Religion in Ancient Egypt

1. Religion in Ancient Egypt How Religion Affected Egyptian Political, Legal, and Creative Thought

2. Important vocab: • Remember polytheism – belief in many gods. • Remember monotheism – belief in one god. • Obelisks – tall pillars with pyramid-shaped tops. Often covered in hieroglyphics. • Remember that hieroglyphics are their symbol-based writing • Remember that the Rosetta Stone (discovered in 1799) is what allowed us to translate Egyptian because of its inclusion of Greek and Egyptian writing. • Papyrus – a type of reed that was pulverized and used to create paper. • Mummification – to process of preparing a body for the afterlife. Involved embalming (preserving) the body and removal of the organs… all of them

3. Continued • Canopic jars – jars for your squishy parts during mummification. • Ka – a person’s soul. • Ba – a person’s character. • Akh – your new self in the afterlife. • The White crown – a sign of Upper Egypt (5000 BCE). • The Red crown – a sign of Lower Egypt (5000 BCE). • The Double crown – a sign of unified Egypt (3100 BCE). • Important because it brought neighboring gods together. • Delta – area at the mouth of a river when silt is deposited. • Important because it makes the land fertile.

4. Impact of Geography on Religion:The Nile • Rose and the land was covered with water; the Nile subsided and land, now full of life was ready to be sewn and produce crops • Consequently, Egyptians accepted water as the beginning of everything • Water revered in the form of a creator-god named Atum, who emerged from the first hill that rose from the water • Atum was “the perfect one” that created the earth and sky, who later had children

5. Impact of Geography on Religion:Climate • From the Old Stone Age man had buried the dead, and early Egyptians did too • Hot, dry climate meant that body did not rot, but desiccated and remained a wholly recognizable corpse • Consequently developed unparalleled emphasis on continued existence of physical body after death • Sun also recognized as another great life-giving force (hence Sun-god Re)

6. The Development of Deities • Atum ejected from his being Shu (air) and Tefenet (moisture) (the sun itself) • Atum also known as Ra • Separated sky (Nut) from the earth (Geb) • Geb and Nut had children: the gods Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys • Anubus born out of love between Nephthys and Osiris—helped Isis by embalming king’s body • Local gods, such as Amon (Thebes) began to emerge during Middle Kingdom

7. Nut (goddess of the sky and heavens) is depicted with her husband-brother Geb. Together they bore 5 children (Osiris, Horus the Elder, Seth, Isis, and Nephthys)

8. The Depiction of Deities: Atum • Atum is rarely depicted as a human, but rather as a crown or as one of his many totem animals (i.e. a black bull, cobra) • Not only the father of the gods, but also the father of the pharaohs Atum, wearing the double crown, worshipped by the deceased Lady Tashenat; Third Intermediate Period; in the Louvre

9. Religious Beliefs • Aside from their physical body, each person had a ka, ba, and akh • Ka is a person’s spiritual duplicate, which was stored in the heart and separated from the body at death • Ba is essentially the person’s character or personality; left the body at death; depicted as a human-headed bird • Akh is the form the person would exist in in the afterlife (through spells said over the mummy)

11. Religion and Political Thought • Concept of the god-king was central • Pharaoh believed to be the earthly embodiment of the god Horus (son of Amon-Re) • Partial divinity of king helped to ensure stability since the word of the king would be considered the word of the gods • The Pharaoh owned all of the land in Egypt, the people, and their possessions

12. Religion and Legal Thought • Believed law was infused into the world by the gods at the time of creation • Goddess Ma’at personified law (truth, righteousness, and justice) • Despite absolute power, the king must rule over Egypt subject to Ma’at • Goal was to maintain equilibrium • According to Ma’at, the goal of all people was to maintain the correct balance of the universe

13. Depiction of Ma’at • Ma’at is personification of law, justice, order, and truth • Depicted as a young woman sitting or standing • Held scepter in one hand and ankh in other • Sometimes has wings or ostrich feather

14. Religion and Legal Thought • Likely because of Ma’at, Egyptians generally law abiding, stability-seeking people • Unlike the Mesopotamians, Egyptians did not have a codified body of laws • Legal system was based on precedent • Courts ensured that laws were consistent

15. Ma’at and Economics • Pharaoh had absolute control over means of production and distribution of wealth • See influence of Ma’at in employment • Skilled trades were passed down from father to son • Led to stability and continuity in Egypt

16. Religion and Culture: Art • Virtually all art was produced for religious purposes • Pharaoh chief patron and subject of the arts • Art not innovative, but rather sought to remain unchanged • Art served to capture for eternity the ideal form of the individual represented

