A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Ancient Egyptians believed that the great gods had created the universe and maintained order; they were also involved in people’s everyday life and survival.
One of the gods was also sent in a mortal form into the Nile Valley to rule as the king who would protect them from warlike and dangerous peoples of the Mediterranean world, and look after their well-being.
Pharaoh Ramses I making an offering before Osiris, Allard Pierson Museum. source
For more than 3,000 years, the pharaoh was principal to everyday life, and he was seen as the gods’ representative on Earth and one of the gods. He played a crucial role in the Egyptian cult. As both a god and the personification of Egypt, he possessed more power than any other monarch recorded in human history.
However, he was not only a strong ruler, but also a high priest, a lawmaker, and a battle commander. The pharaoh was both a political and a religious leader.
Why Did The Egyptians Believe That Pharaoh Was A God?
There were many reasons why the ancient Egyptians treated their ruler as a god. The Nile Valley people lived in a pre-scientific world and knew nothing about natural causes of lightning, thunder, good or bad crops, birth, and death, storms, or drought. As it was believed, these ‘phenomena’ were caused by all-mighty and invisible gods, who were angry, fearsome, occasionally kind, cruel, or seeking vengeance.
The Egyptians believed that their pharaoh was a mediator, an important link between the gods and the people. His role was to sustain the gods so that they could maintain order in the universe, which in the Egyptian beliefs was centered on Ma’at (Maat).
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