Living in Maat - the Natural Order
Ancient
Egyptians observed early on that natural phenomena repeated itself
in cycles. Maat was the name given to this concept of natural immutable
laws, similar to the Greek concept of Logos. The annual flooding
of the Nile was a recurrent event critical for the well being of
the nation. Nobody knew the cause then, but the Nile always replenished
the soil with nutrients year after year, fertilizing it for the
next crop.
The principal role of the Pharaoh
was to preserve Maat, in other words, his rules and actions were
to be subjected only to Maat. He had to exercise sekhem, or authority
to ascertain that this natural order never be broken, and it would
be a great misdeed if he himself as ruler stepped outside of these
bounds. In this sense, Maat also became a divine personification
of Truth and Justice, a moral standard by which every Egyptian could
distinguish right from wrong. The pharaoh had also to perform heka,
meaning the daily prayers and rituals necessary so that his will
remains in the rightful state to preserve Maat.
Living in Maat also meant that the deeds you perform
in this life would be amply rewarded in the Land
of Osiris. The salvation of the deceased depended on his heart
weighing exactly like the feather of the Goddess Maat in the Balance
of Truth at the Hall of Maat. 
Ancient Egypt religion is one of the most fascinating
topics of discussions for egyptologists today, a subject of continuous
research and new interpretations. Did ancient Egyptians believe
in many separate deities or only One with multiple manifestations,
capable of assuming masculine, feminine and animal roles?
In those days, every culture had their particular
divinities. The first thing a respectful traveler would to was to
go to the temple of the local god and pay his respects. Mika Waltari,
in his wonderful novel Sinuhe
The Egyptian
mentions that it was the custom for one king to call upon another
king with whom he was in peace to pay a tribute in gold. The precious
metal was used to erect an image of his brother king's god. Both
nations would thus benefit, one with gold and the other with an
image of his authority in his ally's land.
It times of war, however, it was "my God against
your God". That is how victorious Amon-Re, Lord of Thebes, became
the most powerful god of his time. His temple at Karnak was so large
that the entire St.Peter' Basilica and the Church of Notre Dame
fit in. But even Amon-Re's authority was once challenged, by his
High Priest no less. The son of Amenhotep
III, who's name means Amon is in Peace, changed his name from
Amenhotep IV to Akhenaten
and established the worship of One God with only One manifestation,
the Solar Disk Aten. It was a time of upheaval that is masterfully
recreated in Waltari's novel.
Today, of course, Egyptians, whether Islamic or Christian,
worship only one God and, although the ancient gods and goddesses
are no longer worshipped, there is still plenty of Maat bringing
truth, justice and joy to the Black Land.
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