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• The religious beliefs, stories and rituals of Ancient Egypt are understood today because of the dedication with which the Egyptians documented and preserved their practices. What began as a series of "regional cults" during the "Predynastic" period was eventually codified and recorded as a set pantheon of deities and collection of rituals and practices during the time known as the "Old Kingdom," from around 2686 BC to 2134 BC. These beliefs held some sway in Egypt from around 3100 BC until the spread of early Christianity and Islam in the first few centuries of the Common Era.

• Fast Facts

  1. Water was believed to be the first creation
  2. Gods/Goddesses were part human and part animal
  3. 5 separate local belief groups were formed
  4. Ra was considered the God of the Sun
  5. Elaborate funerals were an essential part of the belief system
  6. Many of the rituals used to transition from life to the afterlife can be found within the Book of the Dead

• Afterlife

  Egyptians were very concerned with the afterlife, believing that the deceased lived on for eternity. They followed a certain set of spells and rituals that can now be found within the Book of the Dead. Their belief of eternal life after death meant they needed to preserve the bodies of the dead. In order do this they practiced the techniques of embalming and mummification.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Egypt | Egyptian Gods | Egyptian Goddesses | Pyramids | Pharaohs | Christianity | Egyptian Book Of The Dead | Osiris | Isis | Anubis | Bastet | Horus | Maat | Tomb | Mummification | Cats | Hieroglyphics | Judaism | Cairo | The Nile River

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