The Religion of Ancient Egypt: Pantheon and Afterlife

Flashcards covering key deities, religious symbols, beliefs about the afterlife, and the process of mummification in ancient Egypt, based on lecture notes.

What was a fundamental characteristic of ancient Egyptian religious traditions?

They were extremely symbolic, using pictures, carvings, or items to represent complex ideas.

How is the religion of ancient Egypt best described in terms of the number of gods?

It was thoroughly polytheistic, meaning they believed in the existence of many gods.

What is anthropomorphism in the context of Egyptian gods?

It is the describing of a non-human deity using familiar human shapes or images, as there is no other way to represent a being that is 100% 'other'.

Why were many Egyptian gods depicted with animal heads?

It symbolized attributes or personalities that a human form could not accurately represent, such as Sekhmet's ferocity being akin to a lion.

Who was Amun, and where was he especially favored?

Amun was an especially important and powerful deity, considered the king among all gods, and was especially favored at Thebes.

How was the god Raˁ depicted, and what did the cobra wrapped around his sun disk symbolize?

Raˁ was usually depicted as a falcon-headed god with a human body; the cobra symbolized his power to bring instant death to enemies.

What was the significance of the sun cycle (birth, across the sky, into the Underworld, re-birth) in Egyptian belief?

This daily cycle was viewed as a symbol of the precious life-cycle: birth, death, and re-birth, which was the goal for all Egyptians.

Who was Amun-Raˁ and when did this merged deity become prominent?

Amun-Raˁ was a deity created by fusing the gods Amun and Raˁ during the New Kingdom period.

Who was Thoth and what was he known for?

Thoth was the god represented with the head of an ibis, considered the cleverest of the gods and the inventor of the hieroglyphic writing system.

What were the primary associations of the goddess Hathor?

Hathor, daughter of Raˁ and adorned with a red sun symbol/cow's horns, was venerated as the symbolic mother of the Egyptian king and associated with music, dance, and sexual love.

Who was Anubis and what was his divine role?

Anubis was a predominately funerary god, depicted with the head of a black dog/jackal, and was considered the guardian of tombs and mummies.

Who were the central figures in the dramatic story from Egyptian mythology involving Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Horus?

Osiris (divine ruler, killed by Seth), Isis (wife/sister of Osiris, revived him), Seth (evil brother, killed Osiris), and Horus (son of Osiris/Isis, avenged father).

What did the 'Eye of Horus' (wadjet) symbolize?

After Horus lost his eyeballs in battle (and they were restored by Hathor), the 'Eye of Horus' became symbolic for restoration after physical destruction, resurrection, or healing.

Which goddess represented justice, truth, balance, and goodness?

Ma’at represented justice, truth, balance, and goodness.

What did the ˁanḫ (ankh) symbol represent in ancient Egyptian religion?

The ankh symbolized 'life' or 'living' and was central to the Egyptian obsession with life, particularly life-after-death.

What were the three tiers of the universe in ancient Egyptian belief?

The three tiers were the sky/heaven (pet), the Underworld (Duat), and the horizon (‘aḥet) where the two meet.

What are the bȝ and kȝ in Egyptian religious belief?

The bȝ (bah) is the inner spirit or soul that can float/fly after death, connected to one's unique personality. The kȝ (kah) is the true inner-self, intrinsically linked to one's physical body.

Describe the judgment process a deceased person's bȝ faced after death.

Osiris was the judge, Horus led the deceased, Thoth recorded deeds, and Anubis's helper weighed the deceased's heart against a feather. If the heart was pure, it was light; if not, Ammit would devour the wicked person.

What was the fundamental spiritual reason behind mummification?

Mummification was believed to be necessary because a person's kȝ was fundamentally connected to their unique physical body, and if the body decomposed, the kȝ could not have an Afterlife.

Which organs were removed and placed in canopic jars during mummification?

The lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines were removed and placed into canopic jars.

What was the 'natron bath' component of mummification and its purpose?

The 'natron bath' involved burying the body in a tub of natron (mostly salt with baking soda) for 40 days, specifically to thoroughly dry it out.

What was the 'Opening-of-the-Mouth Ritual' and its theoretical purpose?

It was a funeral rite where a special tool was used to open the corpse's mouth before final wrappings, theoretically allowing free passage for the kȝ and for the body to receive nourishment in the afterlife.