The history of the Ancient World is the history of pagan culture, within the framework of which such a part of the population as priests stood out in society. Selected as mediator...

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14.05.2018 03:00

The history of the Ancient World is the history of pagan culture, within the framework of which such a part of the population as priests stood out in society. Chosen as a mediator between people and gods, priests over time turned into a privileged class. And the role of the priests began to boil down to deception and money-grubbing, to manipulating people’s consciousness. If you are asked: “Explain the meaning of the word priest,” what will you answer?

Who are the priests?

If you turn to explanatory dictionary, then priests are ministers of worship who were engaged in the performance of religious rites, for example, sacrifices, prayers, and conspiracies. The history of priesthood goes back many millennia. This phenomenon originated in the era of primitive society during the Neolithic period. The meaning of the word "priest" is associated with its cognate word "sacrifice", and this is not accidental. After all, not a single ancient pagan rite was performed without making a sacrifice: from flowers to a person. And the actual meaning of the word “priest” means nothing more than “one who makes a sacrifice.”

Priests in primitive society

Tribal relations in primitive society were regulated by a general meeting of the entire male part of the community, the tribe. At the meeting, leaders, elders and priests were elected. Initially, priests did not have any additional benefits. They, like other tribesmen, worked for the collective. The power of the priests was determined by the respect of his fellow tribesmen, trust, his merits and authority. Primitive priests are “accumulators” of the tribe’s experience, skills and abilities, as well as the peculiarities of the worldview and faith of their fellow tribesmen. They passed on the accumulated information from generation to generation.

Priesthood of Ancient Egypt

Priests in Ancient Egypt played an important role in the spiritual and moral life of society. Priesthood as an important component of the life of the Egyptians was legalized by the state. The priests were official representatives of the pharaohs - the children of the sun god Amon-Ra and performed religious rituals in sanctuaries, where no one else had access except them and the pharaoh. The pharaoh could not perform the sacraments in all the temples at the same time, so he was replaced by priests appointed by him for this purpose.

There were also priestesses in Ancient Egypt, who were revered as the servants of God. They usually served in the temples of the goddesses who were revered as the foremothers of all things - Hathor and Neith. Most often, women were priestesses in the temples of goddesses, but there were exceptions to the rule: priestesses could also be found in the temple of Min, Ptah, Amon, Horus. Often, daughters of priests or Egyptian women who wanted to become priestesses became priestesses.

The priestesses led a reclusive, immaculate life. At the same time, they looked very impressive: they wore expensive clothes and jewelry, wigs and headdresses, which distinguished them from ordinary Egyptian women, even noble ones. They had singing and dancing abilities, could play the musical instruments. Very often, images of priestesses with sistrums in their hands are found on ancient Egyptian frescoes.

Ancient priests and their role in society

Priests in Ancient Greece played no less important role than in the culture of Ancient Egypt. Initially, any Greek could perform the rituals, since everything around him was deified. The Greeks communicated directly with the living spirits of nature.

The history of such a phenomenon as priesthood is associated with a change in the beliefs of the ancient Greeks - from the time when they began to perceive their gods as anthropomorphic creatures, create special temples for them and decorate them with sculptural images that act as idols. These temples required servants, who became priests. At first, temples were considered only a “house” for God, and not a place for ordinary people to pray. The place for sacrifices and prayers of the population was located in the squares where altars were erected. In the temples of the gods, the mediators between people and God were male priests, and in the temples of the goddesses - women.

The function of the priests in the temple of Apollo at Delphi was reduced not only to making sacrifices and performing religious rites, but also to interpreting the prophecies that the Pythia broadcast from their golden tripod throne installed above the chasm. In fact, the Pythia themselves were priestesses of the god of sunlight. They were under long-term narcotic influence from the fumes of the crevice (according to ancient myth emanating from the decaying serpent Python, killed by Apollo and walled up in the rock), the vapors of the sacred spring and water with which they quenched their thirst and performed ablutions, and the laurel, on the bedding of which they slept and the leaves of which were chewed instead of food for three days before the ceremony. Sitting under a golden conical cap, under which the vapors were concentrated and which amplified and distorted the sound of the priestesses’ voices, they spoke incoherent texts, which were interpreted - “translated” by the priests of the Sun god standing nearby. Gradually, powerful and famous military leaders began to use the “prophecies” of the Pythias for political purposes.

