EGYPT : Gods And Goddesses
The ancientEgyptians believed in many different gods and goddesses, each one with their
own role to play in maintaining peace and harmony across the land.
Some gods and
goddesses took part in creation, some brought the flood every year, some
offered protection, and some took care of people after they died. Others were
either local gods who represented towns, or minor gods who represented plants
or animals.
The ancient Egyptians believed that it was important
to recognise and worship these gods and goddesses so that life continued
smoothly.
Mummification
The earliest
ancient Egyptians buried their dead in small pits in the desert. The heat and
dryness of the sand dehydrated
the bodies quickly, creating lifelike and natural 'mummies'.
Later, the
ancient Egyptians began burying their dead in coffins to protect them from wild
animals in the desert. However, they realised that bodies placed in coffins
decayed when they were not exposed to the hot, dry sand of the desert.
Over many centuries, the ancient Egyptians developed a
method of preserving bodies so they would remain lifelike. The process included
embalming
the bodies and wrapping them in strips of linen. Today we call this process
mummification.
Pharaoh:
Lord of the Two Lands
The most powerful person in ancient Egypt was the pharaoh. The pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people, holding the titles: 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'High Priest of Every Temple'.
As 'Lord of the Two Lands' the
pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt.
He owned all of the land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against
foreigners.
As 'High Priest of Every Temple', the
pharaoh represented the gods on Earth. He performed rituals and built temples
to honour the gods.
Many pharaohs went to war when their land was threatened or when they
wanted to control foreign lands. If the pharaoh won the battle, the conquered
people had to recognise the Egyptian pharaoh as their ruler and offer him the
finest and most valuable goods from their land.
There are about eighty pyramids known
today from ancient Egypt.
The three largest and best-preserved of these were built at Giza at the beginning of the Old Kingdom.
The most well-known of these pyramids was built for the pharaoh Khufu. It is known
as the 'Great Pyramid'.
Temples
The ancient Egyptians believed that
temples were the homes of the gods and goddesses. Every temple was dedicated to a god or goddess and he or she was worshipped there by the temple
priests and the pharaoh.
The large temple buildings were made
of stone so that they would last forever. Their walls were covered with scenes
that were carved onto the stone then brightly painted. These scenes showed the
pharaoh fighting in battles and performing rituals with the gods and goddesses.
Trades
Craftsmen in
ancient Egypt
were usually trained and skilled labourers. They were often well-respected in the
community and had a comfortable lifestyle. Yet every craftsman's lifestyle and
social standing depended on the quality of his skills and experience. Thus, some craftsmen had more
difficult lives than others.
Most craftsmen worked in workshops
with other craftsmen. Objects for temples or the pharaoh were made in temple workshops or palace workshops. Objects for ordinary
people were made by local craftsmen in small workshops.
Writing
The ancient Egyptians believed that
it was important to record and communicate information about religion and
government. Thus, they invented written scripts that could be used to record
this information.
The most famous of all ancient
Egyptian scripts is hieroglyphic. However, throughout three thousand years of ancient Egyptian civilisation,
at least three other scripts were used for different purposes. Using these scripts, scribes were able to preserve the beliefs, history and ideas of ancient Egypt in temple
and tomb walls and on papyrus scrolls.
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