Ancient Egypt Religion
Between the rise of technology (as indicated by faience glasswork) and the death of Cleopatra VII, Egypt’s final Ptolemaic ruler, in 30 BCE, Ancient Egypt religion and civilization flourished. The enormous monuments that commemorated the monarchs’ victories and revered the gods of the region have made it famous today.
Ancient Egyptian Religion made Great Civilization
The civilization is frequently misinterpreted as being obsessed with death, although if this were the case, it would not have had the same impact on other ancient cultures like Greece and Rome.
This zest for life instilled in the ancient Egyptians a deep affection for their homeland since they believed there could be no greater location on the planet to live. While the poorer classes in Egypt, like elsewhere, lived on far less than the upper classes, they appeared to value life in the same manner that the wealthy did. This is exemplified by the concept of gratefulness and the ceremony known as The Five Gifts of Hathor, in which poor labourers were encouraged to recognise the five things they were most appreciative of in their lives by looking at the fingers of their left hand (the hand they attained with daily to collect field crops).
Ingratitude was thought to be a “gateway sin” because it led to all kinds of poor thinking and conduct. It was discovered that if one felt ungrateful, one was more likely to engage in undesirable behaviour. The Cult of Hathor was widely practised in Egypt, and it embodies the centrality of gratitude in Egyptian society.
Power of Egyptian Religion
Every Egyptian’s daily existence was influenced by their religious beliefs. The Egyptians, like the people of Mesopotamia, saw themselves as co-laborers with the gods, but with one important difference: whereas the Mesopotamian peoples did believe they needed to work with their deity to prevent the return of the initial state of chaos, the Egyptians saw their gods as having already accomplished that goal, and it was a human’s responsibility to celebrate and give thanks for it. In ancient times, so-called “Egyptian mythology” was as legitimate a belief framework as any acknowledged religion today.
Power of Magic
Egyptian religion taught that there would be nothing but chaotic whirling waters in the beginning, from which a little hill called the ben-ben rose. On top of this hill stood the powerful deity Atum, who invoked the power of Heka, the deity of magic, to speak creation into being. Heka was the energy that permitted the gods to carry out their duties and was supposed to predate creation. Heka was the origin of this creative, maintaining, eternal power, which informed the entire civilization.
In another version of the legend, Atum constructs the universe by first sculpting Ptah, the creator deity; who then performs the actual labour. Another version of this myth has Ptah appearing first and creating Atum. Another version of the creation narrative has Atum mating with his reflection to give birth to Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture), who would then give birth to the world and the other deities.
All of the visible world and the universe arose from this primordial act of creative energy. Undoubtedly, it was widely accepted that humans were a vital part of the gods’ creation and that each human soul was as everlasting as the deities they worshipped. Death was a re-joining of the human soul with the immortal realm from whence it had originated, not the end of existence.
The 9 Parts of Ancient Egyptian Soul
The Egyptian conception of the soul was made up of nine parts, these parts were in every Ancient Egyptian’s mind.
1- The Khat the body
2- Ka the soul
Khat was the double-form of Ka’s bodily body.
3- The Ba
Ba was a human-headed bird with the ability to fly between the ground and the heavens.
4- The Shuyet
Shuyet was Shuyet’s alter ego.
5- The Akh
Akh was the immortal, changed version of himself.
6- Sahu
7- Sechem
The aspects of Sahu and Sechem were of the Akh
8- The Ab
Ab was the wellspring of both good and evil.
9- The Ben
One’s secret identity was Ren.
Ancient Egypt Religion and Pharaohs’ Names
The importance of the pharaoh’s name was such that an Egyptian’s true identity was kept hidden throughout their lives; and they were only known by a nickname. Undoubtedly, knowing a person’s true name gives you magical powers over them; which is one of the reasons why Egyptian rulers took a new name when they ascended the throne; In addition, it was a form of protection, not only to connect oneself symbolically to another effective pharaoh but also to make sure one’s security and a trouble-free journey to the eternal afterlife when one’s life on earth was over.
Religious Perspective of Mummification
The famous Egyptian mummy (whose name is derived from the Persian and Arabic words muum which came to the word Mumia; which means the dead implemented dead body); Ancient Egyptian Religion and beliefs were always making sure that the dead person’s soul must find its body in the afterlife; So mummification was to preserve the person’s physical body (Khat), without which the spirit could not reach immortality. On the other hand, the Ka would be unable to travel to The Field of Reeds if it lacked the physical element on earth; as the Khat and the Ka were formed at the same moment.
Mummification Museum by wonderferret
Similarly, the deities who had created the soul and created the world kept a constant eye on the Egyptians, hearing and responding to their prayers. Ramesses II was besieged by his foes at the Battle of Kadesh (1274 BCE) and; after praying to the deity Amun for assistance, acquired the strength to combat his way to safety. On temple walls, stele, and papyrus fragments; however, there are many far less striking examples.
