Polytheism in Ancient Egypt Descriptive Essay

Polytheism in Ancient Egypt
A discussion of some of the complexities of ancient Egyptian religion.
# 128184 | 824 words | 5 sources | MLA | 2009 | US
Published on Jul 04, 2010 in Religion and Theology (Other)


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Description:

This paper looks at the key points of ancient Egyptian polytheism and briefly describes some of the major gods among the hundreds that were worshipped. Some common themes in Egyptian religious beliefs during the 3,000 years from the pre-dynastic period to the introduction of Christianity when the Romans conquered Egypt are discussed, such as the belief in an afterlife, the divinity of the Pharaohs and their burial practices. The paper concludes that the archaeological digs in modern day Egypt uncovering new and interesting findings every day may affect how we currently view ancient Egyptian religion and history.

From the Paper:

"The Ancient Egyptian belief in an eternal afterlife corresponds with their need to preserve the bodies of the dead through the process of mummification. However, contrary to popular belief, not all Egyptians were mummified. This treatment of the dead was only meant for the Pharaohs, nobles, and relatives of the Pharaohs. Very few common Egyptians were mummified. They believed that mummification was important because the soul would be lost without the body and thus would not able to reach the afterlife. That is why great care and concern was taken to ensure that the body was properly safeguarded and preserved. Mummification was the earliest form of embalming and despite not having modern medical tools; mummified corpses that were found during archaeological expeditions in modern day Egypt were surprisingly intact. When a Pharaoh died, great burial tombs were built for them."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • "Ancient Egypt." The British Museum. The Trustees of the British Museum, 1999. Web. 18 Oct. 2009. <www.britishmuseum.org>.
  • "pharaoh." The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 20 Oct. 2009. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pharaoh>.
  • Pinch, Geraldine. Egyptian Mythology A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford UP, USA, 2004. Print.
  • "polytheism." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 19 Oct. 2009. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/polytheism>.
  • Schulz, Regine. Egypt The World of the Pharaohs. Germany: Konemann, 1998. Print.

Cite this Descriptive Essay:

APA Format

Polytheism in Ancient Egypt (2010, July 04) Retrieved September 23, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/descriptive-essay/polytheism-in-ancient-egypt-128184/

MLA Format

"Polytheism in Ancient Egypt" 04 July 2010. Web. 23 September. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/descriptive-essay/polytheism-in-ancient-egypt-128184/>

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