Religion And Ethical Behavior In Ancient Egypt

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Ancient Egypt can be characterized by its extreme devotion to religion and the afterlife, which had a profound effect on shaping its people, as well as the many aspects of its society. The Egyptians were faithful to, and strictly worshipped their many gods, all of who prescribed the fundamental basis for political and ethical behavior in Egyptian culture. Because of the importance of religion in their society, Egypt’s people practiced moralistically whole conduct in hopes of achieving a peaceful afterlife. There were gods assigned to nearly every element of the natural and philosophical Egyptian world. For instance, there is “Thmè,” the goddess of “truth and judgement” who often played a role in the Last Judgement, and “Hȃpi, the god of the Nile” who was responsible for the flow of the Nile river (Bonwick). This meant, when a harvest was widely unsuccessful, or disease plagued the country causing death and destruction, or enemies obliterated cities, egyptians would not hesitate to “ascribe” their misfortune to “ungodliness.” The Egyptian people …show more content…
The pharaoh was considered an “earthly god,” and as a part of his role, he ultimately interpreted the concept of maat alongside the preisthood. Maat was “brought into being” by a primordial god, and was consistently “refreshed or restored” by the king. He translated the will of the gods, and had the chief responsibility of maintaining ethical behavior and optimistic religious attitude in his kingdom. He orchestrated the building of temples for the gods, and saw to their upkeep, and also ensured that “offering tables” were consistently “replenished.” He “drove out disorder” and guided his people towards a moral lifestyle, which “preserved” maat for his community (Morenz). The king associated the “state with god” and ensured his people were “impelled” to practice “earthly virtues” to secure a happy future at “the hand of the deities”
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