Religion and Mummies in Ancient Egypt

What does the term "polytheism" mean?

• Belief in one god

• Belief in many gods

• Belief in no gods

Answer explanation

"Polytheism" means the belief in many gods. The ancient Egyptians were polytheists who prayed to many gods such as Osiris, Horus, Isis, and Ra.

What group in ancient Egyptian society performed the religious rituals at temples?

• Farmers

• Scribes

• Merchants

• Priests

Answer explanation

The term "priest" refers to a person whose job is to perform religious rituals.

Who in ancient Egyptian society was considered equal to the gods?

• pharaoh

• slaves

• artisans

• nobles

Answer explanation

Ordinary Egyptians believed that pharaoh was not only their king but also a god on Earth.

The most important ritual in the Egyptian religion was the one pharaoh performed to make sure that what event happened every year?

• War

• A pyramid is finished

• Pharaoh's son is born

• The Nile floods

Answer explanation

The most important rituals in the Egyptian religion were the ones that were believed to bring the yearly Nile floods. These floods were needed to provide the water and silt that made the soil fertile for growing crops. Pharaoh himself led these rituals.

What did ancient Egyptians believe happened to a person after the died?

• Their soul made a journey to the afterlife.

• Their soul haunted the family's home

• The person's soul ceased to exist

• The person became a god

Answer explanation

Ancient Egyptians believed that when a person died, their soul made a journey to the afterlife where their heart would be weighed against the feather of truth. If their heart was light from living a good life, they could enter the afterlife.

What is a mummy?

• A building where a dead body is stored

• A preserved dead body

• An Egyptian word for "mother"

• A bunch of linen bandages

Answer explanation

The term "mummy" means any dead body that has been preserved to prevent decay. Ancient Egyptians wrapped their mummies in linen bandages.

Why did the Egyptians believe that a person's body needed to be mummified after death?

• So their family could keep it in the house

• So it could be burned at the person's funeral

• To prevent the soul from being destroyed

• To prove that the person was really dead

Answer explanation

Ancient Egyptians believed that without a body to hold the parts of the soul together, the soul would break apart and be lost forever.

Which organ was not removed from a person's body while they were mummified?

• Liver

• Brain

• Intestines

• Heart

Answer explanation

Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was the source of the soul. Therefore, the heart was left in the body during mummification.

Why did ancient Egyptians also mummify animals?

• To control the amount of stray animals in cities

• As offerings to the gods

• To prevent disease

• To practice mummifying humans

Answer explanation

Ancient Egyptians made sacrifices to win the favor of the gods. Animals mummies were a popular form of sacrifice in ancient Egypt.

Which Egyptian god was the god of mummification?

• Osiris

• Isis

• Anubis

• Thoth

Answer explanation

The jackal-headed god Anubis was the ancient Egyptian god of the dead and mummification.