Ancient Egyptian Religion Research Paper

Ancient Egypt was a civilization located in Northeastern Africa concentrated along the lower edges of the Nile River. Originally Egypt was separated into two parts, Upper and Lower Egypt. The history of ancient Egypt occurred in a series of stable kingdoms separated by periods of relative instability. It was not until 3150 B.C. that Egyptian civilization really began to grow and prosper due to political unification. The success of ancient Egyptian civilization is often credited to the fact the people were able to adapt to the extreme conditions of the Nile River valley.

Egyptian Mythology clearly helped develop Egyptian Culture. Religious Cults played a central role in the life of Ancient Egyptians and the belief of Ancient Egyptian Gods. Religious Cults are groups who worship specific Gods. They were very important in all aspects of believing in Ancient Egyptian Society. The King, or Pharaoh, was the most important figure in these Religious Cults, as well as in the state.

Religion was not a monolithic institution, it consisted of a large variety of different beliefs and practices, all of which were linked by the common focus on the interaction between the Egyptian people and the divine realm, as the gods of this realm linked the Egyptian understanding of the world. As the Ancient Egyptian Religion was an integral part of ancient Egyptian society. Polytheism the belief of multiple deities usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses along with their own mythologies and rituals was an essential aspect of ancient Egyptian religion. As the Ancient Egyptian religion included a large and diverse pantheon of gods and goddesses, and around these deities arose a rich mythology that helped explain the

In ancient times, gods were a holy image in people’s mind. Each god had its own role in the universe. Such as the role of creation, the controller of the nature, and the role of the destiny control. The gods had extreme powers, and controlled everything in the world. Worshiped gods became a daily routine for ancient people. In the minds of people in ancient times, worshiped their gods were to prevent these gods became furious, and punished them with their extreme power. Even though the gods were extremely powerful, in many epic texts we could see they also had emotions and characteristics that were just like humans. However, there were still some major differences between the gods and humans.

Egypt is still a nation of wonder, history, enchantment, and lost human ingenuity. Many aspects of Egypt remain a mystery, but slowly some secrets are coming to light. Going through history to its foundations and remnants, there is much to be learned and understood. Though the boundary lines of Egypt are quite large, the vast majority of its citizens live compacted along the Nile River. Egypt is most renowned for its life flowing river, its Pyramids, Pharaohs, and its distinct religious worship. Looking underneath the majestic artwork, and the thriving life, is another aspect of Egypt where one discovers the struggles of its past. Yet this inner turmoil within Egypt’s history is part of the lure that attracts many to learn about its ancient

Have you ever thought about how people in Egypt worshipped many Gods, and praised many Kings, giving their lives to their authority and hoped they would bless them with good things. They were dependant and worshipped them with highly. The Egyptian religion were mainly based upon worship towards Pharaoh and Gods.

Almost every aspect of their lives were manifestations of their religious beliefs- such as medicine, agriculture, art and civil law. (Teeter & Brewer, 2002) Their religion was based on polytheism. Polytheism is known as the belief in or worship of more than one god. There were approximately 2000 deities that were worshipped. Some of those deities, such as Amun, were worshipped across the nation, whereas others were only worshipped in certain areas. These gods and goddesses were often represented as being half human and half animal- having the head of an animal and the body of a human, for example. Two of the chief gods were Amon-Ra (the sun god and the lord of the universe) and Osiris (the god of the underworld.) The religion of the Ancient Egyptians stressed an afterlife, which resulted in the living devoting much time and effort into preparing for survival in the next world, specifically through the process of mummification. Anubis was the god of embalming and the dead, he was the god who watched over that process. Priests often wore a mask of Anubis while performing the mummification ceremonies. (Www2.sptimes.com, 1999) Animals played an important role in their society as well, as certain ones were considered to be holy and symbolic. Some of those animals include the hippo, the bull, the crocodile and the cat. Cats were considered very important in Ancient Egypt, as they acted as symbols of cat gods, such as Bast. The domesticated cat was a symbol of grace and poise. (Barrow, 2013) These are just a few of the beliefs that the Ancient Egyptians held. These beliefs stemmed from religion, and were held by the majority of residents, and therefore they were implemented into the families of the

Religion also played in integral role in the Ancient Egyptians beliefs. In truth, Egyptians tried to do everything they could to please the many gods they worshiped because they believed that these gods were

Egyptians were largely based around the Nile river and relied very heavily on its resources, most likely due to this Egyptians developed complex farming regimen along with intricate riverside societies. Pharaohs were believed to be in direct contact with the Deities which gave them mass amounts of power of their people. Egypt’s religion reflected the sound environment of the Nile Valley and incorporated and elaborate view on life after

Ancient Egypt severely depended on the flooding of the Nile River to take place every year thus allowing their fields to be irrigated and from this flooding, silt was also used as a fertilizer. Religion played a vital role in farming as well. The people of Ancient Egypt lived and died by it. It really helped to know the cycle of astronomy which made the priests able to predict the weather and other repeated events. Knowing this information empowered the priests to create belief systems that the Gods understood and that if they worshipped those beliefs, they would survive

Egyptian’s were described as the most religious people on earth by the Greeks. Their spiritual belief pervaded every phase of their lives to the point where it was considered a constant factor of their existence. One of their most important belief was in the afterlife. Holidays and ceremonies played a major role in the early cultic practices. Every festival was celebrated in a sacred or mythical time of cosmogonic importance. When we think of this, we can say that it’s a very broad topic because there are many other religions who practice their beliefs according to the auspicious timing and date also such as, Hinduism. It gave respect to all of their culture and time-honored beliefs. They didn’t upkeep the need for their religion to have a

Egyptian temples were built to commemorate the pharaohs and to support the central functions of their religion: giving offerings to the gods, reenacting their mythological interactions through festivals, and warding off the forces of chaos. Rituals, it was believed, invoked the divine presence, sustained the god, and enabled it to continue to uphold the divine order of the universe. Temples were important religious sites for all classes of Egyptians even though most people were forbidden from entering their most sacred areas. They are among the largest and most enduring examples of Egyptian architecture, with their elements arranged and decorated according to complex patterns of religious symbolism. A large temple could own sizable tracts of

Therefore, to conclude the role religion plays in both the past and modern Egyptian culture is important the facts of government and the afterlife play in the Egyptian culture of Egypt. The way Government balanced with religion ensuring that there was culture to be had. As for the afterlife since it is an aspect of religion the role it plays in the Egyptian culture was that to serve as a way of comfort and validate your existence.

Religion guided every aspect of Egyptian life. From praying to Osiris that the Nile floods so yields can be harvested, to praying to Hathor that your soul mate appears in your life; gods took an interest in many aspects of human life. They were guides to the mortals that served them. Without them, Ancient Egypt wouldn’t be what it was. Egypt’s prosperity was for the most part credited to their faith. The beliefs they possessed bestowed structure and organization upon them. In addition to honoring the gods in everyday life, temples were built to serve as cosmic centers. These holy places were the dwelling places of gods. Inside these areas, priests were believed to commune with them. Among many of the priests’ duties, some of the most noted were: caring for the gods and attending to their needs, funeral rites, teaching school, watching over artists and works, and advising citizens on

because gods could interfere in people’s lives the ancient Egyptians prayed to them and gave them gifts to keep them happy