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hist_280___1.pptxEgyptian Philosophy and Everyday Life, 600 BCE
By: Sara Woods
Ancient Egyptian Religion
Almost every aspect of Egyptian culture was connected to religion
Ancient Egyptian religion was a mixture of beliefs and practices
Magic, mythology, science, medicine, psychiatry, spiritualism, herbology, and the belief in a higher power (Mark)
Religion was the most important thing in Egyptian culture because life on earth was seen as a gateway to the afterlife
Step one: Life on earth
Step two: Journey to the Afterlife
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
The gods and goddesses were seen as supernatural entities that held the ultimate power
These beings were looked at as the creators and were thought of as the parents of the world
The worship of gods and goddesses was part of everyday life
Thought of every occurrence in terms of the relationship between natural and supernatural forces
Responsible for keeping order throughout the land as well as helping those who were in need
When a person would die, the gods would judge them according to how well their commands were obeyed
Five gods most often looked at as the first entities
Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus (Mark)
Preparation of the Dead
The ancient Egyptians were very precise and careful when handling the dead
Egyptians believed that after one has died, their body would need to be preserved in order for them to use their body in the afterlife
As a result, they would take extreme measures to mummify a body (Taylor, Pg. 16)
Step 1: Wash and purify the body
Step 2: Remove all organs with the exception of the heart
Step 3: Stuff the body
Step 4: Cover the body in natron
Step 5: Replace stuffing with linen or sawdust
Step 6: Wrap the body in Linen
Step 7: Place the body in a sarcophagus
Preparation of the Dead
After a person’s body has been prepared, their souls are assisted through the afterlife from the help of the Book of the Dead
True translation: The Book of Coming Forth by Day
Written on papyrus and placed in tombs and graves with the dead.
The Book of the Dead is a collection of spells that the Egyptians believed would help them function after death
Originated from concepts depicted in tomb paintings and inscriptions from as early as the Third Dynasty (Taylor, Pg. 18)
Pyramid Texts
At the end of the Old Kingdom, the interior walls of Egyptian pyramids were decorated with a series of ritual and spell magic, known as Pyramid Texts
Oldest form of Egyptian literature
Original purpose of the texts were to help the Pharaoh ascend to the heavens and call upon the gods if there were any complications
Reflected the significance of making sure the Pharaoh existed in the afterlife
Have a unique structure
Written in vertical columns on the inside of the walls in the pyramids
Divided into spells, hymns prayers, and litanies they consists of units of great length . (Lorton, Pg. 9-11)
Work Cited
"The following Is the Complete Text from the Pyramid of Unas and Based on Translations by Faulkner, Piankoff and Speleer." Pyramid Texts Online.
Hornung, Erik, and David Lorton. The ancient Egyptian books of the afterlife. Cornell University Press, 1999: 1-19
Mark, Joshua J. "Ancient Egyptian Religion." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.
Taylor, John H. Journey through the afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. Harvard University Press, 2010: 16-36
