Ancient Egyptian Religion.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Ancient Egyptian Religion

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The Gods

The Ancient Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, or the worship of many deities. The Egyptians believed that each deity influenced one particular aspect of nature and human activity. Consequently, they worshipped as many as 2000 gods and goddesses. The major deities were worshipped throughout the country, while others had only a local following. These gods were often depicted as animals, humans, or a combination of both. The major gods of the Egyptian religion included Amun-re, Anubis, Osiris, Horus, Thoth, and Isis.

The chief god was Amun, who, under the title Amun Re, associated the power of the sun deity with his own. He was known as the king of the gods, and was depicted as a man wearing ostrich feathers.
Anubis was one of the most ancient of the gods. He had the head of a jackal and his purpose was to oversee the mummification of a body and guide it to the afterlife.
Osiris was the king of the underworld and protector of the dead. Portrayed as a man wrapped as a mummy, Osiris served as the judge of the underworld. He weighed the heart of the deceased against the goddess Maat, who represented truth and justice. If the person’s good deeds outweighed the bad, his heart would be balanced with Maat and Osiris would welcome the newcomer to the afterlife. However, if the person fell short in Osiris’ judgement, the body would be eaten by a monster.
Horus was the god of the sky, who was represented as a man with a falcon’s head
Thoth was the god of learning, depicted as a man with the head of an Ibis, a bird native to the Nile River.
Isis was the goddess of magic and the protector of children. She was portrayed as a woman with two horns, between which rested the sacred disc of the sun.

Egyptians did not have access to the major gods in the temple shrines. The people could only approach the gods in the national festivals. However there were additional deities who answered the everyday life wishes and were connected with the family. These were referred to as household deities. The most popular were Bes and Tawert which were helpers and protectors of women and children.

The Pharaoh

Central to Ancient Egyptian religion was the pharaoh. He was regarded as the a god-king, or the son of the gods. It was believed that the spirit of the Orisis and Horus resided within him and guided him along the proper path. By observing and obeying the will of the gods he upheld Maat, the principle of balance which leads to order, justice and harmony. The Pharaoh was also believed to have been guided by the spirits of all his predecessors who dwelt with Osiris in the afterlife.

The power of the pharaoh was portrayed ...

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The Pharaoh

The power of the pharaoh was portrayed to the Egyptians by ritual vestments he wore. The symbols of the gods were his tools of office, showing the people that his authority granted by the gods. The crook and flail, represented his authority to reward the innocent and punish the guilty. On his head, the dual crown of Upper and Lower Egypt symbolized his power to rule over the two lands. Finally, the symbols on his forehead represented the Eye of the gods that witnessed all that the pharaoh saw, both good and evil.

The Temple

The Ancient Egyptians regarded their temples as the dwelling house of their respective god or deity. Temples could be single buildings or large complexes, but the most essential component for any temple was the innermost "cult chamber", where the image of the deity was kept. The activities of the temple revolved around the worship and celebration of the god through an image or statue. Temples were also used for religious festivals, which involved processions with the god transported on a barque, a scale model of a boat carried aloft on poles.

In addition, the temple was conceived as the center of creation and the universe. The floor of the temple would gradually rise, passing through "forests" and images of the constellations. This would allow priests to ascend from the edge of the universe, in towards the sanctuary, or the "Primeval Mound" upon which the creator-god first brought the world into being.

Priests

The priests played a significant role in conducting the activities of the temple on behalf of the Pharaoh. The priesthood was divided into four phyles or groups , and each phyle worked one month out of three. When in the temple, ritual purity was of utmost importance. Each temple had its own lake where the priests purified themselves. Priests could wear only white linen and sandals made from papyrus. During temple duty, the priest shaved off all his bodily hair, even the eyebrows. He was required to carry out main services at dawn, midday, and night, which consisted of washing, the anointment, and the feeding of the deity with offerings. The priest also served as the intermediary between the worshipper and the god. Only the members of the priesthood were allowed to enter the temple beyond the outer court. The ordinary worshipper had to stop at the entrance. Therefore, when a devotee brought offerings, it was given to the priest who carried it into the temple. All temples were surrounded by a wall with small windows to which worshippers could come and whisper their prayers or leave notes for the god. The priest who was on duty communicated the worshipper’s prayers to the god.

