Ancient Egyptian Religion

1. Ancient Egyptian Religion The Temple at Abu Simbel was built by Ramses II. Gods, Goddesses, Temples and Beliefs

2. Deities • Gods and goddesses • Responsible for everything in the world big or small • Everyday people showed respect, asked for help and feared them • Many had the body of a human with an animal head • Temples • Houses for the gods • Pharaohs would go and talk to them everyday • Common people were not allowed in the temples • High Priests, the Pharaoh and his/her representatives could enter • Death and Afterlife • Looked forward to this • Believed everyone had a ba and ka • Ba – It looked like a bird with a human head. It represented the personality of the person. It entered the body at birth and exited at death. • Ka – This was considered to be the person’s soul. This allowed the person to live on after the death of the body. It had the same needs as the living and needed food, water, clothes, etc. This is why the body was left with possessions. • Ankh – The ancient Egyptian symbol of life. Many gods/goddesses are shown with this symbol.

3. Gods and Goddesses Horus – He leads the dead to the underworld to be judged by weighing the heart. He has the head of a falcon. Osiris – He judges the living and the dead. He is the god of the dead. Anubis – He is Osiris’ helper. He has a jackal head and guards the scales during the weighing of the heart ceremony. He presides over the mummification process. Isis – She is the goddess of magic and healing. Some believed the tears she cried for her husband, Osiris, flooded the Nile River each year. Throth – He is the god of wisdom and science. He is the scribe of the god world. He recorded all the writing, counting and measurement. Seth – He was the evil brother of Osiris. He is the god of storms, violence and disorder. Hathor – She was the goddess of love, beauty and dancing. She was the protector or children and birth. Re/Amon/Amon-Re – He is the original sun god. He is the king of gods.