Ancient Egyptian Religion

Basic Principals of Egyptian Religion• Like most ancient

civilizations the Egyptians were polytheistic.

• Their gods and goddesses controlled all aspects of nature

• Egyptians also lived in a theocracy where their government’s rule was based on religious authority

The Pharaohs• Pharaohs were seen as kings,

priests, and gods. • Pharaohs were believed to rule

the earth as the gods ruled the heavens.

• People believed what happened in Egypt was directly dependent on the pharaoh’s actions

• Pharaohs also controlled all aspects of government and religious rituals

Gods and Goddesses ▪ Ancient Egyptians worship of 2000 different gods ▪ Before Egypt was united their were 40 tribes all with

different gods ▪ After unification, all the Gods were kept, meaning

many gods had similar characteristics ▪ Animals were considered the living images of the gods

Atum

• The Creator God

Ra and Amon-RaOLD KINGDOM NEW KINGDOM

The Sun God King of the Gods and the Sun God [A combination of the god of Thebes

(Amon) and the Sun god (Ra). ]

Hapi (Hapy)

• God of the Nile and its Yearly Flood

Osiris

• God of the Underworld and Agriculture

Isis

• Goddess of Fertility and Motherhood

(Wife of Osiris)

Anubis

• God of Mummification

Set (Seth)

• God of Chaos, Storms, and Disorder (Brother

of Osiris)

Horus

• God of the Sky (Son of Osiris and Isis)

Embalming the Body • Wash the body with good smelling palm

wines and rinse with water from the Nile. • Cut a slit in the left side of the body and

remove internal organs the liver, stomach, lungs and intestines are placed in canopic jars.

• A hook is then inserted up the nose to remove the brains the heart remains in the body because the Egyptians believed that your heart was the most important aspect of the human.

• The body is then covered and stuffed with salt which will help to dry out the body

• The body is then placed in the desert for 40 days. After the 40 days the body is then washed again with Nile water the skin is the covered in oils.

MummificationWrapping

• First the head and neck are wrapped with linen. The fingers and toes are wrapped individually. The arms and legs are wrapped separately from the body

• In the layers the embalmers place amulets to protect the body in the underworld. The 'isis knot' amulet protects the body and ' Plummet' represents personal balance

• Priests read out spells while the mummy is being wrapped.

• A funeral is then held for the dead person before the body is layered to rest they have a ritual called 'the opening of he mouth' this lets the dead person eat and drink one last time

Mummies and Tombs• Mummification was practiced

by Egyptians because they believed that every individual would need their body in the after life

• Tombs were used as a place to store the body and all the possessions the deceased individual would need in the afterlife (clothes, weapons, jewelry, furniture, etc.)

• Tombs were constructed and designed to protect the body and its possessions for eternity

BOOK OF THE DEAD

■ In Egyptian called reu nu pert em hru which translates into "The Book of Coming forth by Day"

■ Contains spells, charms, passwords and numbers to help secure an easy passage for the deceased into the after life

■ Egyptians believed that knowledge of the appropriate spells was essential to achieving happiness in the next life

■ Spell 125 is one of the most well known segments which is the judging of the soul done by Osiris and his 42 judges

■ The weighing of the heart against Ma'at is considered one of the more important chapters

Book of dead inscribed on tomb à ß weighing of the heart against Ma'at’s Feather

SPIRIT OF THE DEAD■ Egyptians believe that each person is composed of three

essential elements: ba (soul/personality), ka (life force), and akh the body in which the soul is kept

■ Ka and ba are believed to be immortal aspects of the soul thus remaining alive inside the body after death

■ In the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, the ba and ka are released into the next world