The gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt were an integral aspect of the peoples’ daily lives, inhabiting not only the temples thought to be their homes but the streams, lakes, plains, and trees of the land and, of course, the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians responded to the energies of these deities through art, preserving their images.
Belief in these higher powers is evident from the Predynastic Period in Egypt (c. 6000-3150 BCE) through the Ptolemaic Period (323-30 BCE) and even into the period of Roman Egypt (30 BCE - 646 CE). Their images adorned temples, monuments, tombs, sarcophagi, and papyrus texts as well as appearing as statuary, figurines, palace wall reliefs, and as amulets. To an ancient Egyptian, the gods were always present and their images in artworks were a constant reminder of the gifts they gave to the people every day.
