/ World of Pyramids

1. Why were the pyramids built? The ancient Egyptians revered the pharaoh as a god. The land of Egypt belonged to him. He, as a god, only allowed his subjects to live on it and cultivate it. The Egyptians believed that a special spirit emanated from the pharaoh. life force like light and warmth from the sun. It is no coincidence that the title of the pharaoh necessarily included the name of one of the sun gods. The name of the pharaoh himself also necessarily included the name of God. For example, many pharaohs of Egypt bore the name Ramses. It means born of Ra. Ra was the sun god in Egypt.

The pharaoh, according to the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, was supposed to live forever. Upon ascending the throne, he immediately began to take care of his “life after death” and ordered the construction of a “house of eternity” for himself - a tomb. Pharaohs Ancient kingdom built themselves tombs in the form of stone pyramids.

The most ancient pyramids were stepped. The steps of such a pyramid formed a staircase along which the pharaoh, as the ancient Egyptians believed, after death could ascend to the sky, where the gods were supposed to reside.

Later, the steps of the pyramids began to be covered with stones. Each side of the pyramid formed a huge smooth triangle. The pyramid was lined with limestone slabs, and its top was covered with shiny stone or gold leaf. The peak shone dazzlingly in the sun. The sides of the pyramid seemed like giant rays with which the sun god connected heaven and earth.

2. How the pyramids were built. The greatest structures are the three pyramids near the modern capital of Egypt, Cairo. The largest of them is the pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops, about 147 m high. It is made of two million three hundred stone blocks. Each block weighed almost two and a half tons. The pyramid was built over decades by many thousands of people. Previously, scientists assumed that slaves did this. But this never happened in Ancient Egypt large number slaves The builders of the pyramids were mainly Egyptian peasants. They worked on the construction of the pyramids in the months free from field work.

The pyramids could not be built without professional craftsmen - architects, masons, who drew up work plans, calculations, and supervised the laying of blocks. The blocks were fitted very tightly to each other without a binding solution. The skill of the pyramid builders was so perfect that their creations have been standing for more than four and a half thousand years. No wonder in ancient times they said: “Everyone is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the pyramids.” The pyramids were considered the first of the seven wonders of the world. The peace of the great pyramids is guarded by the sphinx. The Sphinx is a gigantic figure with the body of a lion and the head of a man in the attire of a pharaoh. Later, pharaohs and queens began to be buried in huge tombs carved into the rocks.

3. How the dead were prepared for eternal life. The Egyptians believed that death opened the way for a person to eternal life in the afterlife. For a safe stay in kingdom of the dead the body of the deceased was embalmed so that it would not be subject to decay. To do this, the entrails were removed from the body. Then he was kept in a special solution for 70 days. After this, the body was soaked in balms, resins, incense, and wrapped in linen bandages. A mask was placed on the face, reproducing the features of the deceased. The result was a mummy - non-decomposing dead body. Then the mummy was placed in a sarcophagus - a coffin made in the form human body, and buried in a tomb. Objects that a person might need in the afterlife were placed in the tomb.

In 1922, the English archaeologist Carter discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. Pharaoh died young. Many were found in the tomb beautiful objects- furniture, boat models, jewelry, vessels, weapons. Enormous wealth accompanied the young pharaoh to the afterlife. The pharaoh's mummy was enclosed in four sarcophagi. The outer sarcophagus was made of stone. The last, inner, sarcophagus was made of pure gold. The face on the sarcophagus is depicted very carefully, and we can imagine what Tutankhamun looked like during his life. When the last sarcophagus was opened, a small bouquet of wildflowers was found on the mummy. This was not part of the burial custom, but it was a very sign of love. loved one, maybe the young wife of the pharaoh...

4. Pyramid of power. All residents of Egypt had to obey the pharaoh unquestioningly. Even the most noble of them fell prostrate before him and glorified his greatness with the words: “May the lord do as he pleases, for we breathe air only by his grace.” To govern the country, the pharaoh appointed a chief minister - a vizier, and ministers who ruled Upper and Lower Egypt. A special minister was in charge of the country's food reserves. Many officials of different ranks reported to the ministers. Officials managed cities, towns, and construction work.

