SS 7 – Unit 1-1



SS 7 – Ancient Egypt 04

- Ancient Egyptian Religion

Ancient Egyptian Religion and Art

Religion is the specific beliefs of a certain group of people and it has always played an important part in human history. Today, there are three major forms of religion that believe in a common, single god; Christianity, Judaism and Islam (Muslim) (they differ only in their teachings, but share many of the same prophets, such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus).

Religions that believe in a single god are called monotheism religions (mono meaning “one”). There are other religions in the world that believe in multiple or lots of different gods, these types of religions are called polytheisms (poly meaning “many”). Like many ancient religions, the Ancient Egyptians were a polytheistic society, meaning that they worshiped many gods. In fact, the Ancient Egyptians believed in over 100 gods, gods that were responsible for everything from the goddess Isis, the goddess of love and wisdom, to Thoth, the god of learning and writing. It seemed as if the Egyptians had a god for just about everything.

For the most part, Egyptian gods were thought to have animal forms and animal-like qualities, such as the strength of a bull or the bravery of a lion. Eventually, Egyptian gods would take the form of part human, part animal and this can be seen in the many depictions, or drawings that exist today. Most cities in Ancient Egypt would also often adopt or take a god, for example the god of Amun was the god of the ancient Egyptian city Thebes. This is similar to how certain cities, even today, have “patron saints” or religious figures that represent or have adopted as their own.

Many religions “evolve” or change and adapt over time. Ancient Egypt was no different. The ancient god Amun was eventually combined with the ancient god of Re (the sun-god) to form the single god: Amun-Re.

The Egyptian idea that they could live beyond death would lead to their whole science of mummification and this originated with religious myths. Many archeologists believe that this idea of life after death, which is common among many religions, originated for the Egyptians with the story of Osiris. Osiris was the Egyptian god of the dead and he always appeared in mummy form. When he was killed by this brother, the god “Set”, Osiris was re-born. Soon, all Egyptians began to believe that they too could live again after death if they only preserved their bodies as Osiris did.

Temples are monuments or a series of buildings that are used to honor specific gods and serve to focus attention on a particular god or religion. A modern-day temple would be the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican Square, Italy. The Egyptians had many temples, all built at the command of the many pharaohs. Like modern monasteries, these temples were huge estates and came equipped with schools, workshops, granaries and libraries, but only the most devoted or most religiously schooled people were allowed into the heart of the temples.

We know a lot about Egyptian art today because of the beautifully detailed paintings and exquisite hand-crafted sculptures left behind in the tombs of the pharaohs. All religions have a history of great art. It has been a way to both inspire and spread their particular belief. For example, Egyptian artists were hired to decorate the walls of the temples for their gods, just as Michelangelo was hired by the Catholic Church to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

The Egyptians were quick to make use of symbolism, or the practice of using images or sculptures to promote the idea that what they believed was the truth. All religions in the world today use symbolism to promote their ideas. A character in their particular religion is portrayed as being heroic or divine so that people are more inclined to believe that they are different, or special. For example, the Egyptian god “Baset” was depicted as part fierce Lioness and part woman in order to promote the idea the she was not only the defender of Egypt, but also the motherly protector of the pharaoh.

When drawing people, Egyptians used a two-point or 2D perspective. This means that there is no three dimensional perspective. Egyptian art shows only height and width, there is no depth. The idea of perspective or 3D drawing will not come into fashion until the Renaissance or the time period known as the 15th and 16th century. Because when you look at people you see height, width and depth, Egyptian art figures look more like flat cartoon characters than real people.

Egyptians reached a highly advanced level of sculpture as well. Beautiful figures sculpted from wood, ivory, bronze and gold have been found in tombs. One of the most famous sculptures in the world is the Ancient Egyptian bust of the “Head of Nefertiti, and one of the most famous architectural pieces of art known as the “Great Sphinx of Giza”.

SS 7 – Ancient Egypt 04

- Ancient Egyptian Religion

Ancient Egyptian Religion and Art

Directions: READ the handout entitled ”Ancient Egyptian Religion and Art” and then answer the following questions;

1. Use your textbook, the internet or a dictionary to provide definitions for the following terms; (1 mk each)

Polytheism Evolve Mummification

Monuments Symbolism Renaissance

2. On a separate piece of paper, answer the following questions using COMPLETE

SENTENCES;

a. In your own words, describe the Ancient Egyptian religion. List and describe 2 ancient Egyptian Gods? (2 mks for quality of response and inclusion of details)

b. In your own words, describe the inspiration or origins of the Egyptian believe of life after death. What was the specific name given to the science of preserving bodies for the afterlife? (2 mks for the quality of your response and evidence of thought and effort)

c. In your own words, describe how the Egyptians used art and architecture to promote its religion. Can you describe an example of a modern religion that does the same thing. (2 mks for quality of response and inclusion of details)

3. Use the internet to find 5 images of famous Egyptian art or Architecture. For each image provide a brief description of what it is and how it was used as well as providing the internet link as to where you found the image and information.

You will be marked out of 5 for your ability to create a list of 5 images with quality descriptions.

Total: ____ /17

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[pic]

Egyptian God Amun-Re

Polytheism – the opposite of monotheism. It is the belief in MANY gods, not in just a single god.

Evolve – to change or adapt over time.

Mummification – the science and practice of preserving dead bodies in the belief that it will allow their “souls” to travel to the afterlife.

[pic]

Egyptian God Osiris

[pic]

Egyptian Temple of Rames

Monuments – buildings or temples that are used to commemorate people, gods or dramatic events in human history.

Symbolism – is the practice of using images or sculptures to promote an idea or a specific religious belief.

Renaissance – the time period in human history that is known for the “rebirth” of human ideas and art after the Dark Ages.

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