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Ancient Egyptian Gods & Goddesses Facts & Worksheets

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The Ancient Egyptians (from around 3000BC to 30BC) worshipped many different Gods and Goddesses, known as deities. The deities were frequent subjects of Ancient Egyptian myths, rituals, and artwork. Most of the Gods and Goddesses were related to nature or society and were described by the Ancient Egyptians as having golden flesh, silver bones, and hair made of semi-precious stones.

See the fact files below for more information on some of the most famous Egyptian Gods and Goddesses or download the comprehensive worksheet collection to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RELIGION

  • An integral part of their civilization and culture, ancient Egyptians practiced a complex system of polytheistic beliefs. 
  • The idea of gods evolved from the earlier animistic, anthropomorphic belief typically encapsulated with magic or heka. 
  • Like other ancient cultures, ancient Egyptians’ daily lives and existence were associated with the works of deities. Their belief system included rituals such as offerings and prayers to the gods and goddesses. 
  • They perform prayers and offerings to specific deities to turn the tides in their favor and maintain Ma’at or order. During the rule of pharaohs, ancient Egyptians believed that these leaders possessed the divine powers of deities. They thought that the pharaohs, as god-sent and sometimes regarded as demi-gods, were intermediaries between the cosmos and the people. 
  • One of the key features of Egyptian culture was their belief in the afterlife in which specific deities such as Osiris and Anubis played roles. They practiced mummification or preserving the body of the dead for the soul’s survival after death. 
  • For ancient Egyptians, religion was their link to the divine. The presence of intricate architectural designs implied the significance of gods and goddesses to ancient Egyptian life. 
  • The actions and roles of the deities in human life were often depicted in Egyptian mythology. Myths about the conception of the universe, the annual Nile flood, kingship, death, and the afterlife were vital for the Egyptians. 

EGYPTIAN DEITIES

  • The Egyptian pantheon has over 2,000 deities. The most well-known were Anubis, Bastet, Ra, Osiris, Amun, Isis, Hathor, Thoth, and Ptah. They were state deities worshipped in many regions in ancient Egypt. At the same time, those less popular were also associated with specific roles, such as Seshat. 
  • Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses had names and characteristics. Many were depicted as humans with animals heads holding sacred objects. Each had its special area influencing the spheres of human life.
      • Osiris – Before becoming the god of the underworld, Osiris was the first ruler of Egypt. His brother, Seth, killed and dismembered him. His wife, Isis, and sister Nephthys reassembled his body and resurrected him with the help of Ra through Anubis. When resurrected, he became the god of the underworld. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Osiris is depicted as lord and judge of the deceased in the Hall of Truth, who weighs the heart of the souls against the white feather. 
      • Isis – The sister-wife of Osiris and the Mother of Gods. He is depicted as a woman with a sun disked flanked headdress.
      • Horus – Horus is depicted as a man with a falcon head. As a son of Osiris and Isis, he embodies pharaohs or kings. In many eras in ancient Egypt, pharaohs often claimed that they were manifestations of Horus. According to mythology, Horus avenged his father’s death and lost his left eye while fighting against Seth. The myth surrounding Horus’ eye and Thoth’s help serve as the ancient Egyptian explanation for the moon’s phases. 
      • Seth – Osiris’ brother and the god of chaos, war, and storms. Seth is depicted with a dog-like body and a head with a long snout and ears. 
      • Ptah – One of the triad worshipped in Memphis, Ptah is the god of craftsmen and builders. The other triad members included his wife, Sekhmet, and son Nefertem. 
      • Ra – Centered in Heliopolis, the cult of Ra believed that Ra, or the sun god sailed across the sky and the underworld each day. He is depicted with a human body and head of a hawk, with a sun disk above. 
      • Hathor – Depicted as a cow, Hathor is the goddess of fertility and motherhood. In addition to childbirth, Hathor also had a role in funerary rites. 
      • Anubis – In the Book of the Death, Anubis is the god with a jackal head. In mythology, before the resurrection of Osiris, Anubis was known to be the god of the dead. He embalmed and wrapped Osiris’ body upon the order of Ra. Since the Old Kingdom, Anubis has been worshiped as embalmers’ patron god. 
      • Thoth – Represented in human form with an ibis’ head, Thoth is the god of wisdom and writing. Sometimes depicted as a baboon, ancient Egyptians believed that Thoth invented hieroglyphics, thus making him the god of the scribes. In underworld scenes, Thoth is often near Osiris, and he advises the judge after weighing the heart. 
      • Bastet – Depicted as a woman with a head of a wild cat or lion, Bastet is the counterpart of Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting. 
      • Amun – Amun is the god of air and is depicted as a man wearing a crown with vertical plumes. His animal symbols were a goose and a ram. During the New Kingdom, Amun is believed to have merged with Ra, thus becoming the most powerful deity in the kingdom, Amun-Ra. 
  • Other commonly worshipped deities; are Taweret, the hippopotamus goddess; Sobek, the crocodile god of the Nile; Ma’at, the goddess of justice and harmony; Nephthys, the goddess of night, childbirth, and home, Nut, the goddess of Earth, and Heka, the god of magic. 
  • Ma’at – The goddess of truth, harmony, and justice and daughter of Ra. She appeared with a feather on her head. People believed she kept the Earth in balance, and Pharaohs are usually shown making offerings to her. The “priest of Ma’at” is the vizier in charge of the law courts.
  • Nut – The sky goddess appeared with a dress decorated in stars and arched her body across the sky. People believed that she would swallow the sun god Ra each night and then give birth to him again each morning.

