Essay on Egyptian Culture

Cultures nowadays had followed or emerge by using many different religions. The discipline of Egyptology has brought attention to aspect of Egypt initial culture and how it was shaped. Egyptology in latest years had an amazing effect on archaeology and the observation of Egypt’s historical heritage. Ancient Egypt changed into a charming and complicated place. Egyptians had made amazing strides in document maintained that have made reading their culture and society less difficult than in a few preceding historic eras. Behind every aspect of Egyptian life, as well as art and cultural achievements, it is important to understand the religious forces that shaped the cultural aspects of ancient Egypt. The religious or the spiritual world that shaped Egyptians was a richly captivating one that stays specific withinside the records of human faith. Although Egyptian faith changed into frequently blanketed in layers of myth and ritual, it however permeated the ancient civilization of the Nile and sooner or later shaped, sustained, and directed the Egyptian way of life in nearly every way. Religious believes had greater impact on Egyptian culture, politics and social life.

The Egyptians had strong beliefs on certain gods and goddesses that shaped how they live and die. Religion is instinctual in man and he was created as a religious being just as Egyptian were. In ancient Egypt, the community was polytheistic, which meant that people believed that gods and goddesses dominated the forces of the human, natural, and supernatural world. The basic principle of their community was the abstract concept of maat (represented by the goddess Maat), which was usually the transformation of truth, justice, and cosmic order. In order to maintain life and cosmic order, people needed to preserve worship of Gods and make sacrifices to achieve balance in the next life. In other hand, the pharaoh's divine status as a mediator between heaven and earth gave the concept of his immortality a special meaning: “Egypt’s kings identified fully with the gods”. The population had the duty to worship their pharaoh and his beliefs. It was the prerogative of the pharaohs to administer the wealth, resources, and people to all Egypt. The culture was mostly shaped by the kings’ beliefs. Most of the pharaohs believed in the afterlife which made a big influence on Egyptian culture. The afterlife was part of those beliefs, in the earliest dynasties was though that when the pharaoh died he would go govern in the afterlife and take with him his servants. For instance, the “Book of the Death” was the book the pharaoh along with the elite had to prepare for the afterlife. This book had the spells that would need it to pass to the afterlife. The book shaped an identity through the different texts which was initially aimed to the elite. However, it should be remark that the road to the afterlife on the New Kingdom has gone beyond the reach f Pharaoh and extended to anyone who could afford these scriptures. In ancient Egypt was thought and believe that if a person was well prepared for the afterlife, they’ll gain immortality for their soul. Egyptians named their soul as the "ka" which accompanies them throughout their life, and then leaves the body to enter the realm of the dead after death. Without his or her body, a person's “ka” cannot exist. There were extensive rituals and ways to prepared bodies for death, including tomb construction, mummification, and funeral rituals, which are designed to protect the body and soul in the afterlife. Their strong belief in the afterlife of the Egyptians allowed them to preserve their cultural heritage. “They thought that the practice of the afterlife beliefs was sacred”, It was a belief which let them constant practice of faith on the afterlife. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the relevance of the text of The Book of the Dead when considering identity and understanding the social structure and beliefs of ancient Egypt. Moreover, throughout the practice of mummification, Egyptians preserved their cultural patrimony. Mummification shaped the Egyptians' views on the afterlife. The idea of the resurrection of the dead added to the need for mummification and it was associated with sanitation, and within a period of time, conservation of mummified bodies. Rich people would be buried with images, amulets, and sculptures or statues that represented the servants who had been buried along with their leaders. Egyptians glorified mummification. Their culture was based around these mythological ways of preparing for their death. 

Egyptians strong and deep connection with religion had an influence on their politics and social life. Religion played a role in all aspects of the life of the ancient Egyptians, as life on earth was only viewed as part of an eternal journey. In order to continue this journey after death, it was necessary to live a life worth continuing. The government of ancient Egypt was a theocratic monarchy as the king ruled under the mandate of the gods. The gods of ancient Egypt were viewed as the lords of creation and the keepers of order, but also as friends of the family interested in helping and leading the people of the earth. “Integration between gods and humans, between nature and society that ensured peace and prosperity for the land of the Nile”, the gods had created order out of chaos and given human beings the maximum stunning land on earth. Egypt as a single institution with an essential division of society among the peasant and the household of a god which in Egypt the god turned into incarnated in the king. Although, they considered good order and balance in their society to be natural, they had to be protected by the Pharaoh, who was born mortal but was considered imbued with divinity after receiving the throne and from whom an earthly presence should be expected to be divine. His religious position gave the Pharaoh a unique legal and authoritarian position in ancient Egyptian culture. The Pharaoh should defend the nation, take responsibility for all administrative tasks, explain all laws, and own all lands. The king’s task as the protagonist of human society was to maintain the benevolence of the gods to maintain order against disorder. The king and therefore the gods are in constant reciprocity and harmony. This implicit distinction confirmed the delicate order. One of the strongest traditions was that divine royalty believed that Pharaoh was not only the king (political ruler) but also a god. The king's job was to sustain the gods' order that they maintain order within the universe, and also the state generously spent its resources building temples and offering rituals. Pharaoh was related to Horus (and later Amun) and was considered the son of Ra. After death, the Pharaoh was totally idolized, directly known as Ra, and associated with Osiris, the god of death and rebirth. The religious impact on the government brought order to society by building temples, creating laws, taxes, organizing work, trading with neighbors, and defending the interests of the country. Through the laws passed and policies approved were presupposed to represent the gods’ will. It was known that the King was the only one who knew the aspects of the solar cycle. His dominance in religion was related to his central imperative political role for humanity. The king had a superhuman role as a manifestation of one god or various deities on earth, he becomes the character presenting to the gods even though the priests performed the rituals of the temple. It is possible that the offerings scenes and the gods conferring benefits on the king do not represent specific rituals, while the same way the king and gods are portrayed is not directly related to the actual worship services, which are carried out in small cults images, which were kept in the sanctuaries.

In summary, the rich Egyptian religion influences culture, politics, and social life. The Egyptians developed one of the first religions that emphasized the afterlife and were deeply religious. They were more preoccupied with the afterlife than with everyday life. The Egyptians believed that they could enjoy the afterlife. They had her prepared for his death and funeral. For example, they built pyramids and tombs for kings and queens. The main organizing force in Egyptian society was its strong religious component. Religion played a role in almost every aspect of their daily life. When the ancient Egyptians saw times of peace and prosperity, they attributed the success to their deities. They regarded this state as the maat who was Egyptian for the "natural order". The gods and goddesses were representations of the environment that surrounded them and each took care of part of her daily life. Worship of the sun was a critical element in the religious beliefs of the Egyptians, but over time the beliefs of the Egyptians regarding the sun god also changed. Along side their believe for gods and goddesses, the Egyptians pharaoh was considered god and king and the religious power he wielded was as important as political power. The pharaoh was a divine figure in Egyptian society; thus, the importance to worship him. There are other aspects that shaped Egypt beside religion such as economy and power.