In ancient Egypt worship of gods and goddesses was part of everyday life. As with all civilizations, religion was linked to mythology and spirtual revelations. Much of the religious beliefs centered around the river Nile. Religious practices were also linked to celestial movements - constellations, the sun, the moon, and the planets - which in turn guided their mythologies.
The calendar system of ancient Egypt is unique to both the cosmology of the Egyptians and their religion. Unlike the modern Julian calendar system, with it's 365 days to a year, the Egyptians followed a calendar system of 360 days, with three seasons, each made up of 4 months, with thirty days in each month. The seasons of the Egyptians corresponded with the cycles of the Nile, and were known as Inundation (pronounced akhet which lasted from June 21st to October 21st), Emergence (pronounced proyet which lasted from October 21st to February 21st), and Summer (pronounced shomu which lasted from February 21st to June 21st).
The beginning of the year, also called the opening of the year, was marked by the emergence of the star Sirius, in the constellation of Canis Major. The constellation emerged roughly on June 21st., and was called "the going up of the goddess Sothis". The star was visible just before sunrise, and is still one of the brightest stars in the sky, located to the lower left of Orion and taking the form of the dogs nose in the constellation Canis Major.
Most people describe the belief systems as based on polytheism, or the worship of many deities, except during the reign of the Pharaoh Akenaton.
Around 2,000 years ago, change occurred as people interacted with religious beliefs from other parts of the Mediterranean area, having several parallel and competing orientations causing changes over time.
The Egyptian Temple was considered the home of the god and only members of the priesthood was allowed to enter beyond the outer court. The ordinary worshipper had to stop there, and when he brought offerings, it was taken care of by a priest who carried it into the temple. All temples were surrounded by a wall and in the outside of this there were a hole or a window to which worshippers could come and whisper their prayers or questions or leave a note with some words scribbled on it. The priest who was on duty then took care of the note in order to bring the words in front of the god.
In the remote corners of the land, far away from the great religious centra, the gods were as ardently revered. Maybe offerings were not as lavish, nor the priesthood as many or as prosperous, but in those villages or little towns where there was no temple, a shrine was erected out in the open. It was often taken care of by the community people, perhaps led by a priest currently not doing temple duty, so the services were performed and the gods attended to in due order.
In the homes there were small shrines and very commonly statues of local deities and of Bes and Tawaret, helpers and protectors of children and women, especially for pregnancy and childbirth. Amulets in the form of sacred symbols were in frequent use for a mutitude of purposes
So religion played an important and vital part in daily life and every Egyptian could be said to be a priest even when he made a simple offering like a piece of bread at the family shrine. There were gods for almost every aspect of life, even down to the most common of chores, like putting on your makeup. The people relied on the gods being honoured and attended to every day in all the temples, so the priesthood was vital to the survival of Egypt. A society without gods was unthinkable to the Egyptian mind. That would upset the law of Ma¥at which wold mean that life itself was threatened.
Religion was further characterized by three main aspects:
The Egyptians had many gods and goddesses - the number varying. Some gods - such as Amun, were worshipped throughout the whole country, while others had only a local following. Often gods and goddesses were represented as part human and part animal. The people built statues of the Gods and Goddesses and adorned their walls with their likenesses.
They believed that the Pharaoh or King was a link between them and their many Gods and Goddesses.
From the moment of his birth the Pharaoh was groomed and trained for his role. Every aspect of his life was associated with his journey. He was taught spells and incantations to secure a safe passage, many of which are collected in the Book of the Dead and the Pyramid Text.
The chain of command in Egypt was unbroken. Each King or Pharaoh was considered a renewal of the covenant which the gods made with man. The deceased King - lived on in spirit as he made his way back to the beginning, to the First Time. His son, the new Horus King, took over his place as surely as the dead King has taken his own, and ensured the continuation of the Great House.
It was only in the Armana period - the time of Akhnaton that monotheism existed with the belief in an a sun God named Aten - who no one was able to see - nor depict in image of the time. Akhnaton was overthrown and all of his teachings destroyed as the people went back to their old belief systems.
Today, according to the constitution, Islam is the official religion of Egypt. The Egyptian people have a large sense of piety and are devout followers of their adhered religions. Egypt is predominantly Muslim, covering about 94% most belonging to the Sunni branch of Islam.
Christians represent about 6% of the population, primarily the Coptic denomination, though other Christian groups are present, including standard Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Orthodox, in Alexandria and Cairo, whose adherents are mainly descendants of Italian, Greek, and Armenian immigrants.
There are also some few, small Jewish communities that are numbered as few as 300 Egyptians.
There are also many who consider themselves as atheists, agnostics, and skeptics, although their numbers can not be identified.
The mainstream Hanafi school of Sunni Islam is largely organised by the state, through Wizaret Al-Awkaf (Ministry of Religious Affairs). Al-Awkaf controls all mosques and Muslim clerics. Imams are trained in Imam vocational schools and at Al-Azhar University. The department supports Sunni Islam and has commissions authorised to give Fatwa judgements on Islamic issues.
Egypt also hosts two major religious institutions. Al-Azhar University is the oldest Islamic institution for higher studies (founded around 970 CE), with its corresponding mosque Al-Azhar. Egypt also has a strong Christian heritage as it is the home of the Coptic Orthodox Church headed by the Patriarch of Alexandria, which has a following of approximately 50 million Christians worldwide.
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