The religion of Ancient Egypt lasted more than 3,000 years and was polytheistic, which means that there were many deities who were believed to reside within and control the natural forces.
Religious practices were deeply ingrained in Egyptians' lives as they attempted to provide for and win the favorite of their gods.
The religion's complexity was evident, as some deities existed in multiple manifestations and played multiple mythological roles.
The pantheon included major universe gods, minor deities (or "demons"), foreign gods, and occasionally humans, including deceased Pharaohs.
Formal religious practise in Egypt was centred on the pharaoh, or ruler, who was thought to be divine and served as an intermediary between the people and the gods.
His role was to sustain the gods so that they could keep the universe in order, and the state lavished resources on temple construction and rituals.
The pharaoh was associated with Horus (and later Amun) and was regarded as Ra's son. When the pharaoh died, he was fully deified, directly identified with Ra and associated with Osiris, the god of death and rebirth.
Individuals could, however, directly appeal to the gods for personal purposes through prayer or requests for magic; as the pharaoh's power waned, this personal form of practise grew stronger.
Ceremonies surrounding birth and naming were also common religious practise. The people also used "magic" (called heka) to manipulate natural forces.
Cosmology
The Egyptian universe revolved around Ma'at, which means "truth," "justice," and "order" in English. It was fixed and eternal (without it, the world would crumble), and there were constant threats of disorder, necessitating society's efforts to preserve it.
The gods, the spirits of deceased humans, and living humans, the most important of which was the pharaoh, were all inhabitants of the cosmos. Humans must work together to achieve this, and gods must function in harmony.
Periodic events, such as the annual Nile flood, resurrected Ma'at and echoed the original creation. The daily journey of the sun god Ra was the most important of these.
Myths
Egyptian myths are mostly known through hymns, ritual and magical texts, funerary texts, and Greek and Roman writings. According to the creation myth, the world emerged as a dry space in the primordial ocean of chaos, marked by the first appearance of Ra.
Other versions of the myth depicted the primordial god Atum transforming into the elements of the world, as well as the intellectual god Ptah's creative speech.
The myth of Osiris and Isis was the most important. Osiris, the divine ruler, was assassinated by Set (the god of chaos), then resurrected by his sister and wife Isis to bear an heir, Horus.
Osiris then ruled over the dead, while Horus eventually avenged his father and ascended to the throne. This myth pitted the Pharaohs and their succession against chaos.
The Afterlife
Egyptians were deeply concerned about the fate of their souls after death, and they constructed tombs, made grave goods, and made offerings to preserve the bodies and spirits of the deceased.
They believed that humans possessed ka, or life-force, which departed from the body upon death. To survive after death, the ka must continue to receive food offerings; it may consume the spiritual essence of it. Humans also had a ba, a set of spiritual characteristics that were unique to each individual and remained in the body after death.
Funeral rites were intended to free the ba, allowing it to move, rejoin the ka, and live on as an akh. However, the ba returned to the body at night, necessitating the preservation of the body.
Mummification included elaborate embalming practises and cloth wrapping, as well as various rites such as the Opening of the Mouth ceremony. Tombs evolved from mastabas (rectangular brick structures) to pyramids.
However, this did not initially apply to the common person: they entered a dark, bleak realm that was the polar opposite of life.
The pharaoh did provide tombs and grave gifts to nobles. By around 2181 BCE, Egyptians had come to believe that everyone had a ba and could access the afterlife. By the New Kingdom, the soul had to face dangers in the Duat before a final judgement, known as the Weighing of the Heart, in which the gods compared the deceased's actions while alive to Ma'at to see if they were worthy.
Rise And Fall Of Gods
Certain gods rose to prominence over time, only to be dethroned by other gods. The sun god Ra, the creator god Amun, and the mother goddess Isis were among them. Egypt was even monotheistic at one point, under Pharaoh Akhenaten and his patron god Aten.
The Deity Relationships
Egyptian deities, like natural forces, had complex interrelationships. Minor deities may be linked, or deities may be brought together in Egyptian mythology based on the meaning of numbers (i.e., pairs represented duality). Syncretism can also be used to connect deities, resulting in a composite deity.
Depictions of Gods in Art
Because the true nature of gods was shrouded in mystery, artistic depictions of them were not literal representations. Symbolic imagery, on the other hand, was used to indicate this nature. Anubis, a funerary god, was depicted as a jackal to counteract its traditional meaning as a scavenger and to provide protection for the mummy.
Temples
Temples were the state's method of sustaining the gods by housing and caring for their physical images; they were not a place for ordinary people to worship. They served as mortuary temples for deceased pharaohs as well as patron god temples. They began as simple structures, grew in complexity, and were increasingly built from stone, with a common plan. Ritual duties were typically performed by priests or government officials in the role. Professional priesthood became common in the New Kingdom, and their wealth rivalled that of the pharaoh.
Festivals and Rituals
Aside from numerous temple rituals such as the morning offering ceremony and myth re-enactments, there were coronation ceremonies and the sed festival, which was a renewal of the pharaoh's strength during his reign. At Karnak, the Opet Festival included a procession carrying the god's image to other significant sites.
Worship of Animals
Egyptians worshipped specific animals that they believed were manifestations of deities at many sites. The Apis bull (of the god Ptah), as well as mummified cats and other animals, are examples.
Using Oracles
Commoners and pharaohs posed questions to oracles, and the answers were even used to settle legal disputes during the New Kingdom. This could include asking a question while carrying a divine image, interpreting movement, or drawing lots.
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