that she understood that he was not dead, even though he was dead to the world.