The priests of this temple, who were in charge of a huge amount of gold, brought as a gift to Apollo by visitors and stored in special gift buildings on the way to the temple, were also God's treasurers. They gradually acquired special weight, like the priests of the Temple of Asclepius.

Brahmanism as a manifestation of priesthood in Ancient India

In culture Ancient India a special place was occupied by the varna of brahmans - priests of the god Brahma, born from his mouth. Therefore, it was believed that they had a special gift for performing prayers - intermediary appeals to God from people. To become a brahmana, it is not enough to be born within varna. It took a long time to study. The life of a brahmana passed through three main stages: teaching, service, and hermitage.

At the first stage, boys from the age of 7 go to the house of a brahman, where they not only study, but also live, and in exchange for education and accommodation they do the necessary work. homework at the teacher's house. In addition, the brahmana's student also mastered the "code" of communication with the brahmana teacher. When a student turned 18 and completed his studies, his parents gave the Teacher a cow as a token of gratitude.

There are also women among the brahmanas. Unlike Brahmin men, who are prohibited from doing ordinary work, Brahmin women can do simple housework and work in the fields. It was the Brahmins who were the collectors of the ancient knowledge of the Indian tribes. It was from this knowledge that the sacred book of the Indians, the Vedas, was formed, or rather its oldest part, the Rigveda.

It doesn’t matter what culture these or those priests belonged to. All of them mediated between people and gods and had access to people with power and wealth. Having such power, they skillfully manipulated people for both personal and political purposes.

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The priests of Egypt were the main keepers of the sacred secrets, traditions and culture of Ancient Egypt; they possessed ancient, secret, powerful knowledge in the fields of astronomy, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and medicine. The priests headed the schools they owned in Memphis, Sais, Thebes and Heliopolis. Possessing secret knowledge, they initiated only their students into it. This knowledge was not available to the common people. Studying to obtain priestly rank was difficult; training began when the future priest was not four years old, and ended by the age of twenty. The priests of the highest ranks were awarded the title Ur - “high, exalted.” The most famous priest of Maa is Imhotep, the builder of the step pyramid of Djoser. He was the chief seer and held the highest title of Ur Maa.

A special role was played by the priests of Ur Heku - “the possessor of sacred powers.” They were the guardians Divine Power and could transfer it to objects - “consecrate” it, and also help the sick in healing. The Kher Heb priests served as temple scribes and guardians holy books. They were responsible for copying and preserving the scrolls of the temple library and were revered as guardians of “words of power”—sacred words with special powers.

The priests chose the favorable time for sowing and harvesting, they determined exact time the Nile flood, the forecasts used data from temple libraries, where detailed observations of astronomical phenomena were stored. The ancient Egyptians were skilled physicians and the healthiest people of the Ancient World. However, medicine was not just a profession for them, but a sacred science. The Egyptians believed that the recovery of a patient depended not only on medical skills, but also on the divine will. Therefore, the healers of Ancient Egypt were not only doctors, but also priests; in addition to the wisdom of treatment, they studied sacred texts.

The priests mastered ritual funerary magic and served necropolises and tombs. The ancient Egyptians believed that after the death of a person’s physical body - Kat, his name - Ren, soul - Ba (eternal life) and the energy double of a person - Ka (astral plane) remained to live. Ka - goes, like the Sun, into the land of darkness to the west - Duat ( afterworld), where the souls of all the dead reside. It was believed that the priests could influence the posthumous existence of Ka with secret mystical spells and ritual magic. They knew how to mummify the bodies of the dead; they placed special figurines near them - “ushebta”, depicting a person, which protected Ka in the afterlife.

The priests used secret mystical psychotechniques of spells and witchcraft. There was a culture of amulets, potions, magical images and spells that protected against various diseases. Treatment was carried out taking into account astronomical factors - the location of stars, constellations, the Sun, Moon and planets. Ancient Egyptian priests mastered the art of prediction, magical control of weather and astronomical phenomena.

The first priests of Egypt were the Atlanteans, who could communicate with the Spiritual Cosmic Mind - God, and it was they who built the pyramids of Khafre, Cheops and Mikkerin, in which they laid down the knowledge of the ancient Atlanteans. The priests used the pyramids for mysteries, which are still held secretly today. The priests of Atlantis lived up to 500 years, they knew that God is one and passed on to the Egyptians knowledge about the journey of the soul to other world, setting them out in the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

The Pyramids of Giza, built by the Atlantean priests, act as guardians of the Earth; they are like antennas, receiving and transmitting the energies of the Cosmos.

