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The ancient Egyptians worshiped dozens of gods and goddesses. Each had different powers.
Many were symbolized by animals. Some were represented by humans with animal heads. To worship certain gods, the Egyptians built temples that held a golden statue of the god locked in a special room. They believed the gods’ spirits lived in these temples.
◀ This parade includes the barque (royal boat) of Amun-Re. It is leaving the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The leader carries an incense burner. He also sprinkles holy water.
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▲ The ancient Egyptians worshiped dozens of gods and goddesses. Each had different powers. Many were symbolized by animals. Some were represented by humans with animal heads. To worship certain gods, the Egyptians built temples that held a golden statue of the god locked in a special room. They believed the gods’ spirits lived in these temples. The facade of this one, the Great Temple, was built around 1250 B.C.
Only the pharaoh and high priests and priestesses could enter the temple. Priests washed, clothed, and fed the statues of the gods. Here, Nefertiti gives an offering. Ordinary Egyptians saw these statues only at religious festivals. That’s when priests carried the statues around the town. ▶
◀ A priestess like this one shook a sacred rattle called a sistrum. She did that to show the gods respect. For ceremonies, priests and priestesses read prayers and sang. They also sprinkled holy water and lit incense before the gods’ statues.
In Memphis and other Egyptian cities, residents worshiped their own local god and also the major gods. Ptah, at right, was the creator god of Memphis. He was also the patron of craftsmen. ▶
Gods Galore
Many Egyptian gods had more than one form and several jobs. For example, Osiris was the lord of the dead. He was also the god of crops and fertility.
Bes, a dwarf, protected newborn babies and families. He danced with a tambourine to amuse other gods or to make evil spirits stay away.
Thoth was one of the Moon gods. He was shown as an ibis or as a man with an ibis head. He was also shown as a baboon. Scribes, or people who wrote, worshiped him. That’s because he was also the god of writing, wisdom, and numbers.
Taweret protected women during childbirth. This god stopped evil creatures from attacking the baby or mother. A pregnant woman wore charms shaped like Taweret.
Osiris was god of the dead and the afterlife. He carried the crook and flail to show he was king of the underworld. He was also a god of fertility.
The Sun god, Egypt’s most important deity, took many forms. At dawn, he would be Khepri, the scarab beetle. He rolled the Sun disk into the sky. As Horakhty, he would be a hawk soaring in the sky at midday. As Amun-Re, he protected the pharaoh on military campaigns.
Hathor was the goddess of love and beauty. She was also associated with music and dancing.
A “wadjet eye” represents the eye of Horus, the falcon-headed sky god. The eye protected against illness.
