Why egyptians worshiped gods

Beginning in the Middle Kingdom ca. Why might Re have been so complex and multifaceted? Other gods, although they could retain their own names, forms and cults, could easily be conceived of as existing through, or as part of, Re.

But the cult of Re displayed another side. The religious beliefs associated with the Egyptian gods were not just ideas but found expression through cultic practices. Gods required homes temples and shrines , nourishment offerings and entertainment ritual performance of music and dance, for instance ; these services provided income and social identity for countless Egyptians. In addition to the economic impact of temples, each town and nome administrative district also had its own patron deity.

The Egyptians believed that words had magical powers. He was called the Hidden One because his form was unknown, although for the sake of convention he was represented as a man with an ostrich plume crown. He became Amun-Re by acquiring the power of the sun god Re. Amun-Re rose to unrivaled dominance in the New Kingdom due to the fact that Thebes, the home of his principal sanctuary, now became the capital. That event reflects the rise to power of his priesthood at this time.

Another national deity was Osiris, the protector of the dead, who was depicted as a mummiform figure, and Aten, who was shown as a sun disk. All the gods had myths attached to them, and as an Egyptian one would have been familiar with many of these myths.

There was no official version of any myth, however, and the versions that circulated tended to vary greatly from place to place and time to time, adding to the confusion. Learn more about belonging to an Egyptian family. Ancient Egyptians worshipped gods such as Amun-Ra, the hidden one; Osiris, the king of the living; and Horus, the god of vengeance. One of the last ancient Egyptians gods to still be worshipped by people according to ancient Egyptian religion was Isis. Egyptian gods mostly represented some natural phenomena, ranging from physical objects like the earth or the sun to abstract forces like knowledge and creativity.

By Robert Garland, Ph. In the New Kingdom, professional priesthood became common, and their wealth rivaled that of the pharaoh. At many sites, Egyptians worshipped specific animals that they believed to be manifestations of deities.

Examples include the Apis bull of the god Ptah , and mummified cats and other animals. Commoners and pharaohs asked questions of oracles, and answers could even be used during the New Kingdom to settle legal disputes.

This might involve asking a question while a divine image was being carried, and interpreting movement, or drawing lots. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Search for:. Key Points The religion of Ancient Egypt lasted for more than 3, years, and was polytheistic, meaning there were a multitude of deities, who were believed to reside within and control the forces of nature.

His role was to sustain the gods so that they could maintain order in the universe. It was fixed and eternal; without it the world would fall apart. Egyptians were very concerned about the fate of their souls after death. They believed ka life-force left the body upon death and needed to be fed. Ba, or personal spirituality, remained in the body.

The goal was to unite ka and ba to create akh. Artistic depictions of gods were not literal representations, as their true nature was considered mysterious. Certain animals were worshipped and mummified as representatives of gods. Oracles were used by all classes. Read on to learn a few general things about ancient Egyptian religious beliefs. Who did they worship? The ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods. Sometimes it's hard for us to tell who was who!

These gods and goddesses often represented the natural world, for example the sky, earth, wind, or sun.