A very important matter for officials was the collection of taxes and taxes, which were handed over in kind - grain, food, livestock, and handicrafts. Residents of Egypt also performed established labor duties. They were required to participate in public works in the construction of canals and other structures.

To perform the duties of an official, one had to be able to write and read. Scribes in the eyes of the people were very important people. They provided local power. Scribes kept records of taxes and duties, and often held court.

Why are the pyramids considered one of the wonders of the world?

1. Why were the pyramids built? The ancient Egyptians revered the pharaoh as a god. The land of Egypt belonged to him. He, as a god, only allowed his subjects to live on it and cultivate it.

The Egyptians believed that a special vital force emanated from the pharaoh, like light and heat from the sun. It is no coincidence that the title of the pharaoh necessarily included the name of one of the sun gods. The name of the pharaoh himself also necessarily included the name of God. For example, many pharaohs of Egypt bore the name Ramses. It means "born of Ra." Ra was the sun god in Egypt.

The pharaoh, according to the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, was supposed to live forever. Upon ascending the throne, he immediately began to take care of his “life after death” and ordered the construction of a “house of eternity” for himself - a tomb. The pharaohs of the Old Kingdom built themselves tombs in the form of stone pyramids.

The most ancient pyramids were stepped. The steps of such a pyramid formed a staircase along which the pharaoh, as the ancient Egyptians believed, after death could ascend to the sky, where the gods were supposed to reside.

Remember which ancient peoples had stepped temples.

The pyramid was built over decades by many thousands of people. Previously, scientists assumed that slaves did this. But ancient Egypt never had such a large number of slaves. The builders of the pyramids were mainly Egyptian peasants. They worked on the construction of the pyramids in the months free from field work.

The pyramids could not be built without professional craftsmen - architects, masons, who drew up work plans, calculations, and supervised the laying of blocks. The blocks were fitted very tightly to each other without a binding solution. The skill of the pyramid builders was so perfect that their creations have been standing for more than four and a half thousand years. No wonder they said in ancient times: “Everything is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the pyramids.” The pyramids were considered the first of the seven wonders of the world.

The peace of the great pyramids is guarded by the sphinx. The Sphinx is a gigantic figure with the body of a lion and the head of a man in the attire of a pharaoh. Later, pharaohs and queens began to be buried in huge tombs carved into the rocks.

Think about what knowledge was required to build the pyramids.

3. How the dead were prepared for eternal life. The Egyptians believed that death opened the way for a person to eternal life in the afterlife. To stay in the kingdom of the dead, a person needs a body into which his soul will again inhabit. To prevent the body from decaying, it was carefully embalmed. To do this, the entrails were removed from the body, kept in a special solution for 70 days, then soaked in balms, resins, incense and wrapped in linen bandages. A mask was placed on the face, reproducing the features of the deceased. The result was a mummy - a non-decomposing dead body. The mummy was then placed in a sarcophagus - a coffin made in the shape of a human figure - and buried in the tomb. Objects that a person might need in the afterlife were placed in the tomb.

Great Sphinx and the pyramid of Cheops

A priest in a mask of the god Anubis (the patron saint of embalming) embalms the deceased

^^ In 1922, the English archaeologist Carter discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. Pharaoh died young. Many beautiful objects were found in the tomb - furniture, boat models, jewelry, vessels, weapons. The pharaoh's mummy was enclosed in four sarcophagi. The outer sarcophagus was made of stone. The last, inner sarcophagus was made of pure gold. The face on the sarcophagus is depicted very carefully, and we can imagine what Tutankhamun looked like during his lifetime. When the last sarcophagus was opened, a small bouquet of wildflowers was found on the mummy. This was not part of the burial custom, but perhaps it was a sign of love for the pharaoh’s young wife...

handicrafts. Residents of Egypt were required to participate in public works in the construction of canals and other structures.

To perform the duties of an official, one had to be able to write and read. Scribes were very important people in the eyes of the people. They represented local authorities. Scribes kept records of taxes and duties, and often held court.

