The lotus flower was a popular symbol of rebirth and resurrection in ancient Egypt. The lotus is an aquatic plant, and its flower closes and sinks underwater at night. In the morning, it re-emerges above the surface and opens again. Consequently, the lotus symbol became richly associated with the sun, resurrection, and birth themes. In later Egyptian mythology, the lotus became associated with Osiris, and the four sons of Horus are frequently depicted standing on a lotus in front of Osiris.
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Bes was a protective deity without temples and formal centers of worship, but the archaeological record indicates that he was extremely popular in the later Dynastic Period. Amulets of Bes were worn in life, especially by women and children, and he was thought to play an important role in protecting mother and child during birth. Imagery of Bes is unusual for Egyptian art because he is almost invariably portrayed head-on, facing the viewer rather than in profile. This rendering emphasizes his fe ...click for details
In later Egyptian mythology, the jackal-headed deity Anubis was identified as the god of embalming, the process of preparing a body for mummification. Ancient Egyptians believed that preserving the body was critical to ensuring an afterlife for the deceased; Anubis was responsible for protecting the body and ensuring that the mummification process preserved it so that the spirit would have a functional body to use in the afterlife. According to later legend, Anubis was the son of Osiris and Neph ...click for details
Beginning in the Middle Kingdom, the ancient Egyptians were buried with small human statues called shabtis. These figures were to serve as servants in the afterlife, performing any work necessary so that the deceased could enjoy eternity in peace. This was accomplished by inscribing Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead on the shabti, which reads: "O shabti, if the deceased is called upon to do any of the work required there in the necropolis at any time...you shall say, 'Here I am, I will ...click for details
Beginning in the Middle Kingdom, the ancient Egyptians were buried with small human statues called shabtis. These figures were to serve as servants in the afterlife, performing any work necessary so that the deceased could enjoy eternity in peace. This was accomplished by inscribing Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead on the shabti, which reads: "O shabti, if the deceased is called upon to do any of the work required there in the necropolis at any time...you shall say, 'Here I am, I will ...click for details
Beginning in the Middle Kingdom, the ancient Egyptians were buried with small human statues called shabtis. These figures were to serve as servants in the afterlife, performing any work necessary so that the deceased could enjoy eternity in peace. This was accomplished by inscribing Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead on the shabti, which reads: "O shabti, if the deceased is called upon to do any of the work required there in the necropolis at any time...you shall say, 'Here I am, I will ...click for details
The scarab held special significance for the Egyptians as a representation of the the creator and solar deity, Khepri. The scarab beetle rolls its eggs in a ball of dung along the ground, which the Egyptians held as symbolic of Khepri pushing the sun across the sky. As baby beetles were seen to emerge from the dung, scarabs were thought capable of spontaneous creation, further linking them to Khepri through his function as a creator god. From the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055-1650 BC) onward, the scar ...click for details
Thutmose (or Thutmosis) III was one of Egypt's most celebrated pharaohs. He ruled during the 18th Dynasty from 1504-1450 B.C., early in the New Kingdom period. Egypt had previously been an insular, xenophobic society, but the intrusion of the Hyksos peoples into the Nile delta during the 2nd Intermediate Period brought updated technology and awareness of the wealth that was available in the outside world. Accordingly, the early New Kingdom pharaohs focused on driving out the Hyksos and conqu ...click for details
Tradition dictates that the Coptic Church in Egypt is based upon the teachings of St. Mark, one of the original disciples who supposedly visited Egypt around 50 A.D. Christianity took hold easily in Egypt, largely as a result of existing Egyptian religious beliefs that meshed well with Christian doctrine (e.g., the resurrection of Osiris and the holy trinity of Osiris, Isis, and Horus). The Coptic Church was more or less exiled from the Western Christian church due to its emphasis on monastic li ...click for details
Beginning in the Middle Kingdom, the ancient Egyptians were buried with small human statues called shabtis. These figures were to serve as servants in the afterlife, performing any work necessary so that the deceased could enjoy eternity in peace. This was accomplished by inscribing Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead on the shabti, which reads: "O shabti, if the deceased is called upon to do any of the work required there in the necropolis at any time...you shall say, 'Here I am, I will ...click for details
