Religious Belief
As in other towns of the New Kingdom, median workers worshiped many gods and goddesses. The major god of this period was Amun-Re of Thebes, whose cult centre was the Temple of Karnak across the Nile on the eastern bank of Thebes. In addition to honouring the pharaoh Amenhotep I and his mother Ahmose-Nefertari, as founders of the village, the people of Deir el-Medina also worshiped many other deities. The most important were honoured in special festivals held during the year. Shrines and temples were built erected with stelae and statues to honour them. According to Egyptologist John Romer “each temples belonged to a god and had its own festival”. Indicated by archaeological evidence, villagers practiced ancestor worship in memory of the deceased relatives. Some of the many gods and goddesses the villagers worshiped are, Amun- Re (King of the gods), Osiris (god of the underworld), Isis (queen of the goods), Hathor (goddess of love and fertility), Ptah (creator) and etc. Along with worshiping the founders of Deir el-Medina, Ahmose I and his mother Ahmose-Nefertari, the villagers in Deir el-Medina also worshipped a variety of other deities. The workers would build temples, statues and shrines dedicated to their deities, and would even hold an array of festivals to celebrate them. Along with the normal Egyptian gods worshiped, the Egyptians living in Deir el-Medina also worshiped gods from other continents and areas in the world, such as Asia due to the trade links they had.
Left Image: Stelae dedicated to the diseased relatives.
Left Image: Stelae dedicated to the diseased relatives.
Personal Piety
Religious belief was very significant in the lives of New Kingdom Egyptians and Deir el Medina people. They believed that the gods played an important role in human affairs and that they could have a personal relationship with their gods. For example, based on the ethical belief with Amun, if you “placed the god in your heart then he would become a personal god of your life” (J. Assmann, The Search for God in Ancient Egypt, Cornell University Press, 2001).
Left Image: A workman of Bai praying to his god 'of many ears.'
Left Image: A workman of Bai praying to his god 'of many ears.'
Magic
Magical practices had an important religious dimension of the New Kingdom, as the villagers believed that spells, charms, amulets, prescriptions and rituals could be used to invoke the power of a god. Evidence suggests that all Medians knew these stories. They believed their gods used magic power to deal with their enemies, overcome evil, heal the sick or just get what they wanted. As a result, the people had many spells, magic sayings that they could speak or write down and many magic actions they could perform.
Every religious ceremony included magic spells and actions. In tomb chapels, the relatives of the deceased would offer food and drink to the dead person’s Ka. They would also chant a spell, which kept the Ka well provided. Scenes on the walls shows the tomb owner surrounded by food and drink and servants bringing everything the Ka might need.
The villagers were afraid of death because they thought the dead would destroy the fish in the sea, seeds in the soil and animals in the desert. To protect themselves they had spells that could be said to Osiris, god of the underworld. Only he could stop the dead from harming the living. Dead relatives known as ‘able spirit of Ra’ were shown on stelae and prayed to in the homes of the living (refer to figure 10.3).
Left Image: Offerings to the Ka (spirits of the dead people) including food and drink.
Right Image: An offering to an 'able spirit of Ra' (dead relatives)
Every religious ceremony included magic spells and actions. In tomb chapels, the relatives of the deceased would offer food and drink to the dead person’s Ka. They would also chant a spell, which kept the Ka well provided. Scenes on the walls shows the tomb owner surrounded by food and drink and servants bringing everything the Ka might need.
The villagers were afraid of death because they thought the dead would destroy the fish in the sea, seeds in the soil and animals in the desert. To protect themselves they had spells that could be said to Osiris, god of the underworld. Only he could stop the dead from harming the living. Dead relatives known as ‘able spirit of Ra’ were shown on stelae and prayed to in the homes of the living (refer to figure 10.3).
Left Image: Offerings to the Ka (spirits of the dead people) including food and drink.
Right Image: An offering to an 'able spirit of Ra' (dead relatives)