17. Religion and Culture: Sculpture • Sculptures ranged from small statues to huge works (I.e. Sphinx) • Looked straight ahead • Not engaged in activity • Lacked emotion • Captured grandeur

18. Religion and Culture: Reliefs and Paintings • Reliefs are pictures cut into stone • Most commonly found in tombs • Aimed to convey to the gods the character of the deceased • Illustrated activities to be enjoyed in afterlife • Not concerned with realism or perspective

19. Gods and Goddesses • Ancient Egyptians worship of 2000 different gods • Before Egypt was united their were 40 tribes all with different gods • After all the Gods were kept, meaning many gods had similar characteristics • Animals were considered the living images of the gods How Gods Dress • Tunic with suspenders. • Dress with suspenders. • The short loincloth • The short-sleeved overall • The full-length dress

20. Ra (re) • Sun God • Appearance: A man with the head of a Hawk wearing a sun disk headdress • He was the most important God • The ancient Egyptians believed that each night Ra was swallowed night by Nut, the sky goddess then reborn in the morning. Thoth • Appearance: A man with the head of an ibis holding a writing palette • Thoth was the go of Knowledge and writing • It was said that he gave the gift of hieroglyphics. Ma’at • Appearance: A Woman with a feather on top of her head • Ma'at was the goddess of truth, justice and harmony. • Ma’at was oftene associated with the balance of things on earth. Anubis • Appearance: A Man with the head of a jackal • Anubis was the god of embalming and the dead. • Jackals were often seen found in cemeteries, because of this it was believed that Anubis watched over the dead.

21. Horus • Appearance: Man with the head of a hawk • Horus was a god of the sky. He is the protector of the ruler of Egypt. • It was believed that the pharaoh was the 'living Horus'. Amun • Appearance: A Man with a ram-head wearing an ostrich feather hat • Amun was one of the most powerful gods in ancient Egypt. • At the height of Egyptian civilisation he was called the 'King of the Gods'. Osiris • Appearance: A mummified man who is wearing a white headdress with feathers • Osiris was the god of the dead, and ruler of the Underworld. • Osiris was also the god of vegetation (plant matter) that’s why he is green in appearance. Atum • Appearance: Man with the double crown • Atum was a creator god. • It was belived that Atum was the first god to exist on earth.

22. BOOK OF THE DEAD (reu nu pert emhru) • 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 • first inscribed on the sarcophagus of the deceased in 1600 BCE, then later written on papyrus paper • there are many different versions of the Book of the Dead including:* Heliopolitan version which is known from five copies inscribed in the tombs of Kings from the fifth dynasty and edited by priests of Annu * Theban version which is the most modern version written on papyrus paper and organized into chapters containing only hieroglyphics * Saite version which is very strictly organized 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 the Dead" meant to aid deceased in not dying a second time and becoming an akh

23. weighing of the heart against Ma'at’s Feather • The book of dead inscribed on tomb

24. SPIRIT OF THE DEAD • Egyptians believe that each person is composed of three essential elements: ba (soul/personality), ka (life force), and the body in which the soul is kept • Ka, ba and akh 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 • Upon death, the ba and ka become separated from the body but remain alive • Because the body of the deceased is mummified, the body must rely on the ba to seek out the ka • During the night when Ra visits the underworld, the ba are allowed to freely roam but must always return to the underworld because that is where the body lies and the ba and body are part of the same being • If the ba is successful in reuniting itself with the ka, it becomes an akh • If successful in becoming an akh, the akh inhabits the world after as it is believed by the Egyptians that three kinds of beings inhabit the world after death: gods, the dead (those who's ba and ka have not been united) and akhs • Akhs are believed to be the "spirit of the dead" • Ba Ka  Ba leaving the body 

25. Mummification 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. • imsety the human headed god holds the liver • hapy the baboon headed god holds the lungs • duamutef the jackal headed god holds the stomach • qebehsenuef the falcon headed god holds the intestines • 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 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. Wrapping • 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. • Papyrus scroll filled with spells from the book of the dead is wrapped in the mummies hands • A cloth is then wrapped over the whole body and a painting of Osiris is Painted on top. • 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 Canopic Jars 

26. The After Life • Death is not seen as the last stage of life • Before the mummy can reach the underworld it has to pass through seven • gates, aided by the magic spells inscribed upon the funerary objects, then • the dead person arrives in the presence of Osiris (god of the underworld) • Osiris then performs a ceremony called the 'weighing of the heart' • Heart of the dead person is weighed on a scale by the jackal headed god • Anubis (god of dead) against the feather of Ma'at (goddess of truth) • Balancing the scale meant immortality • If the scale did not balance then Amemt (crocodile headed god) would eat • the heart, and Seth, murderer of Osiris, ate the rest of the body