Ancient Egyptian Religion Essay

The Unique Religion

Ancient Egyptians have often been an intriguing topic of wonder. Many men and women have devoted their lives to the study and discoveries of ancient Egypt, and understandably so.

The ancient Egyptians spark an interest in many people all the way from their use of papyrus to the huge astonishing pyramids and what lies inside of them. The ancient Egyptians’ belief in many gods, their view of creation, and view of the afterlife represents the intricacies and fascinating aspects of religious expression in ancient Egypt.

The ancient Egyptian’s religion was a polytheistic religion and was created by the merging of multiple different tribes, faiths and worship practices when the combined state of

Egypt was formed.

Unlike religions

Furthermore, they believed that mummification of the bodies of the deceased was

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very important to perform for the survival in the afterlife. This was done by removing the organs, except for the brain believed to be the source of one’s reasoning and personality, then the organs were placed in jars that were sealed with lids of different god’s heads that were said to protect the organs. Once the removal of the organs was complete, the body was washed with Natron, a substance that would draw the water out of the body which prevented the corps from decomposing. Lastly, the body was wrapped in long strips of linen cloth while simultaneously adding amulets believed to protect the body. (Mcgill)

The Egyptians believed that by being a good and moral person one would be considered to have a righteous heart. (Dendy) They lived their lives striving to be good and acceptable under the view of their gods unlike Christians who believe that no matter what you do you are a sinner.

However, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Therefore, anyone who repents and believes will be accepted into the kingdom of heaven instead of living a life bound to the pressure of

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (New Living Translation, Eph. 2. 8-10)

Egyptians also used a book of spells, hymns, prayers, and instructions that guided the spirits of the dead to the afterlife through the dangerous underworld. This was called the “book of the dead”. There are about two hundred known chapters of this book, but there is no known version of the book of the dead that holds all of them at once. (Dendy) Johnson 5

Ancient Egyptians’ religious expression is truly intricate and fascinating. The differences in their views of creation alone show the unique aspects of their religious expressions and

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beliefs. Trying to please so many gods, must have been impossible and obviously futile. Many facts have been uncovered about the way they thought and lived due to their beliefs, like how they buried their dead by mummifying them and burying them with artifacts to aid them in their passage through the underworld. There is so much to learn about the captivating ancient

Egyptians so all time spent uncovering the wealth of information would be well worth the