FAQs about Egyptian worship

Table of Contents

Frequently Asked Questions

about the

Egyptian Religion

Did the Ancient Egyptians worship animals as gods?

Gods are attested to from the earliest time of Egyptian civilization. A single deity could be represented in human form, in zoomorphic form, or in a mixed animal-human form. Although the animal forms and part human, part animal forms predate human manifestations, it is unlikely that the gods were derived from the Egyptians practiced zoolatry (i.e., worship of animals). Rather, animal forms were probably used to suggest metaphorically something about the characteristics of the god.

To a great extent, gods were patterned after humans--they were born, some died (and were reborn), and they fought among themselves. Yet as much as the god’s behavior resembled human behavior, they were immortal and always superior to humans.

Is there an Egyptian Sacred Book?

Most Egyptian literature has been lost, and what we know of the religion has been put together from many diverse and fragmentary sources. Surviving Egyptian religious literature is written in a symbolist style that is comprehensible after a great deal of study. There are references to a “Book of Thoth” as well as the 42 books of Thoth, but no copies have been found yet. Don't expect the "Book of the dead" to mean much to you right off.

Was the Egyptian religion overly preoccupied with death?

The Egyptians were not afraid of death, realizing that it was as natural as birth. We have an exaggerated idea that the Egyptians were obsessed by death because their funerary structures have endured while other structures, originally much more numerous and conspicuous, have been neglected by the Egyptologists who concentrated with few exceptions, on temples and tombs and not on towns or villages. Living in an adobe style house was much better in a desert environment than a stone building.

Were the Egyptians monotheistic?

No. The Egyptian religion is an unlimited polytheism—not monotheistic (despite the efforts of one king, Akhenaton, who even then wasn’t completely monotheistic. Each town had their own set of Gods and Goddesses while each nome state had theirs and each individual and family worshipped whomever they pleased.

What is Neo-Paganism?

Neo-Paganism is a term used by various modern groups engaged in reviving and restoring the pre-Christian Eurafrican religions. It is also called "Pagan Reconstructionism" (see Margot Adler's "Drawing Down the Moon.").

Why do we need a Church organization?

People who agree about matters, especially about something as important as religion, can help each other greatly by forming an association. A Church offers a study library, priestly assistance in studies, help in performing birth, marriage, and funeral rituals, and companionship. A Church guarantees the regular and correct performance of important rituals to establish and maintain contact with spiritual reality.

Is the Egyptian religion a "goddess" religion?

The ancient religion in theology as well as in practice was completely balanced sexually. Men and women had equally important sacraments, duties, and responsibilities to perform and we keep to that balance as well as we can. Since men did not dominate the ancient Egyptian religion there is no imbalance to be redressed in this age. We have always been and remain balanced.

Isn't tameran or Kemetic the "real" name of the ancient Egyptian religion?

No. There no such words as Tameran or Kemetic in the ancient Egyptian language. Using made-up words based on ancient languages can be useful within a group, but in the public forum they can cause more confusion than communication. CES tries to avoid that kind of jargon wherever possible.

Shouldn't Egyptian gods really be called neters?

In ancient Egypt they were spelled as “neters” or “Netjer”. Rather than explain this to each individual we talk to, the CES generally refer to them as most pagan and nonpagan people do as gods or goddesses.

"Why follow the ancient Egyptian Religion today?

The mystical, devotional and philosophical core of the Egyptian faith is the Eternal Source which we perpetuate. We have carefully evaluated the Egyptian faith and feel that some aspects of it—for example burial practices, which are particular to the ecology of the Nile Valley—are not necessarily appropriate for modern times, whereas the concept and practice in ancient Egypt of Ma’at, eternal balance and order, is appropriate in this day and age. An individual approaching CES and who wants to become involved in Ancient Egypt as intensely and accurately as it is possible in the light of up-to-date modern scholarship will find their expectations completely fulfilled.

Do you ever find it difficult to connect with a religion that is so ancient?

By modern standards almost all religions are ancient so the answer is no. Those who follow the Egyptian path do so with the same ease as everyone else. Although it might seem difficult to find Ancient Egypt anywhere in the modern world except inside yourself: if you look carefully around you, reminders can be found everywhere.

The culture and the religion of Egypt in the past are more readily accessible today than it ever was. Through television, movies, museums, the Internet, and even the grocery store, we have an entire picture of what life was like for the ancient Egyptians from the pharaoh to the lowest worker. In modern Western civilization we pride ourselves on our "Greek and Roman heritage" but the Greeks and after them the Romans assimilated much of the Egyptian culture and religion of the time into their own. There are differences of course, cars instead of camels, the refrigerator and indoor plumbing, but much is still the same; wealthy Egyptians had air conditioning (evaporative cooling towers), and their bathrooms had shower stalls and toilets similar to ours.

The religion of ancient Egypt was different than most modern religions it is true but that is part of the appeal, not detraction. Many people no longer connect with the religion they grew up in-they are looking for something more fulfilling, and many of those people turn to the past for a clearer meaning in their lives. Many of us remember past lives in Ancient Egypt and want to connect with these, and for still others the hymns, private worship, public rituals and festivals with those of like mind are the beginning of a lifelong spiritual commitment and a home. Spiritual values are timeless and as you study the Ancient Egyptian religion; all religions make more sense, for you can trace their roots.