Ancient Egyptian society was highly influenced by Egyptian Religion ideals strongly associated with tradition, which caused them to resist change. Egyptian civilization was rooted primarily in rituals and worship. “Egyptians did not question the beliefs which had been handed down to them” (Pg. 81, David, 1988)

Divine Kingship was one of those beliefs. Divine Kingship is the belief that the Pharaoh was not only the King (political ruler) but also a god. Due to their beliefs, the Pharaoh held an immense amount of power. He acted as the intermediary between his people and the gods and was obligated to sustain the gods through rituals and offerings so that they could maintain order in the universe.

Therefore, the state dedicated enormous resources to the performance of these rituals and to the construction of the temples where they were carried out. The popular religious tradition grew more prominent in the course of Egyptian history as the status of the pharaoh declined.

Ancient Egypt had a complex polytheistic religion. They believed in the multitude of gods. They also worshipped natural forces like the sun. Their Egyptian Religion hosted about 700 different gods and goddesses. In addition, it was not uncommon for deities to be combined to form a new deity.

Belief in afterlife constitutes the essence of ancient Egypt religious belief. They believed the physical body had to be preserved to allow a place for their spirit to dwell in the afterlife. Thus came into existence, the process of mummification to preserve the body. In addition, large pyramids were constructed as tombs for the pharaohs in the Old Kingdom.

Temples were considered dwelling places for the gods and each city had a temple built for the god of that city. Temple was the center of worship where men were to communicate to gods. The priest’s duty was to care for the gods and attend to their needs. The priests had many duties such as funeral rites, teaching school, supervising the artists and works, and advising people on problems.