Pyramid social order Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian inscription about the activities of the vizier

The vizier, listening in his hall, must sit in a high chair during the reception. There should be a carpet on the floor, pillows behind his back, a pillow and under his feet. He has a stick in his hands, 40 leather scrolls of laws are unrolled in front of him. The nobles stand in front of him on both sides, the head of the office on the right,

the speaker is on the left, the secretaries are nearby - everyone is in their place. Each must be heard in turn... the vizier is informed about the fortresses of the south and north. He is reported about everything leaving the royal house and about everything entering there... high officials report to him about their activities. He must enter the pharaoh before the chief treasurer, who must wait for him at the northern façade... The vizier calls local officials and dispatches them...

Highlight key words in the text that indicate responsibilities

1. Why did the pharaohs build pyramids for themselves during their lifetime?

2. How and who built the pyramids? 3. What is the tradition of mummifying the dead connected with? 4. Why was the power of the pharaoh limitless? 5. What was the main source of state income in Ancient Egypt?

1. Think about what knowledge was required to build the pyramids. 2. What could make the pharaoh resort to punishing the official with a whip or exile? 3. Highlight common features in the administration of Ancient Egypt and Babylon. 4. For the proposed list of words, select a generalizing concept: a) pyramid, temple, palace of the pharaoh; b) Great Sphinx, bust of a queen, ancient Egyptian figurine of a nobleman.

Why did no other people of antiquity pay such close attention to the afterlife as the Egyptians? Is it true that for them death was a continuation of life?

The inhabitants of Ancient Egypt would have spoken about the meaning of existence something like this: “You live to die. And you die to live." For the Egyptians, death was a continuation of earthly existence; a deceased person, they believed, had the same needs and desires as a living person. The tomb, the “house of eternity,” was arranged so that there would be plenty of everything there. And for the future resurrection of a person, it was necessary to preserve his body - that is, mummify it.

The confession was part of a complex of magical texts that were written on a linen or papyrus scroll and placed in the tomb. In modern times, these texts became widely known under the name "Book of the Dead", although the Egyptians themselves called them "Exit of the Day". In one of the fragments of this book, Anubis, the god of embalming with the body of a man and the head of a jackal, leads the deceased into the courtroom, where Osiris is seated on the throne. There are also scales there. The heart of the deceased is placed on one bowl, and on the other is a feather, a symbol of Maat, the goddess of truth and justice. The god of writing, Thoth with the head of an ibis, writes down the result. If the scales remained in balance, it means that the person’s heart is “empty of all evil” and he will be allowed to continue life in other world; however, if the heart, burdened with evil, outweighed, then the deceased was swallowed by the “devourer of the dead” - a monstrous chimera with a crocodile’s mouth, the body of a lion and back hippopotamus - and he died a second time, this time completely.

How the afterlife was imagined (in Egyptian “dat” - “that which is below”) during the XVIII-XX dynasties (1500-1000 BC), the paintings on the walls of the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings show. In the center of “Amduat” (a collection of magical texts and drawings “On what is in the underworld”) the boat of Ra, the sun god, is depicted. At the end of the day, in the guise of an old man, he descends into the Lower World, where during the twelve hours of the night he becomes younger and the next morning rises again in the east. The boat on which Ra floats is led along the underground river by the gods. At the same time, Ra is exposed to a great many dangers, because the entire Lower World is infested with snakes hostile to the solar god. One of them, the terrible serpent Apep, threatens to drink all the water from the underground river or set fire to the god's ship. Therefore, every night Ra’s assistants and guides have to engage in battle with Apep, using spears, knives, arrows and bows.

The Valley Festival, popular during the New Kingdom, could tell a lot about the Egyptians’ attitude to death. On this day, relatives came to the tomb and solemnly commemorated the deceased. And since the Egyptians did not consider death to be a “final” event, the celebration was fun. People wore their best clothes and long wigs; they had bouquets of lotus flowers in their hands, wreaths of leaves on their necks, and their wigs were also decorated with fragrant lotus buds. The guests drank wine and beer, ate and remembered the deceased. Girls in long linen robes or wearing only a narrow belt around their hips danced to the sound of castanets. And the musicians played harps and sang about the frailty of everything earthly in the face of endless existence:

“Follow your heart boldly! Give bread to the poor so that your name remains beautiful forever! Have a happy day! Think of the hour when you will be taken to the land where the gods take people. There is no one there to take their wealth with them. And there is no return from there."