The pyramids fulfill God's purpose. They give a person the opportunity to think about the meaning of life, feeling the grandeur and mystery of extraordinary structures. They contain encrypted knowledge that will be revealed to people as they grow spiritually. Inside the Cheops pyramid there is a capsule that contains documents confirming that the pyramids were built according to the drawings of the Atlantean priests, and when this knowledge is revealed to people, a new stage in the development of civilization on Earth will begin.

Egyptian pyramids contain many secrets and mysteries; they serve as the most important source of information about events that took place in the distant past. The Great Pyramid of Cheops is oriented so that on the days of the spring (March 20-21) and autumn (September 22-23) equinoxes the sun appears exactly at noon at the top of the pyramid, as if crowning itself huge temple. In the Great Pyramid, Egyptian priests performed the mysteries of Osiris and Isis.

The initiation of students took place in underground rooms, which were located under the pyramid. After the adept had mastered a certain amount of knowledge, he was subjected to tests in underground labyrinths. Then the student chosen by the priests ended up in a secret sanctuary, where, under pain of death, he swore never to share his knowledge with the uninitiated. Only after this did the priests reveal to him the main secrets, the first of which was the dogma of one God. In addition, the priests taught the newly initiated to predict the future from the stars and make contact with cosmic forces.

Drunvalo Melchizedek, scientist, ecologist, esotericist, writes in the book “The Secret Egyptian Mystery”; “The ancient Egyptian mysteries teach that divine energies emanate from the top of the Great Pyramid, which is likened to an inverted tree with the crown at the bottom and the roots at the top. From this upside-down tree, divine wisdom spreads down the slanted sides and spreads throughout the world. The triangular shape of the pyramid is similar to the posture the human body adopts during traditional meditation. According to the plan of the priests, the large pyramid was likened to the Universe, its top - to a person reaching out to God. Initiates passed through the mystical corridors and chambers of the Great Pyramid, they entered as people and came out as Gods.” Some researchers Egyptian pyramids It is believed that the priests used their ability to predict the future for the benefit of not only their contemporaries, but also future descendants. And in order to convey important information to us, they used pyramids. As proof of such a theory, scientists cite the results of a comparison of the sizes, proportions and location of secret internal rooms in the pyramids, the fact of the orientation of the pyramids relative to the cardinal points, and the pattern in the coincidence of their numerical designations with known dates in the history of human development.

Based on this, the researchers concluded about the true purpose of the pyramids, which, in their opinion, lies in the desire to warn humanity about future cataclysms and is associated with the prophetic predictions of the Egyptian priests, as well as with messages encrypted not only in the writings, but also in the very proportions of the pyramids and their orientation to the cardinal points. Maintaining contact with the Cosmos, the Egyptian priests were able to calculate future events many millennia before they happened.

What did the Egyptian priests - the Atlanteans - leave us as a legacy? Egyptologist Basil Davidson managed to decipher the text of a Coptic manuscript in which the ancient builders of the Great Pyramid conveyed information received from the priests about the achievements of science, the position of the stars and the events that took place in Egypt. The information contained in the manuscript coincides with the information obtained by comparing the proportions of the pyramids.

John Taylor, the founder of the science of pyramidology, in 1859 “realized that the architect of the Great Pyramid was not an Egyptian, but an Israelite acting in accordance with Divine command. Perhaps it was Noah himself. He who built the Ark was the most competent of men to direct the construction of the Great Pyramid." In 1864, renowned astronomer Charles Piazzi Smith proposed the idea that the Great Pyramid held the secrets of understanding biblical prophecy from the beginning of time until the second coming of Christ.

In 1993, Belgian scientist Robert Bauval made a stunning discovery. He noticed that the location of the three pyramids of Giza corresponded to the position of the three main stars in Orion's belt, which were above the horizon only when they crossed the Giza meridian. Computer analysis by Bauval showed that the placement of the Giza monuments matches the sky map as it looked around 10,450 BC. e. This allowed scientists to conclude that it was then that the pyramids were erected. The famous soothsayer Edgar Cayce claimed that the Sphinx was built around the same time as the Pyramid of Cheops. “The Sphinx faces exactly that point in the sky,” he said, where, around 10,450 BC, three stars from Orion’s belt shone at a strictly defined place above the horizon. The Sphinx is a pronounced “additional marker” pointing to a given point.” Edgar Cayce wrote: “The most important information for modern mankind is to be found at the base of the Sphinx's left forepaw, but not in the underground tunnels below it. The information is embedded in the cornerstone of the base of this paw. The tunnels under the Sphinx, not yet known to you, also carry an information load in their configurations. However, the capsule with a message to descendants is under the left front paw...”

