Introduction:

The Ancient Egyptians had a vast number of gods and goddesses. Some of them are well known to us, others are merely names mentioned perhaps only once in all the ancient writings that survive. Each deity had his or her own position within the cults of Egypt. . Originally in the predynastic period, each tribe had its own simple gods and beliefs. As time passed these became more complex and from interaction with other tribes and the introduction of new concepts, they took on new forms. When the tribes eventually settled in one place, one might for a time dominate the others, and the beliefs of the dominant chief would be promoted at the expense of the lesser tribes. This practice continued into dynastic times. The king would raise his own local god to that of main deity in the state religion, moving previous holders of that position to one side. Eventually there were a number of major gods whose cults were known throughout the whole of Egypt, and who were subject to the chief state god of the king.In each of the main cult centers such as Thebes, Hermopolis, Heliopolis and Memphis, the priests sought to further their interests by vigorously promoting their own gods. This usually took the form of one group laiming that their chief god was the father of one or more of the other chief gods. At first sight there appears to be many paradoxes in the religion of the Ancient Egyptians, but as new concepts arose the old beliefs were never cast aside.As the myths and attributes of the gods developed, their roles and relationships changed. As some gods rose to become official gods of the state others remained the gods of the people. This gave rise to the two distinct levels of religion within Egyptian society: that of the king or state and that of the individual. The two existed side by side in harmony, as the various minor deities worshipped by the people were believed to be local manifestations of either the overall state god or a god of one of the major cults.Worship in the temples was reserved for the pharaoh (who was considered to be a god himself), and the priests who acted as his deputies. Within the temple the priests performed their religious rituals throughout the year, ceremonially en acting the god's life. At the great festivals of the major deities the image of the god would be carried out of the temple. It might be paraded around the local fields to confer prosperity upon the land, or alternatively taken to visit the temple of another god.The ordinary people, although they might take part in ceremonial processions or enter the outer areas of the temple, were not admitted to the inner sanctum. However they did worship their own god at personal shrines that they often built themselves.The gods of Egypt thus played a fundamental and crucial part in the lives of all its people. From pharaoh to peasant, each had a god corresponding to his place in society. The kings of ancient Egypt were an integral part of religion. This was a crucial part of the governing of the people. The heirs to the throne were not kept out of public display. A king may have had many heirs and may not have known who would assume the throne until a much later time. In order for the people , (and the future king), to accept the transformation, certain procedures had to be worked out. This dilemma was beautifully solved by the ritual that merged the king with the god. The king and his priests would enter a temple, perform the ritual, and emerge as a god. All of the people would wait outside to witness the miracle of the transformation when the king re-emerged from the temple. In this way was the new king accepted as a god and his word was accepted as law.

Concerning religious matters, directly under the king were the priests. Their duty was to take care of the images of the gods. They also prepared the statues, or images, for the religious festivals. It was the priests role to read the scrolls before religious events. The priests were in charge of the temple riches and granaries. They were on a rotation schedule and might work officially one week out of the month. Their laboratories were in the temples, where they prepared incense and healing potions. The ancient Egyptians were extremely devout in their beliefs. They were dedicated to their gods and worshipped daily in many different ways. Their way of life revolved around these beliefs. They had a strong sense of justice and endeavored to do that which was right. They were a highly sophisticated society with values and morals not unlike our own. Every occurrence had spiritual meaning and had a unique god assigned to the act.