He, as a god, only allowed his subjects to live on it and cultivate it. The Egyptians believed that a special vital force emanated from the pharaoh, like light and heat from the sun. It is no coincidence that the title of the pharaoh necessarily included the name of one of the sun gods. The name of the pharaoh himself also necessarily included the name of God. For example, many pharaohs of Egypt bore the name Ramses. It means born of Ra. Ra was the sun god in Egypt.

The pharaoh, according to the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, was supposed to live forever. Upon ascending the throne, he immediately began to take care of his “life after death” and ordered the construction of a “house of eternity” for himself - a tomb. The pharaohs of the Old Kingdom built themselves tombs in the form of stone pyramids.

The most ancient pyramids were stepped. The steps of such a pyramid formed a staircase along which the pharaoh, as the ancient Egyptians believed, after death could ascend to the sky, where the gods were supposed to reside.

Later, the steps of the pyramids began to be covered with stones. Each side of the pyramid formed a huge smooth triangle. The pyramid was lined with limestone slabs, and its top was covered with shiny stone or gold leaf. The peak shone dazzlingly in the sun. The sides of the pyramid seemed like giant rays with which the sun god connected heaven and earth.

2. How the pyramids were built. The greatest structures are the three pyramids near the modern capital of Egypt, Cairo. The largest of them is the pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops, about 147 m high. It is made of two million three hundred stone blocks. Each block weighed almost two and a half tons. The pyramid was built over decades by many thousands of people. Previously, scientists assumed that slaves did this. But ancient Egypt never had such a large number of slaves. The builders of the pyramids were mainly Egyptian peasants. They worked on the construction of the pyramids in the months free from field work.

The pyramids could not have been built without professional craftsmen - architects, masons who drew up work plans, calculations, and supervised the laying of blocks. The blocks were fitted very tightly to each other without a binding solution. The skill of the pyramid builders was so perfect that their creations have been standing for more than four and a half thousand years. No wonder in ancient times they said: “Everyone is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the pyramids.” The pyramids were considered the first of the seven wonders of the world. The peace of the great pyramids is guarded by the sphinx. The Sphinx is a gigantic figure with the body of a lion and the head of a man in the attire of a pharaoh. Later, pharaohs and queens began to be buried in huge tombs carved into the rocks.

3. How the dead were prepared for eternal life.

Egyptians They believed that death opened the way for a person to eternal life in the afterlife. For a safe stay in the kingdom of the dead, the body of the deceased was embalmed so that it would not be subject to decay. To do this, the entrails were removed from the body. Then he was kept in a special solution for 70 days. After this, the body was soaked in balms, resins, incense, and wrapped in linen bandages. A mask was placed on the face, reproducing the features of the deceased. The result was a mummy - a non-decomposing dead body. The mummy was then placed in a sarcophagus - a coffin made in the shape of a human body - and buried in the tomb. Objects that a person might need in the afterlife were placed in the tomb.

In 1922, the English archaeologist Carter discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. Pharaoh died young. Many beautiful objects were found in the tomb - furniture, boat models, jewelry, vessels, weapons. Enormous wealth accompanied the young pharaoh to the afterlife. The pharaoh's mummy was enclosed in four sarcophagi. The outer sarcophagus was made of stone. The last, inner, sarcophagus was made of pure gold. The face on the sarcophagus is depicted very carefully, and we can imagine what Tutankhamun looked like during his lifetime. When the last sarcophagus was opened, a small bouquet of wildflowers was found on the mummy. This was not part of the burial custom, but was a sign of the love of a very close person, perhaps the young wife of the pharaoh...

4. Pyramid of power.

All residents of Egypt had to obey the pharaoh unquestioningly. Even the most noble of them fell prostrate before him and glorified his greatness with the words: “May the lord do as he pleases, for we breathe air only by his grace.” To govern the country, the pharaoh appointed a chief minister - the vizier, and ministers who ruled Upper and Lower Egypt. A special minister was in charge of the country's food reserves. Many officials of different ranks reported to the ministers. Officials managed cities, towns, and construction work.

A very important matter for officials was the collection of taxes and taxes, which were donated in kind - grain, food, livestock, handicrafts. Residents of Egypt also performed established labor duties. They were required to participate in public works in the construction of canals and other structures.

