Religion in Ancient Egypt Date: ______

pharaoh king or ruler of ancient Egypt - the word means ‘Great House” polytheism believed in and worshipped many gods pyramid building designed to serve as a tomb for the dead pharaoh ankh symbol that represented life and the joy of living. afterlife the place one wanted to go when one died

SUMMARY

The ancient Egyptians were polytheistic, believing in many gods.

The chief god was Amun- Re, the sun god.

The Pharaohs, who were viewed as gods and kings, received their right to rule from Amun-Re.

The ancient Egyptians also believed in the afterlife, or life after death. Each soul had to pass a test to win eternal life – your heart would be weighed against the feather of truth.

The Book of the Dead helped the ancient Egyptians survive the dangerous journey into the underworld, providing spells, charms and formulae to the dead person.

Beliefs:

• Gods control the forces of nature • Gods control life and death • Gods identified with certain animals • Ka was the spirit that left the body after death Religion and daily life The ancient Egyptians were very religious. For the Egyptians, religion was closely tied to daily life. They believed in the power of the Sun and the Nile River. Both the sun and the Nile River could give life but also destroy life.

They worshipped many gods. This is known as polytheism. The most powerful god was Amun-Ra, the sun god. It was believed that the pharaoh, who was also worshipped as a god, was connected to this god.

Egyptians pictured their gods and goddesses in different ways. A few of the gods and goddesses were thought to be like ordinary men and women. Some were like animals. Many were thought to be half-human and half- animal.

The people of ancient Egypt did not have scientific explanations for natural phenomena (happenings) e.g. like the flooding of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians therefore believed that everything in nature was controlled by the gods and goddesses. They believed that sunshine and the great Nile River were gifts from their many gods. Because of this, all happenings in nature became part of their religion. For example, the people believed that gods made the sun rise in the morning and set at night. They believed the gods watched over everything that happened on Earth and in the afterlife. Temples were built where offerings were made to the gods. Egyptians believed that Osiris and Isis had promised them all eternal life after death. This belief in the afterlife affected every Egyptian. The Egyptian gods were drawn with symbols in their hands. A common symbol was the ankh. The ankh was a symbol that represented life and the joy of living.

Beliefs about Death

The Nile River played a big part in the Egyptians belief in life after death. The rise of the floodwaters represented the “death” of the land. When the waters receded or went down, crops would grow and bring life.

The Egyptian Afterlife • The Egyptians believed in life after death. • The Egyptians believed that when a person died, they were taken down into the underworld where Osiris, the chief god of the Dead and Afterlife, judges you. • The Egyptians believed that the heart was where the soul was or where the person’s character was. Osiris weighs your heart against a feather (the symbol of truth). • If the heart is light (showing innocence), one goes to the Other World known as the Happy Field of Flood. • If the heart is heavy (showing guilt), one is fed to Ammut or Ammit, the devourer of souls, which was a crocodile headed Eater of the Dead. • The dead person was not allowed into heaven and their soul would never be at peace. They would be restless and homeless forever. The ancient Egyptians thought that when the soul first awoke in the afterlife, it would be disoriented and might not remember its life on earth, its death, or what it was to do next. In order to help the soul or ka continue on its journey, artists and scribes would create paintings and texts related to one's life on the walls of one's tomb. This was called the Book of the Dead which would help the Egyptians get into the Underworld. This book helped Egyptians survive the dangerous journey into the underworld, providing spells, charms and formulae to be used in the Afterlife.

A drawing showing what happened at the “weighing of the heart” ceremony.

Anubis, the jackal – headed god of the of embalming and mummification, weighs the heart of the dead person which is in the left tray against the feather of truth in the right tray. This represented Ma'at, goddess of truth, justice, and order. If the heart of the dead person weighs more than the feather, then the dead person had a heart that has been made heavy with evil deeds. If that is the case, then Ammit, the god with the crocodile head and hippopotamus legs, will devour the heart, condemning the dead person to oblivion or a state where that person will be forgotten for eternity. But if the feather is heavier than the heart, then the dead person has led a good life and may be presented to Osiris, chief god of the Dead and Afterlife, to join the afterlife. Thoth, the ibis-headed god of wisdom, stands ready to record the outcome. ACTIVITY – Answer these questions

1. Which two things in nature were very important to the ancient Egyptians religion? 2. Ammut is called ‘the Devourer’. What does this word, ‘Devourer’ mean or suggest? What does it tell you about her role in the afterlife? 3. What is the Book of the Dead used for? 4. Why is the heart weighed against a feather? 5. Find and copy the words that suggest Osiris has high status in the underworld. 6. What was the role of Thoth and why was his role important? 7. Why was it the heart that was weighed instead of another organ?