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Updated : October 31, 2002
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To ancient Egyptians the term 'religion' did not exist. The worship of their gods and goddesses was part of their everyday life. The Egyptian Temple was considered the home of the god and only members of the priesthood was allowed to enter beyond the outer court. The ordinary worshipper had to stop there, and when he brought offerings, it was taken care of by a priest who carried it into the temple. All temples were surrounded by a wall and in the outside of this there were a hole or a window to which worshippers could come and whisper their prayers or questions or leave a note with some words scribbled on it. The priest who was on duty then took care of the note in order to bring the words in front of the god. In the remote corners of the land, far away from the great religious centers, the gods were as ardently revered. Maybe offerings were not as lavish, nor the priesthood as many or as prosperous, but in those villages or little towns where there was no temple, a shrine was erected out in the open. It was often taken care of by the community people, perhaps led by a priest currently not doing temple duty, so the services were performed and the gods attended to in due order. In the homes there were small shrines and very commonly statues of local deities and of Bes and Tawaret, helpers and protectors of children and women, especially for pregnancy and childbirth. Amulets in the form of sacred symbols were in frequent use for a mutitude of purposes So religion played an important and vital part in daily life and every Egyptian could be said to be a priest even when he made a simple offering like a piece of bread at the family shrine. There were gods for almost every aspect of life, even down to the most common of chores, like putting on your makeup. The people relied on the gods being honoured and attended to every day in all the temples, so the priesthood was vital to the survival of Egypt. A society without gods was unthinkable to the Egyptian mind. That would upset the law of MaŽat which wold mean that life itself was threatened.
There are several different views on the Religion in ancient Egypt. Most people
describe the belief systems as based on polytheism, or the worship of many
deities, except during the reign of Akenaton (XVIII Dynasty). Yet others have a
different perspective. Below I have presented both points of view. I personally
agree with the first theory.
Religion was the primary focus of Egyptian life. Daily life was centered around
religion and was characterized by three main aspects:
Animistic: the belief that gods were representative of natural forces such as
floods, the moon and the sun.
Anthropromorphism: gods took on human-like characteristics when they visited earth.
Polytheistic: Egyptian religion contained a pantheon of many gods, some
representing a village, with others representing the whole kingdom.
The Egyptians had many gods and goddesses - the number varying. Some gods - such
as Amun, were worshipped throughout the whole country, while others had only a
local following.
Often gods and goddesses were represented as part human and part animal.
The people built statues of the Gods and Goddesses and adorned their walls with
their likenesses.
They believed that the Pharaoh or King was a link between
them and their many Gods and Goddesses.
The chain of command in Egypt was unbroken. Each King or Pharaoh was considered
a renewal of the covenant which the gods made with man. The deceased King - lived
on in spirit as he made his way back to the beginning, to the First Time. His son,
the new Horus King, took over his place as surely as the dead King has taken his
own, and ensured the continuation of the Great House.
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