kingship-dynastyWe're still mapping where this idea was first discussed. Key passages and related ideas below.
The Temple Cult — Feeding the Gods
Every day, priests woke, washed, dressed, and fed the gods' statues — on the king's behalf.
Egyptians believed a god could be present in its temple statue, and that the statue had to be cared for daily: awakened, purified, dressed, and offered food and incense. In theory the king performed these rites for every god; in practice priests acted on his behalf. This service kept the gods 'content' and, Egyptians held, kept the cosmos in order. Temples were not congregational halls but the houses and households of the gods.
Key passages(1)
High