Tunnels under the Sphinx have indeed been found. Using seismic equipment, researchers discovered a chamber under the front paws of the Sphinx from which a tunnel emerged; in one of the wells at a depth of 32 meters, the entrance to the tunnel was found. There stood a sarcophagus made of black granite. However, nothing is yet known about the “capsule with a message to descendants.” The Atlantean priests left many unsolved mysteries and mysteries to humanity, encrypting them in the most ancient structures - the pyramids.

Humanity repeats the path of the adept seeking initiation into the secrets of the Egyptian mysteries. At the same time, the path for the adept and humanity is the same, it is encrypted in the architecture of the Great Pyramid. There is only one difference: the path that the adept takes in the space of the Pyramid, humanity goes through in Time.

The priesthood in Ancient Egypt was one of the most influential classes. They played a big role in the political life of society, as they were right hand Pharaoh and knew more than Pharaoh himself.

Previously, it was generally accepted that priests had a bad influence on development in the state and only brought harm to it. In fact, priests - guardians of sacred traditions - played a positive role in the history and culture of Ancient Egypt. This is evidenced by the fact that no civilization existed for such a long period as the ancient Egyptian one.

In Ancient Egypt, priests were not a separate caste, as in other cultures. Although, it would be more accurate to say that they combined religious and secular functions - the priest performed the cult, but could also work part-time as a scribe for secular positions. These were officials of a special kind, performing certain ritual actions instead of the king, who was the son of God. In Egypt, the priests did not suppress the will of the people with religion, did not intimidate - religion in Ancient Egypt was the guarantee social development and improvement. Herodotus called the Egyptians the most God-fearing and religious people Ancient World. Maybe that’s why the position of priest was highly revered and respected by other classes of Ancient Egypt.

It should be noted that priestly service was well paid, and little by little a tradition was established in priestly families of passing on their positions to their children by inheritance. Studying for priesthood was serious and difficult. The rank of priest was inherited and was always considered sacred and respected. Training with priests could begin when the future priest was four years old, and end by the age of twenty.

The priests constituted a certain group, which is traditionally called the clergy, whose main purpose was to “serve” one or another deity. The number, influence and wealth of each clergy depended on the quotation of a particular deity. Unfortunately, there is no exact information about the exact number of priests of a particular god. It is known that during the New Kingdom, the clergy of the Theban Amun-Ra was a powerful, rich corporation, while the clergy of other deities, for example, the Memphian Ptah and the Heliopolitan Ra, were far inferior to him, not to mention the clergy of provincial deities.

As we noted above, in ancient Egypt, separate groups of priests performed certain duties and, in addition to being the keepers of sacred secrets, they were also secular administrators. There was also a hierarchy among the priests. The system of regalia was strictly ordered, since each cult had a corresponding clergy, which was led by a high priest appointed by the king. The head of each clergy had a special status and title, the name of which depended on the name of the idol. The influence and power of the clergy depended on the cult. For example, the priest of Amun-Ra was considered the most powerful, since he occupied the highest position in the hierarchical ladder. Let's try to consider the hierarchy of the priests of Ancient Egypt in more detail.

Priests in ancient Egypt were trained in several distinct specializations. Each such group had its own name and performed duties unique to it. In addition, in each of the specializations, the ancient Egyptian priests were divided into several orders.

Priests of the highest ranks were awarded the title Ur. So, for example, the chief priest-healer of the city of Sais, mentioned in ancient papyri, was called Ur Senu; the high priestess in the city of Iunu was called Ur-t Tekhent, and the priest was Ur Maa.

A separate group of priests were the servants of Per Neter. This is a very large group of ancient Egyptian priests who ensured the functioning of sacred places. Among them, several specialties could be distinguished.

The manager of the temple property was the priest Mer, whose responsibilities included: accounting for temple property, monitoring the cultivation of temple fields, supplying food, as well as preparing everything necessary for the temple service.

The priests of Kher Heb occupied a special position - they performed the duties of temple scribes and were keepers of the sacred books. They were responsible for copying and preserving the temple library scrolls. Kher Kheb were also revered as guardians of words of power and their correct pronunciation.