To perform the duties of an official, one had to be able to write and read. Scribes were very important people in the eyes of the people. They provided local power. Scribes kept records of taxes and duties, and often held court.

IN AND. Ukolova, L.P. Marinovich, History, 5th grade
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What did the Egyptians think about their country? The Egyptians had a lot of myths, and the ones you came across in this book are only a small part of them. Many ancient tales simply have not reached us; from others only a few phrases remain. But this is enough to imagine how rich the stock of myths, legends, and fairy tales was in Egypt. No one now believes that there is Osiris, Horus and Set, Ra, that gods once lived on earth. For the ancient Egyptians, myths were the real truth, moreover, many myths were supposed to be known only to a certain group of people. And the Egyptians themselves lived in fairy tale world, By at least, they thought so.

Let's start with the fact that the Egyptians imagined their country as the center of the whole world. And the world itself was very small for them. At the center of this world was the Nile, flowing from south to north, and along its banks lay fertile land. Peace and law reigned in Egypt, and the rest of the countries, as the Egyptians thought, were ignorant and pitiful. Only Egypt was the best and “correct” country, so the people of Egypt called it their beloved land. All around was a foreign, hostile country, a world of chaos. The Egyptians were accustomed to the idea that Egypt was a regular country, and when they saw, for example, a river that did not flow from south to north like the Nile, but on the contrary, they considered such a river to be “wrong water.”

The living god is Pharaoh. The Egyptians believed that the gods were constantly in their country, that Egypt itself was ruled by a living god - the pharaoh. The king of Egypt (pharaoh) was considered the son of the sun god Ra, and he was also considered the young god Horus. The Egyptians greatly revered their ruler. They believed that the king was fighting all the black forces that could destroy Egypt and the world. The king is the son of the sun, a living god, guarding the world order. He made sure that the laws that were written for the people were followed. On his behalf, the court sentence was pronounced; on his orders, criminals were caught, punished and rewarded. It was believed that all sacrifices to the gods that were made in Egypt should be made by the king. He made a sacrifice to the god of the Nile, and when the time came, he threw a papyrus scroll into the waters of the Nile with an order for the flood to begin. People thought that without this the Nile might not have overflowed.

The king built temples for the gods, and tombs for his eternal life. These were majestic pyramids, and later - large, decorated tombs carved into the rocks. For this concern, the gods protected and protected Egypt. It was believed: the larger the king’s tomb or pyramid, the longer the memory of him will live and the longer the king (even a long-dead one) will protect and preserve Egypt.

Pharaoh prayed to the gods and asked them to protect Egypt, and they revealed their will to him in a dream or through prophets. The gods, for the gifts that the king presented to them, helped him, gave Egypt a good harvest, warded off diseases and droughts, and made sure that the Nile flooded on time.

When the king, by decision of the gods, went to war in order to expand the borders of Egypt - the best country in the world, the gods protected him. They helped him fight and crushed his enemies to dust. God Amon Ra even addressed the pharaoh with the following speech:

“Says Amun-Ra, lord of Karnak... I have bound the Nubians in tens of thousands And the northerners in hundreds of thousands of prisoners.

They come with offerings on their backs, Bending before your majesty At my command.” The life of the “living god” - Pharaoh was not easy. He was obliged to strictly follow customs and rules. His whole day was planned minute by minute, the pharaoh had to strictly follow the established rules, otherwise disaster could happen. He was surrounded by luxury and great amount courtiers and servants who carried out any order of the “living god”. Pharaoh followed everything that happened in Egypt. The real name of the pharaoh was forbidden to be pronounced; he was called “feather” - “", that is, a palace. (this is where the word “pharaoh” comes from). In total, the pharaoh had five names, and when they were written on the walls of temples or in papyrus, these names were placed in a special frame, a cartouche, so that even the written name could not be touched by evil forces.

After his death, the pharaoh immediately went to heaven to the gods and there he traveled across the sky together with the sun god Ra in his boat. They buried the pharaohs with great luxury and built funeral temples for them, so that the rulers of Egypt would not leave their country even after death.

