Did Egyptian gods and goddesses empower everyday worship—or reinforce state control?

Specialist on Egyptian religion and EES Development Manager, Dr Edward Scrivens, joins our host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. The episode opens with a brief overview of religion in ancient Egypt, before exploring the complex, fluid nature of its gods and goddesses and the rituals that empowered them. It introduces key deities, including many forms of the sun god, Amun-Ra as king of the gods, and the family of Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Seth, before examining the pharaoh’s divine role and responsibility to uphold Ma’at or cosmic order. The focus then shifts to non-royal individuals who could be deified and to acts of personal devotion, ending with local and domestic deities that reveal a more intimate, personalised form of worship beyond state control.

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