The priest Uab was responsible for the cleansing of the temple. During the period of work in the temple, he could not be married. Uab monitored the cleanliness of the premises, clothing and the timely supply of water to the temple. Uab’s duties also included sprinkling water on those entering the temple. As Herodotus notes, purity played an important role for the ancient Egyptians - not only the purity of the soul, but also the body. “To serve God, you need to be pure,” they said in the time of the pharaohs. According to tradition, all temple servants were required to perform four ablutions per day - in the morning, at noon, in the evening and at midnight.

The functions of priest and preacher were performed by Hem Neter - “servant of God” or “prophet of God.” He conducted temple services and read sermons, reminding believers of religious commandments and divine laws. From Hem Neter, the citizens of Egypt learned the knowledge of the divine “Mekh Neter.” It may also be noted that in the ancient Egyptian temple, during the temple prayer, a chant called Kayi sounded. The Egyptians called prayer Kekh, and thinking about the spiritual was called Waa.

In addition to the initiated priests, the servants of Per Neter were lay citizens, whose work was highly valued by the priests. For example, Khem Ankhiu, “priests of the living,” resolved litigation at the temple and gave everyday advice to the laity. Among those serving the priests, a special role was occupied by Thai Shebet - “bearers of wands” and Ahai-t - “bearers of sistrums”, who were present at temple services and helped conduct them. A separate class of lay temple servants were the Sau - “caretakers”, who played the role of temple guards. While standing on duty, they were obliged to read sacred texts - thus, the temple was protected not only by physical force, but also spiritually.

The Egyptians were very attentive to signs, believing that through signs and dreams God conveyed His will to people. The interpreter of events and heavenly omens was the priest Maa. He wore a leopard skin over his clothes, the black spots on which symbolized the stars. Maa had to begin his work with a certain prayer. The words of the priest Maa were necessarily recorded by the scribe Heri Sesheta - “the chronicler of the sacraments.” It should also be noted that the most famous of Maa, the supreme seer Ur Maa was Imhotep, who became famous for the construction of the step pyramid of Djoser.

It should be separately noted that the work of the priest Maa should not be confused with magical predictions as such. Maa never tried to find out what had not yet become. He only sought to find an accurate interpretation of the past event in order to understand the will of God, because the entire prosperity of Egypt and its people depended on it.

The priests concentrated science in their hands. Being the most educated class of the population, the priests taught in schools, teaching children of wealthy families writing, arithmetic, and other sciences. Astronomy enjoyed great success among the Egyptians. And although it overlapped with astrology, the astrology of that time had nothing in common with divination. It was used for medical and agricultural purposes, studying the impact of celestial bodies on nature and people’s well-being. As such, horoscopes and astrological predictions appeared in Ancient Egypt only in the 1st century BC. It was work in this area that singled out the priests into a separate group, which we will consider further.

Mer Unnut were observers. Amu Unnut were engaged in the interpretation of the movement of celestial bodies. They selected the right time for sowing and harvesting and informed the laity of the exact dates of the Nile flood. In the libraries of priestly temples one could find detailed records of astronomical phenomena over many years. Amu Unnut were able to calculate not only the day, but even the minute of the upcoming eclipse of the Sun.

They developed a system of numerical predictions where certain qualities of a person corresponded to a certain number. So they could find out the fate of a person from birth. Later, Persian magicians adopted their secret knowledge of cabal, and then it appeared in Europe, receiving the general name “magic”. It was from Amu Unnut that Pythagoras studied at one time, and in his further scientific research he used their numerological teaching. Historical facts confirm that just after returning from Egypt, Pythagoras made many mathematical discoveries, although he probably only reproduced the Egyptian experience.

Herodotus noted the observation skills of the Egyptians, who were able to identify patterns in natural phenomena and learned to predict events based on this. There was no magic in this case, just logical conclusions based on empirical data.

Also, Herodotus tells us that the Ancient Egyptians were skilled physicians and the healthiest people of the Ancient World. The priests of Senu played a special role in this - this is a category of doctors of Ancient Egypt. Medicine was not just a profession for them, but a sacred science. It is important to understand that, despite the fact that these priests were considered very skilled physicians, not a single treatment was complete without prayer. Healing was interpreted according to the will of the Gods, and if a person recovered, then he was in mandatory brought them offerings to the temple.

In addition, the priests clearly distinguished between divine mysticism, based on prayers, worship of the Gods and sacred traditions, - and witchcraft, which was practiced by some laymen and exiles. Witchcraft often caused harm to people, which is why in Ancient Egypt, witchcraft was prohibited. The priest Uab Sekhmet cleansed people from the influence of such sorcerers. He expelled witchcraft from houses and localities and restored a person’s spiritual strength.

