Why the Ancient Egyptians Worshipped the Sun
The ancient Egyptians, with their rich mythology and complex belief system, held the sun in the highest regard. The sun, symbolizing life, light, and energy, was at the core of their religious practices and rituals. In this article, we delve into the reasons behind the ancient Egyptians’ profound worship of the sun and the significance it held in their society.
1. Life-giving Power:
The sun’s life-giving properties were evident to the ancient Egyptians, who recognized its ability to nurture crops, sustain animal life, and provide warmth to their civilization. As an agrarian society heavily reliant on the Nile River’s annual flood, they revered the sun as the ultimate source of sustenance and prosperity.
2. Ra, the Sun God:
At the helm of this celestial reverence was Ra, the principal sun god in ancient Egyptian mythology. Depicted as a falcon-headed deity, Ra was believed to traverse the sky, bringing light and warmth during the day. The sun god was considered the creator of all life, and his power extended to the afterlife, guiding souls on their eternal journey.
3. The Aten: Symbol of Divine Power:
The sun disk, known as the Aten, became a prominent symbol of Ra’s divine power. Depicted as a radiant orb with extended rays ending in human hands, the Aten symbolized the life-giving energy and protection bestowed by the sun. Pharaoh Akhenaten elevated the Aten to a monotheistic level during his reign, emphasizing its significance as the singular divine force.
4. Sun Temples and Rituals:
Temples dedicated to Ra were built throughout Egypt, serving as sacred spaces for ritualistic worship. Priests performed daily ceremonies to honor the sun god, seeking his blessings for the well-being of the kingdom and its people. These rituals included offerings, prayers, and dances, aiming to maintain harmony between the divine and earthly realms.
5. Sun Worship and the Afterlife:
The ancient Egyptians believed in the cyclical nature of life and death, with the sun playing a pivotal role in this eternal journey. They believed that the souls of the deceased would accompany Ra on his daily voyage across the sky, symbolizing rebirth and renewal. The sun’s presence in religious texts and funerary rituals highlighted its importance in the afterlife.
6. Sun Worship Beyond Egypt:
While the ancient Egyptians were not the only civilization to worship the sun, their reverence for this celestial body was distinctive. Cultures such as the Aztecs, Incas, and Plains Indians also held solar deities in high regard, associating the sun with fertility, agriculture, and cosmic order.
The ancient Egyptians’ profound worship of the sun stemmed from their recognition of its life-giving properties and its central role in their society. The sun’s divine embodiment in Ra, the rituals performed in its honor, and its significance in the afterlife all served to emphasize the ancient Egyptians’ deep reverence for this celestial entity. The legacy of their sun worship endures, reminding us of the awe-inspiring power and importance of the sun in our world.
The biggest guarded secret is now known
The biggest guarded secret is now known – why the ancient Egyptians worshipped the sun – Egypt Fun Tours
If you want to learn the actual reason why the ancient Egyptians worshiped the sun, keep reading. What you just read can be found in history books, on all educational websites, and on Wikipedia.
Scientists agree that humanity in its final form lived on the globe between 1 million and 70 thousand years ago when we were given brains and began to ask questions, which is the true genesis of sun worship. We share many aspects of life with animals, such as hunger, thirst, love, and pain, but we also have a past, memories, and questions that distinguish us from our species.
One of the first questions the early humans asked is: Why we are here, and how? Who is the Creator? As time passed, they came up with a reasoned response that everyone could understand after realizing that when the sun rises, people are given life since everything around them is visible, and when the sun sets, everything is dark and everyone perishes! As a result, the response was excellent and unambiguous: The Sun is the creator who made us. He or she gives us life and death, and when it rises again, it offers us a new life, thus for them, tomorrow is always a new life. This indicates that they held the view that the sun was the source of life and that it was responsible for our resurrection, making the sun both the creator and God. At that early time, human knowledge was zero, and we were just starting the establishment of knowledge from scratch!
This was the reason why we worship the sun until today
