Types of Religion in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian religion is usually described by scholars who theorize that many generations worshiped the same gods in the same manner as their forefathers. However, Egyptians were familiar with several types of religion in addition to their own traditional beliefs.
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Importance of Local Gods
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The early worship of local gods across diverse regions of Egypt appears to have influenced subsequent polytheistic trends. Countless nome gods, associated with specific nomes, or provinces in Egypt, were revered by ancient Egyptians. These gods served as focal points for tribal worship. Nevertheless, as author Jon Ewbank Manchip White states in "Ancient Egypt: Its Culture and History," "From time to time, as a particular god became ascendant for political reasons, the nome gods changed their dynastic affiliations." Thus, worship of local gods gave way to worship of other gods to suit political objectives.
State Religion
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In many respects, religion in ancient Egypt functioned primarily to preserve the power of the pharaoh. Based on the Book of the Dead, ideas of an afterlife fueled the construction of the pyramids, which were elaborate tombs for pharaohs.
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Atenism
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At a decisive moment in ancient Egyptian history, the Pharaoh Akhenaten cast off the traditional polytheistic religion of his forefathers in favor of a monotheistic religion dedicated to the worship of the sun disc god Aten. Apparently, this change was not popularly received, as it failed to survive beyond Akhenaten's reign. Upon being succeeded as pharaoh by the comparatively more popular Tutankhamun (King Tut), traces of Atenism were removed from ancient Egyptian culture, to be replaced with the traditional polytheistic system.
Misconceptions
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A common misconception regarding religion in ancient Egypt is that it was based on clearly defined, unchanging traditions. Author Jan Assmann suggests that religious norms in ancient Egypt slowly evolved over a vast period of time, becoming progressively refined. Egyptian religion underwent a "sacralization process" over time, becoming less profane. Assmann states, "To offer just one example from everyday, practical matters, later medical (scrolls) differ from earlier ones in that they contain an increasing number of magical spells."
Christianity
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With the rise of Christianity in the first century A.D., the ancient Egyptian era faded away. Interest in ancient Egypt continues to swell as scholars theorize over the influence of ancient Egyptian religions on Christianity, which is presently ranked as the largest religion in the world in terms of followers.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of David Evers