You should also pay attention to the temple staff itself, how it was structured, and how responsibilities were delineated between the priests of Ancient Egypt.

From sources dating back to the era of the Old Kingdom, we learn that all temple personnel in the schedule of services were divided into two large groups: “hemu necher” and “hentiu she”. The “hemu necher” included those who directly participated in the worship service, which means that these are actually the priests themselves, and accordingly this group occupied more significant position among the temple staff. The “hentiu she” team included those whose duties were to supply the temple. The title “hentiu she” extended to temple peasants, gardeners, that is, to everyone who belonged to a given temple household. Sometimes representatives of this group were allowed into the sacred premises of the temple, but only in order to clean, clean and strengthen the temple and the statues of the king located in it.

Both the priests and the ministers who performed their duties were grouped into special “teams” or “detachments” that performed their functions according to the temple schedule of services and works. At the head of each such unit was a “supervisor of the priests,” who had a personal assistant.

At the head of any temple group was a high priest, but at the same time, each large temple of a particular deity had its own characteristics, expressed both in the specifics of the cult of the deity, and in the priestly charter and titles of the high priests.

It should also be taken into account that only the highest rank clergy spent the entire day in sacred labors. People of other professions and junior priests living on the temple grounds were required to be in the temple to perform religious duties only one month out of four. During their stay in the temple, they led an ascetic lifestyle, performed the ritual of ablution and gave a meal of abstinence. After this period, they returned home to their daily duties for the next three months. Professional singers and musicians generally lived permanently with their families, because their presence in the temple was required only on certain days, and even then for a few hours. Bearers of the highest priestly, male and female, titles had to be constantly in the temple to ensure daily worship.

Talking about the priestly class, we will also mention how they became priests and what kind of education they received. Unfortunately, based on the sources that have reached us, it is difficult to recreate the complete picture of obtaining the “profession of a priest,” but it can be argued that there were special “schools” at the temples in which future clergy were trained. In the temples there were even special priests (it necher), who were “teachers” in the priestly school at their temple. There was also a special school in which the future priestesses of Karnak and Luxor studied writing and music, sacred dance, rules of worship, and sometimes medicine. A similar educational institution for priestesses operated in Memphis, at the temple of the god Ptah. The students of this school were known for their piety and education, both in Egypt and abroad. There were also schools that trained professional priestesses-singers. Apparently, the woman, who had a strong, beautiful voice, herself chose the temple in which she became a singer. There she received the necessary musical education and learned to play musical instruments, the most popular of which was the harp.

In general, those who were preparing to devote their lives to serving the gods and goddesses were required to be able to read, write, recognize the images of the gods, know their epithets and attributes, all the myths associated with them and all the rituals related to them. Upon completion of training, candidates for priesthood passed an exam. Anyone who was recognized as worthy to enter the priestly group took off his worldly clothes, was washed, shaved bald, anointed with incense, and only then, in sacred priestly attire, he entered the “heavenly horizon”, where he approached God in his holy of holies.

Thus, we see that the temple team had quite complex organization, which included both those who performed purely economic functions - provided the temple with food, monitored cleanliness, and those who directly performed religious rites. Each member of the team had a certain title, which determined the scope of his duties; over the entire priesthood of the temple there was a high priest, who could only be appointed by the pharaoh.

However, in addition to these duties, aimed mainly at observing the cult of one or another deity, priests were also part of the temple courts located at all major temples of Ancient Egypt. The combination of such inherently different procedures as worship and legal proceedings can be explained, first of all, by the fact that throughout history Ancient East law was inextricably linked with religion and religious morality. This means that any legal norm had a religious justification, while any offense was simultaneously a violation of moral and religious norms.

It should also be taken into account that throughout the history of Ancient Egypt it happened more than once that priests played a much larger role than just senders of divine rituals. Thus, some high priests were destined to become the founders of new dynasties of pharaohs.

For example, during the reign of Ramses IX, a new religious idea was born among the highest Theban priesthood, supported by the high priest of Amun in Thebes - Herihor. According to this view, only those who were truly close to God had the right to earthly dominion in Egypt, not only as his “son”, but as his high priest. At this time, the pharaohs practically stopped performing priestly duties, completely transferring their sacred powers to the high priests who headed the temples.

