The Egyptian Religious Hierarchy refers to the religious mythology going through generation to generation. The most important thing for an Ancient Egyptian was his Religion which was immensely influenced by Egyptian traditions and which became the major reason for their resistance of approving a change.
The Egyptian Religion was Many God Religion means it was Polytheistic. Egyptian Religious Hierarchy hosted and included roughly about more than Seven Hundred different Gods as well as Goddesses.
Along with Gods and Goddesses, Egyptian Religious Hierarchy also includes Divine Kingship tradition which emphasizes that Pharaoh was not only a Political Leader or a King but was also among the Gods.
The Pharaoh was even considered to be the Horus, son of the Sun God, Amun Ra. The order of the Pharaoh was the ultimate final one and no human being was allowed ever to question that. Whatever was said by the Pharaoh was like a God’s voice to the people.
Egyptian Religious Hierarchy also showcases the concept of death and thus the Afterlife very strongly and this thinking of Egyptians had a great impact in our history. According to them human beings are possessed with a life force which when present made a person alive and when it left the human body, it concluded death.
As life force needed drink and food for its sustenance, same way food and drinks were also required after life by this life force. They termed this life force as Ka. They even preserved the body of Pharaoh and hence stared Mummification. This belief of them made such a huge contribution in Ancient Monument Hierarchy like Pyramids and Mummies.
But Still the up most Religious conception in the Egyptian Religious Hierarchy remains the Gods and the Goddesses which include Anubis, Horus, Isis, Bast, Geb, Hathor, Neith, Ma’at, Osiris, Ra, Seth, Thoth, Kneph, Monthu, Anput, Anuke, Apophis, Aten, Khonsu, Mafdet and many more among the 700 deities of Egyptian Religion. Some of the major Gods and Goddesses are described below:
- Anubis: Anubis is considered as funerary deity. He is the God of the death and life’s judgment.
- Isis: One of the prominent Goddess, Isis is the Goddess of marriage, magic, motherhood and of healing capabilities. She is the mother of Horus and wife as well as sister to Osiris.
- Osiris: Osiris, husband of Isis, was among most powerful Gods. He was the God of Underworld and Afterlife.
- Ra/ Amun Ra: Amun Ra normally referred as Ra is the God of the Sun. He is also termed as Akmun Rah. He was the God’s king until God Osiris took over the throne.
- Geb: The supreme God of Earth is referred as the Geb.
- Horus: Horus is the God of Sky, Falcons and of War. He is the son of Isis and Osiris.
- Bast: Bast is a Goddess having head of a lion. According to Egyptian Mythology this Goddess is responsible for bringing disasters like plague and many more when angry.
- Nut: Nut was the Goddess of the stars and sky and she was also considered as the mother of all of the Goddesses and Gods who appeared after her.
- Shu: Shu is the Goddess of air and wind.
- Khonsu: Khonsu is the God of Moon.