DEITIES AND KINGSHIP

  • According to Egyptologists, ancient Egyptians believed that pharaohs were humans but possessed divine forces as gods. They were responsible for upholding order and harmony, thus considered the closest to gods. Before the New Kingdom, a pharaoh’s influence in all state religious activities was evident. A pharaoh was identified as a direct descendant of the god Horus. 
  • By the New Kingdom, pharaohs were associated with Amun, Ra, and Osiris. Upon the death of the pharaoh, he is deified. Such belief had been implied in the existence of massive mortuary temples of pharaohs built in the New Kingdom. 
  • During the New Kingdom, pharaoh Akhenaten established his religion, and he prohibited worshiping gods other than Aten the sun-disk. After Akhenaten’s rule and attempt to practice monolatry, his successors reverted to their early religion. 

FAMOUS EGYPTIAN MYTHS

  • Aside from the stories of Osiris and Isis, and the battle of Seth and Horus, ancient Egyptian mythology has several remarkable stories involving their deities and their association with the human condition. 
  • The Book of Thoth, which contained all the knowledge of gods, is believed to have been trapped at the bottom of the River Nile, guarded by serpents. Many pharaohs attempted to access it but failed. It is thought that the knowledge it contains is never meant to be possessed by mortals. 
  • Anubis is the son of Nephthys and Seth, who never received any love from his father. Before becoming the god of the underworld, Anubis is stealthy and contented to watch everything like the jackals. Seth coldly treated Anubis in some stories because he believed that he was Osiris’ son and not his. When Osiris was resurrected from death, Anubis stepped aside as god of the underworld and became the god of funeral rites.  
  • The most common myth in every complex society is the story of the creation. For ancient Egyptians, the universe was created by Atum or Ra. His children Shu (dry air) and Tefnut (moist) produced Geb (land) and Nut (sky). The first gods made by Geb and Nut were Osiris, Seth, Isis, and Nephthys. 
  • Early Greek and Roman scholars believed that their religious culture was extensively borrowed from the Egyptians. The Egyptian Pantheon, one of the most complex mythology, was primarily adopted by the Greeks. 

TEMPLES & DEITIES 

  • For ancient Egyptians, temples were places where the deities lived. Massive structures were built in ancient Egypt to worship their deities. In most cases, temples were only accessible to the priests and the pharaoh, while the public was allowed on special occasions such as festivals. There were two kinds of temples in ancient Egypt. One was a cult temple built solely in the dedication of a specific god or goddess-like, the Temple of Horus at Edfu. The second was a mortuary temple dedicated to a pharoah, worshiped as a god after death, like the Temple of Rameses II at Thebes. 
  • Some of the temples that are available for a visit include:
    • The Luxor Temple is built in the New Kingdom by Amenhotep III. It was constructed on the site of a cult temple for Amon parallel to the River Nile, and Amenhotep III dedicated the temple to Amon-Ra. Ramses II extended the temple. Minor additions were also built by Seti I, Ramses III, Rameses IV, and Rameses VI. 
    • The Temple of Karnak contained the cult temples of Amon-Ra, Khonso, Ptah, and Osiris. Tuthmosis III built the sanctuary to honor Amon-Ra. 
    • Originated in the Second Intermediate Period, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is one of the most well-preserved temples in Egypt. The temple’s construction was completed during the reign of Ptolemy IV. 
    • The Temple of Hathor at Dendera was built in the 1st century BCE during the reign of Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra II. Following the rule of the Roman emperors, the temple was maintained. 
    • Ramses II built the first temple at Abu Simbel to honor gods Amon, Ptah, Re Hor-Akhty, and himself as a deified pharaoh. Inside is the Temple of Nefertari, also built by Rameses II dedicated to Hathor and his wife, Queen Nefertari. 
    • It is believed that the tomb of Osiris is located at Abydos. For this reason, Pepi I, Ahmose I, Seti I, and Rameses II built a temple with seven shrines dedicated to Osiris, Amon-Ra, Horus, Isis, Ptah, Ra Hor Akhty, and Seti I as a defied pharaoh.

Ancient Egyptian Gods & Goddesses Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Ancient Egyptian Gods & Goddesses Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about The Ancient Egyptians (from around 3000BC to 30BC) who worshipped many different Gods and Goddesses, known as deities.

Download includes the following worksheets:

  • Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses Facts
  • The Story of the Beginning
  • Mix & Match: Gods & Goddesses
  • Famous Pharaohs
  • Ancient Egyptian Artifacts
  • Anubis: Egyptian Mummification
  • The Ennead of Heliopolis
  • Mythology and Religion
  • Egyptian Facts and Myths
  • Animal Heads: Symbols and Meanings
  • Ancient Influence

Frequently Ask Questions

Who are the major Egyptian gods?

Anubis, Bastet, Ra, Osiris, Amun, Isis, Hathor, Thoth, and Ptah.

Who are the 5 major Egyptian gods?

Osiris, Isis, Set, Nephthys, and Horus

Who is the most powerful Egyptian god?

Ra, the sun god

How many Egyptian gods are there?

Over 2,000 gods and goddesses

What is the difference between Osiris and Anubis?

The god Osiris is the son of Geb and Nut. Before Seth kills him, Osiris is the overseer of humans. When he was resurrected from the dead, he replaced Anubis as god of the underworld, and Anubis stepped aside and became the god of funeral rites and mummification. According to mythology, Anubis helped Nepthtys and Isis reassemble and embalm Osiris’ body. 

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