Ancient Egypt was a mystical society with a broad and deep belief in the afterlife and the existence of many gods to appease and worship. Everyday objects and animals were deified and worshipped. Even the kings were considered a divine embodiment of the gods. The tombs, burial sites and artifacts are an enduring testimony to this fascinating religion. Less documented, but no less fascinating, was the beliefs of the ordinary people of Egypt: magic, rituals, festivals, taboos, superstitions, dreams and oracles reveal how far religion influenced and enriched their lives. Finally the book looks at a voice of dissent in the 3000 period: Pharoah, Alchenaten, who defied thousands of years of culture and history to revolutionize Egyptian religion to outlaw Polytheism and allow worship of only one god.

State religion: Gods and goddesses -- Myths and their settings -- Kingship and the gods -- Temples and priests -- Akhenaten's religious revolution -- Religion in life and death: Funerary religion -- Tombs -- Popular religion -- Mythologizing ancient Egypt.