Mummification

Basic to any religion is the belief regarding death and the afterlife, or human destiny. The Egyptians believed that three spirits were released from a person at death. One was the life force, called the ka, the other represented the characteristics of the individual, called the ba, and the third symbolized the immortality of the deceased, the akh. Together, these spirits enabled the person to exist in the afterlife. In order for the spirits to survive, however, the dead body had to be preserved through the process of mummification. This process involved embalming and drying the corpse to prevent it from decaying.

Shortly after death, the body was taken to a tent known as the "ibw" the place of purification. There, it was washed with a solution of natron (a naturally occurring compound of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate). The viscera (internal organs) were removed from the body through an incision in the abdomen. The brain was extracted through the nasal cavity and discarded. The Egyptians believed that the brain was useless and that all thought was conducted in the heart. The organs were dried, rinsed, bandaged and sealed in canopic jars, which were placed with the body under the protection of four gods. The body was then covered in salt crystals to stimulate the drying process. Following a period of forty days the corpse was cleansed, stuffed with linen, and wrapped in linen bandages. A painted mask was placed over the mummy's face, and amulets and jewels were added. Later, the tomb was filled with items for use in the afterlife. These items included clothing, wigs, food, cosmetics, games and jewelry. The tombs of rich Egyptians also comprised of statues representing servants who would care for them in the next world. Scenes of daily life were painted on walls inside the tombs. The Egyptians believed that the funerary prayers recited by priests would bring the scenes and the deceased to life in the underworld. The last ritual performed on the mummy was the “Opening of the Mouth.” This ceremony was to magically give the deceased the ability to speak and eat in the afterlife. Following this ritual, the tomb was sealed. The great pharaohs were buried in special tombs called the Great Pyramids.

Egyptian Texts

The primary sacred texts of the Ancient Egyptian Religion were the Wisdom literature and The Book of the Dead.

Wisdom literature:

Wisdom Texts were sources of instructions defining the moral codes and ethical system. They usually took the form of an elder teaching a young son or future king how to behave and conduct himself in order to be successful and gain esteem in society. The values taught to young people was to live a life in accordance with Maat, which represented truth, justice and moral integrity. This would ensure their life after death.

There are three main sources that stem from the Old Kingdom; the 'Instructions of Ptah-Hotep', the 'Instructions to Kagemni', and the 'Instructions of Duauf', also called the 'Instructions of Kehety' or the 'Satire on Trades':

Funerary Texts: The earliest religious writings of Ancient Egypt were the Pyramid Texts written on the walls of the burial chambers of the fifth and sixth dynasties rulers. In the Middle Kingdom these were transferred from the structure of the tomb to the coffins thus given the name of the Coffin Texts. Finally, in the New Kingdom they were replaced by the Book of the Dead. This was the primary funerary text, which the Ancient Egyptians called "the spell for coming forth by day". It consisted of about two hundred spells or chapters, usually inscribed on papyrus and sometimes on amulets, linen or vellum. Apart from the Book of the Dead various other funerary texts were used, including the Am-duat, Book of the Gates, and the Book of the day and night. The texts in their various forms concentrated on one subject, which was the welfare of the dead and the journey to the afterlife.

Ankh

One of the most powerful religious symbols of Ancient Egypt was the ankh. Portrayed in the shape of a key, this symbol stands for life or living and is connected with Egyptian gods such as Osiris and Isis. Most gods would appear to have possessed the ankh, to symbolise immortality, and it is thus often referred to as the Key of Life. The loop of the ankh is considered to be the feminine, while the T shape is considered to be the masculine. Together, these two sacred symbols reflect a continued existence. The Egyptians wore the ankh as an amulet to prolong life on earth, and were buried with it to ensure their 'life to come' in the afterworld.

Festivals

The Egyptians participated in several religious festivals. Each temple had a calendar of its feasts. One of the most important festivals was The Feast of Opet. Centered in Thebes, this festival was usually held around the time of the flooding of the Nile. Theban citizens celebrated the almighty god Amun. Because of the flooding, work was temporarily suspended in fields. The people joined in a dramatic procession honoring Amun that began at Karnak Temple and ended at Luxor Temple. Another annual religious festival was the Beautiful Feast of the Valley. This feast, again centered in Thebes, allowed the living to commune with their loved ones in the afterworld. It was held in late May or June. The procession of the goddess Hathor was also a widely celebrated religious festival.