SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

gathered to pray or where sacred rites were performed before a gathered group of people. The Egyptian temple was off limits to most citizens. Its function was to house and maintain the cult statue in which the god was believed to live. 4 Officially, the king was the head of every cult in ancient Egypt. In reality, it was impossible for the king to oversee every ritual service. Therefore, priests were appointed to function as his agents. But, not every priest was allowed the privilege of caring for the god. Only members of the highest levels of the clergy were granted this privilege. The god did leave the temple on festival days. On these days, the cult image was placed inside a special barque and carried over predetermined routes. People could gather to watch the procession and ask questions of the god. 5 But, even on these days, the cult image remained hidden from view, isolated within the enclosed barque. 6 All this contrasts highly with the way religion is practiced today. The Catholic Church encourages its members to attend mass regularly and seek council from priests. The image of the crucified Christ is placed in a prominent area of the church and the rituals involved in the mass are performed before the entire congregation. This does not mean that parallels cannot be seen between ancient Egyptian practices and Catholic mass. For example, the procession in which the image of the crucified Christ is carried into and out of the church echoes the ancient processions of the gods out of the temples of Egypt on festival days. But, to state as the author has, that “these rituals have been flawlessly perpetuated for five thousand years” 7 is completely erroneous. In a later chapter titled “The Jesus/Osiris Connection,” the author makes some interesting observations between the myth of Osiris, and the life of Christ. Once again, her lack of understanding of Egyptian beliefs becomes apparent.

fundamental works on the subject of Egyptian religion. For example, an entire chapter is devoted to the concept of Maat, but the author has not read two of the most classical works on the subject, namely Ma’at: Gerechtigkeit und Unsterblichkeit im alten Ägypten by Jan Assman or The Presentation of Maat: Ritual and Legitimacy in Ancient Egypt by Emily Teeter. Secondary source material forms the core of the author’s research. Works by Aldred, Budge, Brier and Morenz are just a sample of the material consulted. While each of these books has its place within the field of Egyptology, in certain instances more accurate and updated material could have been consulted. 1 The book begins with a discussion of rites. The author introduces the chapter with a description of a Catholic Mass and ends with the statement that these are Egyptian rites. Imagine, if you will, opening the doors to a shrine, and blessing yourself with holy water as you enter. You prepare to sit and pray…Once you have confided in statues…and sung the hymn…Litanies are read. A priest gives the sermon…prepares the celebrants for communion…These are Egyptian rites… 2 An important misconception is evident in the above paragraph. The author is applying the modern day concepts of attending church and listening to a sermon to an ancient society. In fact, the way religion was practiced in ancient Egypt was completely different from the way it is practiced in our modern societies.

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter Rituals were extremely important in Egyptian religion. Priests were required to maintain high standards of personal hygiene, and rituals had to be performed in the proper manner, and at the proper time in order to satisfy the gods and ensure divine favor. 3

What is important to note is that all of these activities occurred behind the closed doors of the temple. The temple was not a place where people

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