Ancient Egyptian Beliefs and Traditions

The ancient Egyptians created a complex civilization that continues to be studied over 2,000 years after the death of the last pharaoh. An undercurrent of matters in ancient Egypt was their system of beliefs, at the center of which existed the struggle between order (ma'at) and chaos (isfet). When ma'at reigned, people were happy and prospered. When ma'at was not maintained, isfet occurred, the harvest was unsuccessful, the land was plunged into war, people suffered. Therefore, actions were taken to ensure the preservation of ma'at.

The ancient Egyptian culture was rich and complex. Numerous rituals were a part of their system of belief and were woven into aspects of life, ranging from the mundane tasks of everyday living to abstract concepts. The religion of ancient Egypt garnered respect and wielded influence years after the system of government practices by Egypt's pharaohs. The culture and religion continues to be studied thousands of years later and, in that way, ancient Egypt lives on.

Egypt's Cultural Complex

The ruler of ancient Egypt, the pharaoh, was viewed as the key component in the continual efforts needed to sustain ma'at. In addition to the ruling pharaoh's secular duties to make Egypt prosperous, the nation's monarch was also charged with keeping the numerous deities of [Page 49]Egypt's religion satisfied so that they would, in turn, bless the nation with blessings ranging from prosperous harvests to military victories and guard against the forces of isfet.

During life, a pharaoh was viewed as the living embodiment of the falcon-headed god Horus; upon death, the ruler was believed to have joined Osiris, the god of the dead (the father of Horus). In later dynasties, the view of the people regarding the divinity of deceased pharaohs was heavily promoted; for example, monuments dedicated to Amenhotep I (r. ca. 1514–1493 B.C.E.) included prayers to gain the deceased pharaoh's blessings and assistance.

As the link between the gods and humans, certain rituals required and could be performed only by a pharaoh; the priests, who occupied the upper echelon of Egypt's social structure, located in the official temples located throughout the nation assisted the pharaoh's efforts to carry out the rites demanded by Egypt's religion and in the continuous attempts in maintaining ma'at.

The many stories that discuss Egypt's complex religion show the attempts of a civilization to explain natural phenomena (similar stories exist in many ancient as well as “traditional” religions), such as the movement of the sun (the god Ra and/or Re). Other gods and goddesses were dedicated to certain events, such as childbirth (the goddess Heket). Deities were also associated with abstract concepts, such as wisdom (the god Imhotep), or would be held as serving multiple roles. Egypt's gods and goddesses took different types of forms (including taking human forms, animals, and a combination of the two); some deities would be associated with a variety of appearances. The god Thoth could be shown as an ibis, a baboon, or a man with the head of an ibis. In addition to these different forms, Thoth was associated with various roles, such as knowledge, the Moon, and of scribes. Names were also critical to the power of a deity; prayers, rituals, and gifts could be made only to a god or goddess that had its own name. Some Egyptian deities, such as Re/Ra, also had secret names. This mystery was critical inasmuch as it served as a source of power.

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