EGYPTIAN RELIGION AND THE AFTERLIFE Ancient Egyptian Religion

EGYPTIAN RELIGION AND THE AFTER-LIFE

Ancient Egyptian Religion guided every aspect of Egyptian life. Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, or the worship of many deities. The Egyptians had as many as 2000 gods and goddesses, but only a few were worshipped by all Egyptians.

Ancient Egyptian Religion Many gods and goddesses were represented as part human and part animal. For example, Horus, the sky god, had the head of a hawk, and body of a human. They considered animals such as the bull, the cat, and the crocodile to be holy.

Ancient Egyptian Religion Their two chief gods were Amon-Ra and Osiris. Amon-Ra was believed to be the sun god and the lord of the universe. Osiris was the god of the dead and the necropolis.

Ancient Egyptian Religion The Egyptian "Book of the Dead" contains the major ideas and beliefs in the ancient Egyptian religion. Because their religion stressed an afterlife, Egyptians devoted much time and wealth to preparing for survival in the next world.

Major Gods and Goddesses Anubis Osiris Ra Horus Hathor

Anubis-God of Mummification and Death

Osiris- God of The Underworld & King of Dead

Ra-God of Sun & Supreme Judge

Horus-Sky God or Falcon God

Hathor-Goddess of: Love, Birth, Death, Music, & Pleasure Shown as: Women with horned head dress or a Cow

Hathoras a cow

Death and Funerals The Egyptians saw death as a transitional stage in the progress to a better life in the next world. Egyptians were resurrectionists, they believed each persons soul would return to the body and they would live again in the afterlife. Therefore, it was essential for the body to survive intact.

Mummification Funerals were very expensive. A person would need to: 1. Have a tomb carved out of solid rock. 2. Gather all necessary objects to place in the tomb. 3. Appoint their son or a priest to bring an offering for the deceased daily for up to one year.

Mummification was a long and expensive process. The expense of mummification limited the full procedure to the very rich. For the poor, a shallow grave near the desert was common. The dry, hot climate caused natural mummification to occur. But all wanted to insure their journey into the afterlife.

THE TOMB

The Tomb in Ancient Egypt The tombs were created to provide the dead with a place to store the necessary supplies needed in the journey to the afterlife. Inside the tombs clothing, jewelry, food, and weapons were stored, all placed there as supplies for the afterlife.

A BOAT FOR THE AFTERLIFE-FROM KING TUT’S TOMB

The Tomb in Ancient Egypt In addition to the material in the tomb, the walls of the tomb where painted with scenes from every day life. As shown on the next slide.

The Tomb in Ancient Egypt Before the body is laid to rest, a burial mask would be placed over the mummified body. The most famous burial mask was found the in tomb of King Tut (shown on next slide).

TUT’S GOLDEN MASK

Journey into the After Life The journey into the afterlife was a difficult one. To help, scripts would be left with magical spells to help the deceased navigate through the afterlife.

Journey into the After Life These scripts became known as the "Book of the Dead. " The spirit would begin it's journey by crossing a wide river and then pass through a gate guarded by monsters.

“The Judgement”-copied from Tut’s Tomb

Journey into the After Life The deceased then would have to go to the "Hall of Two Truths" to be judged. The person would be brought before a tribunal of the gods and be accused of forty-two different crimes each charge dealing with one event in the dead person’s life. He would have to answer the charges.

Journey into the After Life After successfully answering these charges, his heart would be put on a scale and weighed against a feather. If the heart is found to be lighter then the feather, [true and without sin] the person would be allowed into the afterlife.

Journey into the After Life If the heart was not lighter then the feather, a monster [with the head of a crocodile, the body of a lion and hippo] would immediately devour the heart. Without a heart, the person would have no memory or personality and no chance for eternal life.

Journey into the After Life Egyptians believed the afterlife to be an eternal [never-ending] time of leisure [no labor] and pleasure. Life there would be much better than anything on earth--except possible being pharaoh.