According to Herihor's views, a pharaoh is simply a man who does not have any special advantages over the gods. Therefore, Herihor, as the high priest, opposes himself to the pharaoh. The extent to which such an ideology took root in the priestly environment is evidenced by the fact that the descendants of Herihor inherited from him only the priestly title, but they did not lay claim to royal dignity. Although Herihor himself, whose official title was “King of Upper and Lower Egypt, High Priest of Amun, son of Amon - Herihor,” endowed himself with the royal title. Here we trace the priesthood as the most influential class of Ancient Egypt, which was capable of not only worshiping and performing certain rituals, but also directly influencing the minds of the main population of Ancient Egypt and the pharaoh in particular.

However, largely thanks to the high priesthood in Egypt, certain dogmas were spread or, conversely, refuted, on the basis of which the religious ideas of the ancient Egyptians were then formed. It was in the priestly environment that the thesis that Pharaoh was the son and protege of God on earth arose at one time. And later, in the same environment, an ideology was formed, according to which it was not the pharaoh who was closest to God, but the high priest who supported his cult on earth and therefore had the right to occupy the royal throne.

Having examined a certain hierarchy of priests, as well as their duties and position in temple service, their certain mystery in Egyptian society is revealed. They were the center not only of the spiritual component of Ancient Egypt, but also constituted a certain social class and influenced the political life of society.

In Ancient Egypt, priests were not only keepers of sacred secrets, but also secular administrators. Studying for priesthood was serious and difficult. The priests constituted a clearly defined group, whose main duty was to “serve” one or another deity. The number, influence and wealth of each clergy depended on the degree of influence and power of a particular deity.

As we can see, serving the gods was a rather complex and painstaking task, requiring a large number of people.

Temples in Ancient Egypt were important for the state; they were considered the place where deities lived. And the Egyptians revered the gods and treated them with special respect. Within the temple walls there were many servants - priests, who had a considerable range of functions in the country.

Priests in Ancient Egypt

People serving the temple were considered the highest class in ancient Egyptian society, and such service was well paid. The priestly position was often inherited. The process of learning the priesthood was not easy and long, for example, the High Priest of Bakenkhons under Ramses the Great studied for about 16 years. The priesthood played an important role as the guardian of traditional values ​​and customs. The clan of priests had enormous power over both ordinary people and pharaohs, implementing laws and rules for the existence of the community. Everyone unconditionally listened to their advice, since they were considered conductors of the will of the gods.
While the kings and noble Egyptians dressed with noticeable luxury, on the contrary, they looked rather modest. As for clothing, they wore only aprons and bandages on their hips; only occasionally, on the occasion of a major holiday, could they dress themselves in robes white. Their hairstyle was also extremely simple - a perfectly shaved head, oiled until shiny.

What functions did the priests of Ancient Egypt perform?

The priests of ancient Egyptian temples monitored the correct performance of all rites and rituals in honor of the gods. But this was not only their responsibility. The priestly class was the bearer of colossal knowledge and experience of previous generations, but all this information was secret and was transmitted only to a select few.
Among the priests there were many gifted doctors and (mathematicians, astronomers, chemists). They treated various diseases and made forecasts for favorable periods for sowing and harvesting. Many detailed observations of nature and phenomena were recorded by priests on papyrus and preserved in temple libraries. Egyptian clergy also practiced magic and studied the ancient science of astrology, with the help of which they predicted the future. Before starting any significant business, the pharaohs certainly turned to the temple for the advice of the priests.

So, a little thinking out loud - because the public has formed a certain stereotype of what a modern pagan priest or “magician” or the same ordinary pagan usually does - he raises his hands up and, as a rule, loudly calls out to the gods at the same time.

It’s sad that all sorts of our contemporaries - priests and wise men (unconsciously?) strive to build their rituals in accordance with this stereotype, I have now watched a sufficient number of current videos of Rodnoverie to confirm this - yes, they are almost all the time , while the ritual lasts, one way or another they appeal to the Heavenly World, raising up either a staff, or a cup-brother, or simply (but invariably with pathos) both hands.

Don’t get me wrong, we ourselves wrote about this – the prayerful gesture of “adoration” ( https://vk.com/wall-119055965_2865), but it’s bad when this method of interaction with the supernatural (raising your hands in the air with a prayer-request) becomes an absolute template.
IMHO, this is because modern people look at religion too much in a modern, too “adult” way: we can still ask the “Higher Powers” ​​for something for ourselves, but we are no longer able to feel ourselves as a conductor of this Higher Power . Because we don't believe. We ask and ask, we are all waiting for something, but maybe we have already received THIS a long time ago and just don’t notice?