Priests and temples. Many temples for the gods were built throughout Egypt. The Egyptians believed that although the gods live in heaven, they very often visit earth and come to temples - their homes. The temples were different. There were temples to the solar gods, without a roof. They were areas enclosed by walls. Obelisks were erected for the Sun God - tall rectangular stone pillars, the tops of which were covered with gilded copper. As soon as the first rays of the sun touched them, the obelisks began to shine brightly, and everything around was still in the morning twilight. The inhabitants of Egypt thought that the god Ra rested on the tops of the obelisks. There were other temples.

A stone-paved road led to the temple, on both sides of which there were statues of sphinxes. The road led to temple towers - pylons. In front of the towers stood obelisks and statues of pharaohs. There were gates in the pylons that led inside the temple; behind the gates were columned halls, sanctuaries and other buildings. The temple was the huge house of the god. It was decorated with statues, paintings on mythological stories. In the depths of the temple stood a statue of a god. For God, the temple had everything necessary - clothes, utensils, food. The temple servants, the priests, made sacrifices to God every day, dressed his statue in clothes, smoked incense to God and sang prayers. Only the priests knew all the subtleties and rules of the ritual.

God Apis and his temple. There were also “living gods” in Egypt. Thus, throughout Egypt the “living god” Apis was revered. It was believed that the god Ptah once incarnated as a bull. This was Apis. This bull god lived in Memphis, in a special temple, he was chosen according to special features: he was supposed to have a black skin, a white crescent-shaped spot on his forehead, and many other features. He was brought to the temple, where sacrifices were made to him and prayers were offered. When Apis died, the country plunged into many days of mourning. During this time, the priests had to find a new Apis, i.e. a calf that would have the same characteristics as the old one. The body of the deceased Apis was embalmed and buried no less solemnly than the pharaoh. Archaeologists have discovered an entire Apis cemetery.

Other cities in Egypt had their own sacred animals, there was even a crocodile god.

Myths and gods in the life of ordinary Egyptians. The life of ordinary Egyptians: peasants, artisans, warriors, traders - was also inextricably linked with myths. The very nature of the Nile Valley was fabulous for the Egyptian. Then people could not yet know why the Nile floods were happening, and they believed that this was the will of the gods. And all life in Egypt depended on the Nile. Therefore, for the Egyptians, the Nile was a sacred river. When the Sun rose in the morning, the Egyptians believed that it was the god Ra who left his night boat and moved to the day boat to shine on people. When the time of drought came, and hot winds blew from the desert, drying up all living things, the Egyptians believed that this was due to the fact that the evil Set had defeated and killed Osiris and was sending evil winds from the desert to Egypt. And when the flood began, they believed that Osiris was reborn to a new life, and with him all nature came to life.

From his very birth, the Egyptian was surrounded by a huge number of gods and spirits. At birth, the seven goddesses of Hathor wrote the fate of the Egyptian on the leaves of a magic tree. The goddess Isis protected him from troubles and illnesses, and helped him with her spells if he was bitten by a snake. The god of wisdom Thoth helped the inhabitants of Egypt to study, the god Bes drove away evil spirits from him. If the gods did not immediately come to the rescue, you could turn to them with a prayer, or read a spell, or resort to the help of magic amulets, of which every Egyptian had many.

The Egyptian took into account the good and bad days in his life; there were even entire books that described what could and could not be done on a given day.

Osiris, Kingdom of the Dead, Book of the Dead. Well, after a person died, he was prepared for eternal life in the afterlife. Experienced embalmers made a mummy from his body. To make the mummy, they used materials that, as the Egyptians believed, came from the tears that the gods shed when they mourned the death of Osiris. The gods, according to the Egyptians, provided the linen in which the mummy was wrapped. The walls of the coffin-sarcophagus and the tomb were painted with images of the gods and the court of Osiris. The deceased went to the court of Osiris, and if the court's decision was positive, he remained in the kingdom of the dead. To prevent the Egyptian from getting lost in the kingdom of the dead, a “guide” written on papyrus - the Book of the Dead - was placed in his coffin.

This is how all life in Egypt was connected with myth. The Egyptians revered the gods spoken of in myths and followed the rules in force in them. The Egyptian constantly felt that next to him were gods, good and evil spirits, on whom his life depended.

The entire great culture of Egypt, everything that has come down to us, is a reflection of the feelings experienced by the Egyptians, who thought that their life was connected with the life of the gods and depended on them in everything.