Inside the temple’s most sacred shrine, the high priest was preparing a statue of Amun.  Heavy incense perfumed the air as the priest reverently washed the statue and dressed it in a fine linen robe.  Murmuring prayers, the priest adorned the statue with shining gold and precious stones.  Amun would be pleased.

Hierarchy of the Priests
Temple Duties
The Ritual of Purification
Royal Priestesses
How Do We Know That?

Ancient Egyptian temples and shrines were very sacred places.  Only special people were allowed into the temples: the priests, priestesses and pharaohs.  The Pharaoh was revered as the head of the priesthood.  Second only to the Pharaoh was the High Priest who carried out the Pharaoh’s religious duties.  Priests were rich and powerful, and were ranked with the officers of the state. Priests had many special privileges.  They were called by special names, wore special clothing and were allowed to "see" the gods.  In ancient Egypt, most priests married and had families.

Hierarchy of the Priests
The High Priest was usually a member of the royal family and was very close to the Pharaoh.  He had great power.  He controlled the wealth in the temple treasuries and the lands of the temple estate.

All priests had titles to indicate their power and status.  Some priests received the title  "God’s Servant," followed by a ranking of first, second or third.  Priests at lower levels were called “Pure Ones.” They were responsible for maintaining the temple’s property and keeping administrative records.
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Temple Duties
Priests had many jobs to do in their temples.  They honored their god by singing, reading prayers and burning incense. They kept an accurate count of the hours in each day and tracked the stars (especially important for agriculture and maintaining the calendar.)  Priests also healed the sick.

Egyptian priests made temple decisions, such as when rites were to begin in the morning.  They also made national decisions, such as when to plant crops.

At each of the temples, the High Priest had the specific job of caring for the god’s shrine.  As part of the ritual, he burned incense and sprinkled purified water on the temple floors.  Breaking the shrine's clay seal, the priest would reveal the statue of the god, which he then would bathe and dress in robes, necklaces and pendants.  An offering of food was also made to the god.  When the High Priest left the sanctuary, another priest swept the floor behind him so there was no trace of his presence.
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The Ritual of Purification
Priests had to be clean for the gods and took many steps to purify themselves.  They kept their heads and bodies shaved and would bathe in the temples’ sacred lakes four times a day.  Before and after eating at temple rituals, priests washed with a mix of water and natron.
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Royal Priestesses
Women were also permitted to play a role in temple rituals.  Most priestesses served the goddess Hathor.  Other women priestesses worked in temples as dancers, musicians, singers and acrobats.  The most important priestess was known as the “God’s Wife of Amun.”  This woman was usually the daughter of the Pharaoh.  She held a very high position at court, and performed important rituals to honor the god Amun.
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How Do We Know That?
Egyptian priests maintained public shrines to their gods.  A shrine painting (called a stela) from one of these shrines shows a man praying to Amun.  Six ears are painted on the stela.  These “hearing ears” were believed to send prayers directly to the god.
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