1. Religion in Ancient Egypt
Isis: By Jeff Dahl (Own work) [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons
Ra: By Jeff Dahl [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons
Osiris: By Jeff Dahl (Own work) [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons

2. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Religion was an important part of Ancient Egyptian society
The origins of the religion can be traced back over 3000 years to Ancient Egypt’s prehistory
In the background image, the deceased Ani kneels before Osiris, judge of the dead.
Image: Published by James Wasserman; facsimile made by E. A. Wallis Budge; original artist unknown [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

3. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Religious practices commonly centered on the rulers of Egypt, who were believed to have divine powers, connecting humans and gods
After Djoser of the Third Dynasty, pharaohs were usually depicted wearing the nemes headdress, a false beard, and an ornate kilt.
A typical depiction of an Egyptian pharaoh

4. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Ancient Egyptian religion was polytheistic
Polytheism is the belief or worship of more than one god
The gods were believed to be in control of the forces of nature
Depicted from left to right are the Egyptian gods/goddess Ra, Amun, Osiris, Isis, Anubis, and Set

5. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Most towns had religious temples
The earliest temples constructed were small, but through the Old and Middle Kingdoms, temples became larger and more elaborate
Temples served as houses for the gods, in which offerings would be provided
By the New Kingdom, large temples were important centers of economic activity
The temples were not primarily intended as places for worship by the general population
The inside of the Temple of Philae is depicted
Image: By Jean-Baptiste Lepère, Allais (scan by User:Manfred Heyde) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

6. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife, and made great efforts to ensure the survival of their souls after death
Tombs and offerings were provided to preserve the spirits of the deceased
Image:
The Tomb of Ramses II is pictured

7. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Specific religious beliefs would change over time, with the importance of several gods rising or declining
At different times, various deities were considered the most important, including the sun god Ra, the creator god Amun, the mother goddess Isis, and the Aten
Image: By Lanewalker2 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 ( via Wikimedia Commons

8. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Many gods were associated with specific regions
Regional associations could change over time
Sometimes, two or more gods would be linked together, most famously, Amun-Ra
Image: By SFEC_2009_POT-0013.JPG: S F-E-Cameron derivative work: A. Parrot (SFEC_2009_POT-0013.JPG) [CC BY-SA 3.0 ( or GFDL ( via Wikimedia Commons
Amun-Ra depicted in the Place of Truth at Deir el-Medina

9. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Ra was the god of the sun
He was believed to rule in all parts of the created world, including the sky, the earth, and the underworld
In addition to the sun, Ra was associated with the falcon or hawk
In later Egyptian dynastic times, Ra was merged with the god Horus, as Ra-Horakhty
Image: By Jeff Dahl [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons

10. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Amun was a creator god, and at times god of the atmosphere, sun, sky, and empire
Amun was a champion to the poor and troubled
Amun gained national importance when he was combined with the sun god Ra as Amun-Ra (or Amun-Re)
With Osiris, Amun-Ra is the most widely recorded of the Egyptian gods
As the chief deity of the Egyptian Empire, Amun-Ra also came to be worshipped outside Egypt
Image: By Jeff Dahl (Own work) [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons

11. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Osiris was the god of the Afterlife, the underworld, and the dead
He may also be considered the god of transition, resurrection, and regeneration
He was often depicted as having green skin, a pharaoh’s beard, partial mummy-wrapped legs, and a crown with ostrich feathers
Through the hope of new life after death, Osiris began to be associated with the cycles observed in nature, in particular vegetation and the annual flooding of the Nile.
Osiris was widely worshipped as Lord of the Dead until the suppression of the Egyptian religion during the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
Image: By Jeff Dahl (Own work) [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons

12. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Isis was the goddess of resurrection, the announcer of the flood, and was considered to be the divine mother of the pharaoh
She was the wife of Osiris
She was said to protect the kingdom from its enemies and to have power over fate
During the New Kingdom, Isis and Osiris became the most worshipped deities
The worship of Isis was ended by the rise of Christianity in the fourth and fifth centuries CE.
Image: By Jeff Dahl (Own work) [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons

13. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Aten is the disk of the sun and was originally an aspect of the god Ra
During the New Kingdom, the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV abolished the worship of the other gods in favor of the sun-disk Aten
After his death, traditional religious practices were gradually restored
This is often viewed as the first example of monotheism in history, although the suggestion that it was truly monotheistic is disputed.
Image: By User:AtonX (Image:Aten.JPG) [GFDL ( CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( CC BY-SA ( GFDL ( CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( or CC BY 2.5 ( via Wikimedia Commons

14. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Anubis was the guardian of the dead and the god of mummification
He was usually depicted as a canine or a man with a canine head
Anubis prepared the dead and led them into the underworld
By the Middle Kingdom (2055 – 1650 BCE) he was replaced by Osiris in his role as lord of the underworld.
Image: By Jeff Dahl [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA 4.0 ( from Wikimedia Commons

15. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Set (or Seth) was the god of the desert, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners
He was the brother of Osiris
He is depicted with a beastly head and tail
Set is also depicted as a sibling to Isis and the father of Anubis

16. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Horus was one of the most significant Egyptian deities
Different forms of Horus have been recorded throughout Egyptian history
He is most often depicted as a falcon or as a man with a falcon head
He is commonly described as the son of Isis and Osiris
Image: By Jeff Dahl (Own work) [GFDL ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons

17. Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Hathor was the goddess of love, music, song, and dance
She was one of the most important and popular deities, worshipped by royalty and common people alike
She is often depicted as a cow goddess with horns
At various times, Hathor has been described as Ra’s mother, his daughter, or his wife
Fertility and nature were important to predynastic Egyptians and may have been represented by cows.

18. Egyptian Mythology
Egyptian myths were intended to explain gods’ actions and roles in nature
Myths could change over time to convey different perspectives
Many myths exist in different and conflicting versions
The background is a picture of the Pyramid Texts, which contain the first known recorded mention of the Osiris myth
Image: By LassiHU [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

19. Egyptian Mythology – Osiris and Isis
The most important myth was the myth of Osiris and Isis
In this myth, the divine ruler Osiris was killed by his jealous brother Set
Isis was also depicted as Osiris’ sister
Image: Louvre Museum [CC BY-SA 1.0 ( or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Osiris, Horus, and Isis depicted on
an ancient Egyptian statuette

20. Egyptian Mythology – Osiris and Isis
Osiris’ wife Isis resurrected him so they could have a son, Horus
Osiris then entered the underworld and became ruler of the dead
When grown, Horus fought and defeated Set to become king himself
Osiris, Horus, and Isis depicted on
an ancient Egyptian statuette

21. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Late in Egypt’s New Kingdom period ( BC), the pharaoh became viewed as more human and less divine
While the pharaoh’s power decreased, the power of priests increased
Image: By KingHerihorAndQueenNodjmetAdoreOsiris.jpg: Ancient Egyptian Artist Didia derivative work: JMCC1 (KingHerihorAndQueenNodjmetAdoreOsiris.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Herihor was a High Priest of Amun at Thebes who claimed to be pharaoh and ruled in the south

22. Ancient Egyptian Religion
Late in its history, as the ancient Egyptian empire weakened, so did traditional religious beliefs
Temples were not repaired, and religious practices became localized
In the third and fourth centuries AD, Christianity spread across Egypt and further weakened traditional religion
Image: [CC BY 4.0 ( via Wikimedia Commons

23. Ancient Egyptian Religion - Legacy
Egyptian religion produced Egypt’s most famous monuments
Other cultures, such as the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans, would be influenced by Egyptian religion
The Karnak Temple Complex is pictured
Ancient Greeks and ancient Romans would consider Egypt as a source of mystic wisdom
Image: By Tizianok (Own work) [GFDL ( CC-BY-SA-3.0 ( or CC BY-SA ( via Wikimedia Commons