Built on the bank of the Nile along the northern edge of the city of Luxor, the Temple of Karnak was dedicated to the worship of one of Egypt’s oldest and most storied deities: Amun-Re. Though initially worshipped as the primeval god of the wind and air, Amun-Re increased in favor from the 11th Dynasty onwards, eventually ascending to the forefront of the Egyptian pantheon and becoming endowed with the attributes of an all-powerful sun god.
The six gateways eventually led onto Karnak’s inner temple – the highest and darkest point in the entire complex. Even today, it is remains clad in the pink granite grafted onto the original structure around 330 BC by Philip Arridaeus, brother of Alexander the Great. The inner sanctum was focused on a stone dais that once bore ceremonial boat dedicated to Amun-Re, as well a large statue of the god – the latter of which occupied the center of temple life for the high priest of the temple and the Egyptian king alike. On feast days, the statue be hoisted onto the ceremonial boat, and then carried around the temple perimeter. Natives of the surrounding towns and encampments, believing the statue to be gifted with powers of prophecy, would shout questions at the procession as it passed. As the boat rounded the temple, it would rock from side to side; a tilt to one side or another was seen by temple devotees as being indicative as a yes or no answer to their queries.
Ancient Egypt
The Ancient Egyptians developed their civilization sometime between 4000 and 1800 B.C. along the fertile Nile River. The annual floods of the Nile deposited rich soil along its banks and helped establish Egypt as a green oasis in an unforgiving desert. Since the welfare of the Ancient Egyptians depended almost entirely on the Nile an intricate relationship grew between man and the river that sustained them. The Egyptians cultivated the land along the Nile River’s banks and grew essential crops to help sustain their way of life. Their farming endeavors yielded the wheat and barley used for bread and beer and the flax they utilized for their linen. Over time, the Ancient Egyptian’s concept of religion became highly developed and they also advanced their knowledge in medicine, astronomy and engineering, all of which would serve as examples to many societies that followed in their footsteps.
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The source of governing power in Ancient Egypt lay with the Pharaohs, who kept the Egyptians united under one kingdom. The Ancient Egyptians revered their king, the Pharaoh, as a god and though authority rested with the Pharaoh, he nevertheless delegated much of the everyday management to priests and administrators. The Ancient Egyptians performed elaborate ceremonies which they believed appeased the Gods and kept the annual floods of the Nile River flowing. They thought that as long as the Nile River flowed, a delicate balance between man and nature existed which ultimately helped keep their society in order. When a Pharaoh died, great care was taken in embalming and mummifying his body and placing it in a stone | |||||||||||
| sarcophagus. This sarcophagus in turn was placed in a large tomb along with all of the dead Pharaoh’s belongings including jewelry, clothing, furniture and food – all the essential needs for the life he would lead in eternity. The walls of the tomb were inscribed with sacred writings in the form of hieroglyphics meant to protect him in the afterlife and to frighten off any would be grave robbers or evil spirits. | ||||||||||||
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Since their society relied to a large extent on agriculture, most of the Ancient Egyptians were farmers. The priests would tax these farmers a portion of their produce which was given to the local temple. Most people in Ancient Egyptian society were illiterate and in fact, only boys were schooled and taught to read and write. As scribes, these boys were groomed to become the priests and administrators who would later help the Pharaoh in managing their society. The scribes used papyrus, a stiff paper made from papyrus reeds, to transcribe the administrative and religious texts of Ancient Egyptian society. |
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With their dependence on their habitat and the elements of the Nile River valley, it is not difficult to imagine why the Ancient Egyptians projected characteristics of nature and the animal life on their deities. Some notable Egyptian gods include: Horus, Ptah, Hathor, Isis and Osiris. Horus was the sky god, his eyes were the sun and the moon and it is said that his spirit manifested itself within the living Pharaoh. Ptah was the creator god who invented the arts. Hathor, known to the Egyptians as the goddess of love and beauty is said to have raised the sun up to the heaven on her horns. Isis was both the sister and wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus and was thought to have magical powers. Osiris, the god of the dead, would judge souls | |||||||||||
| in the afterlife. | ||||||||||||
The Egyptians built many pyramids around 2630 B.C. the most famous of which is the Great Pyramid of Giza which may have taken about 30 years to build. Some of the stone blocks in these pyramids weigh as much as 60 tons and it is estimated that over 2.3 million of them were used. Archaeologists believe the scale and dimensions of these pyramids suggest that they had astronomical, mathematical and spiritual purposes. The Pharaohs no doubt built these immense structures to appease the gods and to leave a symbol of their reign as an indelible mark on history, leaving others to behold their engineering skill through the ages.
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