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Ancient Egyptian Religion

Ancient Egyptian Religion. CHW 3M. Ancient Egyptian Belief System. Complex polytheistic belief system Gods controlled nature and nature was divine itself Religion was a conglomeration of different cults As new beliefs were developed old ones were discarded. Gods lived in temples were

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Ancient Egyptian Religion

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  1. Ancient Egyptian Religion CHW 3M

  2. Ancient Egyptian Belief System • Complex polytheistic belief system • Gods controlled nature and nature was divine itself • Religion was a conglomeration of different cults • As new beliefs were developed old ones were discarded • Gods lived in temples were • preists tended to the needs of the gods • pharaoh was “go-between” with

  3. Important Beliefs 1. Ma’at: fundamental force that governs the Universe • Includes concepts of truth, justice and order • allowed forces of nature to existence in balance and order, any disruption was harmful • common man expected to behave in accordance with ma’at • 2. Divinity of Pharaoh • kingship was a divine force of nature • pharaoh viewed as both human and god • “go-between” for common man and gods • expected to uphold ma’at in Egyptian society

  4. 3. The Afterlife: Egyptian were obsessed with death and how best to journey to the other side Egyptian believed the soul had two parts: • Ka – life force • not unique • left the body after death • Ba – personality • unique • remained with the body after death • rituals meant to release Ba from body to join ka in afterlife It was important to preserve the body because ba would return occansional to “get new life” • Journey to Afterlife • had to avoid many supernatural obstacles • Mummies buried with everything they would need for journey • lead to final judgement Book of the Dead: collection of hymns, spells, and instructions to allow the deceased to pass through obstacles in the afterlife.

  5. The Final Judgement • Weighing of the Heart (final judgement) • Osiris compared the heart of deceased to the feather of ma’at • heart in balance (found worthy) • life meet code of standards • ka and ba are reunited • allowed to pass to eternal paradise • heart heavier (found unworthy) • life fell short of code of standards • devoured by demon Ammut • eternally death

  6. Pharaoh and the After-Life • Pharaohs divine and housed the spirit of God Horus who lead them on the path of Ma’at • in afterlife would be incarnation of Osiris, God of the Dead • Pharaohs spent most of their lives preparing for their death • Pyramids • burial monuments for the Pharaohs • construction began when new Pharaoh was crowned • may have been designed to “magically launch” the pharaoh's soul directly into the abode of the gods.

  7. Great Pyramid of Giza • Most famous of the Pyramids • built for Khufu around 2500BC • 5.5 millions tonnes of stone • height: 146m, side length: 230 m • Tallest man made structure for 3800 years • Construction • how Pyramid was made unknow • probably made by small team of skilled stone masons (2500) working year round. • peasants would have helped during floods

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