To correct this (and not very useful, yes, then yes) imbalance in the brain, we should try to give more than ask. If we believe that it makes sense to turn to To the Higher Powers with any request, we can fully believe that the Forces can use us as an instrument for an answer.
God has no other hands than yours.

When applied specifically to the practice of pagan priesthood, this is, of course, ritual BEATING.
From the detailed quote below it is clear that “beating” can be done at the most different levels(note the koan and aporia towards the end of the text as a type of verbal attack):

“Beating is a ritual magical action that has a predominantly productive function. Promotes fertility (children, livestock production), fertility (causing rain, ensuring crops), growth, health and well-being. Beating tools - stick, rods or branches of willow, birch, hazel, dogwood, nettle, broom, badnyak, belt, grain shovel, reel, necklace, etc. The ritual was performed on the threshold, at the gate, on the wedding bed, in the meadow, near the temple and in other places.
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During the wedding ritual, pots and other utensils were smashed against the doors of the house where they were preparing for the wedding. Among the Lusatian Serbs, when the newlyweds entered the groom's house, it was customary to throw a clay pot at the door and only then the newlyweds were brought into the house. In popular beliefs, the door of a house, like the house as a whole, was conceptualized in an anatomical code, being likened to a mouth or a female reproductive organ. In the myths of many peoples, the house was also conceptualized cosmically: house = space. In the Rig Veda, the creation of the world is associated with the idea of ​​​​opening doors: “And open to us heavenly delights, open streams like doors - O experts of the times” (VIII.5.21), while the actual creation of the world in the Rig Veda is associated with the blow of Indra’s vajra to the original hill. Indra pierced the “mountain” that contained the beginnings of all life. Indra – god of thunder and lightning; the root of this word denoted strength and fertility (cf. Slavic jedrъ, “vigorous”, “possessing the strength of a special property”, akin to Indra. - V.N. Toporov)

In the ideas of the Slavs, God competes with everything evil spirits in worldly affairs and fights with it different ways, including a lightning (thunder) strike. Beating could accompany good wishes and in this case was equivalent to sprinkling with grain, for example, in a marriage or funeral ritual. On the first day of Easter, the icon of the Mother of God was placed in linen and a handful of oats were poured “into her eyes” (a direct connection between the cult of the Mother of God and the motif of birth, fruitfulness and abundance). In agricultural rituals, beating could be accompanied by ritual abuse, despite the fact that abuse could be perceived both as an insult-blow (“foul language insults the raw earth, the Mother of God and the natural mother of man”) and as a ritual good wish associated with paganism.

A Buddhist teacher could strike a student unexpectedly with a stick. This was, of course, a punishment - for an incorrect answer or action - but the element of surprise is important here, which fundamentally distinguishes this blow from the blows practiced in European educational institutions. In the Zen Buddhist tradition, there is a koan - one of the two most important practices that helps to achieve “awakening” (satori). This is also a blow, but a blow at the verbal level.
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In the European tradition, one of the analogues of the koan is the Greek aporia (απορία - “hopelessness, predicament; impassable place; doubt, bewilderment”). Aporia in ancient Greek philosophy meant a seemingly insurmountable logical contradiction. The most famous aporias go back to Zeno; in the aporia “Achilles”, in contradiction with sensory experience, fleet-footed Achilles cannot catch up with the turtle, because while he runs the distance separating them, she will still have time to crawl a certain segment, while he runs this segment, she will crawl away a little more, etc.

Both the koan and the aporia resemble riddles, and at the same time testify to the ritual roots of this folklore genre.
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Everything that has to do with figures of speech, tropes (Greek τρόπος - lit. “turn; turn of speech”) can be called a verbal “blow”. The word paradox in Greek- “unexpected, extraordinary, strange.”
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On Trinity Sunday, in some places, the custom was observed of whipping graves with birch branches, which was called a pair of old ones, to wake up the deceased. On Christmas, Easter and some other holidays, people were ritually awakened. In Moravian Wallachia, on Easter Monday morning, boys woke up girls with blows of birch or willow branches; On Ignatov's Day, mothers woke up children with light blows from fruit branches. On New Year girls flog a stolen harrow so that matchmakers will come to them (the harrow had marital, phallic and erotic symbolism - it had teeth combined with cells) ...
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article “ROZGA” on “ex-déjà vu” (however, the basis of this text is SD.ES “beating”)