Ancient Egypt

1
Ancient Egypt

• Cultural Universal
• Religion and Beliefs

2
Introduction

• Ancient Egypt religion is very complex. We know
  much more now about the beliefs and practices of
  the people of Ancient Egypt then we did even
  twenty years ago. Religion guided every aspect
  of Egyptian life. We will be learning about
• Early Beliefs
• Deaths and Funeral
• Embalming
• Life after Death
• Gods and Goddesses

3
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS???

• What are some of the religious ideas and beliefs
  of the ancient Egyptians?
• What did the ancient Egyptians believe the
  afterlife would be like?

4
Early Beliefs

• Egyptians worshipped many gods and were pictured
  as animals or as human figures with the heads of
  animals.
• Egyptians believed that the pharaoh, or king, was
  a god in human form. He was worshipped by the
  people.
• They also believed in life after death and that
  they needed their bodies for the afterlife. This
  is why they invented mummification.
• Egyptians wore good luck charms for protection.

5
Deaths and Funerals

• The Egyptians saw death as a transitional stage
  in the progress to a better life in the next
  world.
• They believed they could only reach their full
  potential after death.
• Each person person was thought to have three
  souls, the ka, the ba, and the akh.
• The belief in the rebirth after death became the
  driving force behind their funeral practices.

6
Embalming

• When a person died, the priests recited prayers
  and a final attempt was made to revive the
  deceased.
• The body was washed and purified in a shelter
  called an ibu.
• At the embalmers workshop, a cut was made in the
  left side of the body, and all the organs were
  removed and stored in containers.
• The body was packed with natron(salt) for forty
  days.
• The insides were filled with linen or sawdust,
  resin and natron .Lastly, the body was wrapped in
  bandages and put into a coffin.

7
Life After Death

• The ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife of
  beauty, peace, and contentment.
• Most Egyptians lives were filled with
  back-breaking work and few comforts, they looked
  forward to their deaths as a release from this
  lifetime.
• They also believed their souls would need their
  bodies again, so they invented mummification.

8
Gods and Goddesses

• Before Upper and Lower Egypt were joined, each
  area was made up of separate tribes who
  worshipped gods of nature the sun, the wind, and
  the earth.
• As time passed, the Egyptians gave some of the
  gods and goddesses human forms, or part animal
  and part human forms.
• Osiris, the god of the dead, always appeared in
  mummy form. Osiris was killed by his brother and
  reborn with the help from his wife.
• Egyptians then believed they too could live again
  after death if they preserved their bodies.
• There are over twenty different gods and
  goddesses.

9
Todays Activity

• Choose one or more of the following activities
• Draw three Egyptian gods. Write a description of
  each one.
• Go through the site on mummification and write a
  brief summary on how mummies were made.
• http//www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.h
  tml
• Pretend you own a store that owns good luck
  charms. Design a billboard advertising your
  product(s). What does your good luck piece
  protect you from? Give a written explanation.