Religious Artifacts
The Egyptian belief in magical powers and
properties influenced many areas of their lives. Inanimate objects
were believed to have the ability to affect events once they had
been charged with magical force. Objects and wall reliefs in tombs
and temples were “brought to life” with the performance of the
“Ceremony of Opening the Mouth.” Although it was originally used
only in royal tombs and temples, this rite was eventually also
employed in nonroyal situations to restore the life force and
original qualities to mummies, statues, models, and wall reliefs
within the tomb. The priest would cense, sprinkle with water, and
touch the mouth, hands, and feet of the mummy, statue, or wall
relief with an adze to enable the owner’s spirit to enter the image
and partake of the food offerings placed at the tomb.
Amulets Funerary equipment was considered to have magical properties that could bring special benefits to the deceased. Amulets formed an important group of jewelry since they acted as lucky charms and could be worn by rich and poor alike. They were carried by the person when alive and placed with the deceased to provide help in his future existence. The term amulet that is applied to this particular type of jewelry comes from the later Arabic word hamulet meaning “something that is borne or carried.” The primary function of all Egyptian jewelry was to protect the wearer against a range of hostile forces and events, which included ferocious animals, disease, famine, accidents, and natural disasters. Amulets were believed to possess special beneficial properties and, by the principles of sympathetic magic, to be able to attract good forces to assist the wearer or, conversely, to repel a variety of evils and dangers. Some amulets were regarded as universally beneficial while others had particular significance only for the owner. Essentially they were charms that had been magically charged in order to bring about the desired results. Some were designed to strengthen the owner’s ability to overcome the dangers he encountered and took the form of images of power such as miniature crowns, scepters, and staffs of office while others represented gods or animals. Another group were believed to have an impact on any physical weakness or disability from which the owner might suffer; these were modeled to simulate the limbs in the hope that the amulet would attract magical strength to heal the afflicted part or that the disease would be transferred from the limb to the amulet “double.” Other amulets represented offerings (food, drink, or clothing) and possessions to ensure that the owner would continue to enjoy wealth and prosperity. A number of amulet forms were considered to be particularly potent. These included the Sacred Eye of Horus (Wedjat), which symbolized completeness or wholeness; the ankh, which represented life; the djed pillar, which was associated with resurrection and rebirth as well as strength and stability; and the tit symbol, which signified fertility. The scarab (dung beetle) symbolized eternal renewal of life. The Egyptians made this association because when they observed the habits of the beetle each new generation seemed to emerge, self-generated, from the sand. This assumption was, of course, inaccurate; the adult beetle lays its eggs in the sand from which the new beetles emerge sometime later. The shape of an amulet conferred power and strength on its owner, but some materials and colors were also believed to possess special hidden qualities that could bring health and good luck. Stones such as carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli were much favored because of the magical properties of their colors, and they were often used in the manufacture of jewelry and amulets. Sometimes stones were selected for amulets if they duplicated the color of the original limb or organ, and this authenticity was expected to bring additional benefits to the owner. .
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Divine Possessions
The clothes, crowns, jewelry, and insignia that belonged to the god were considered to be especially sacred because of their physical proximity to the divine cult statue in the temple. Similarly the utensils used to prepare and carry the god’s daily food offerings in the temple rituals had their own magical properties. These possessions were kept in special rooms in the temple and were regularly cleansed in the ritually “pure” waters of the temple’s sacred lake. It was also essential that the priests who came into direct contact with the divine statue and possessions should be ritually pure, and this was achieved by the observance of special procedures and prohibitions. The god’s crowns were believed to give particular strengths and powers to the deity, and the colors of these and the cloths which were placed on the cult statue each gave him their own protection. .
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Religious Artifacts
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