Egypt Social Class
Sophia Tang
12.8.11
F Block
Egypt Social Class Essay Social class affected the daily life of Egypt. It decided how a priest lived, what they ate, and where they lived. They were the in the third highest level, after pharaoh and government officials, which made them powerful. They were also highly respected because they had very important jobs. Priests were usually men, but there were also some priestesses. Generally, priests were seen as “god’s servant”. Their main duty was to look after the holy statues of gods and goddesses in the temples. They were the only ones allowed to touch the statues. Many priests were needed and they all had different jobs. Lector priests could read and copy sacred books in the temple library. Hour priests watched the moon and stars to hep predict the right time for festivals. “God’s singers” played the harp and sang during services. Finally, the “ka priest” served the spirits of the dead. There were also levels of priests. The high priest was appointed by the pharaoh and carried out the daily rituals on the king’s behalf. They advised the priest and oversaw all religious ceremonies.The “second prophet” or the “high priests’ deputy” was responsible for temple property, staff, and business. The last level, part time priests, served in the temples as porters, sacrificers, head gardeners, painters, scribes, and monitored the work of carpenters, and bakers. They also handled the more common requests and concerns. Because there are so many priests who specialize in different areas, they usually worked only one out of every four months. When they weren’t doing their job, they were supposed to be role models and good citizens. They had no authority to direct other people’s activities though.
Another way the social class affected a priest’s life was that they had to follow a lot of rules. When they enter their job in the temples after their “break” they must “ritually clean”. They must wash themselves four times in cold water
12.8.11
F Block
Egypt Social Class Essay Social class affected the daily life of Egypt. It decided how a priest lived, what they ate, and where they lived. They were the in the third highest level, after pharaoh and government officials, which made them powerful. They were also highly respected because they had very important jobs. Priests were usually men, but there were also some priestesses. Generally, priests were seen as “god’s servant”. Their main duty was to look after the holy statues of gods and goddesses in the temples. They were the only ones allowed to touch the statues. Many priests were needed and they all had different jobs. Lector priests could read and copy sacred books in the temple library. Hour priests watched the moon and stars to hep predict the right time for festivals. “God’s singers” played the harp and sang during services. Finally, the “ka priest” served the spirits of the dead. There were also levels of priests. The high priest was appointed by the pharaoh and carried out the daily rituals on the king’s behalf. They advised the priest and oversaw all religious ceremonies.The “second prophet” or the “high priests’ deputy” was responsible for temple property, staff, and business. The last level, part time priests, served in the temples as porters, sacrificers, head gardeners, painters, scribes, and monitored the work of carpenters, and bakers. They also handled the more common requests and concerns. Because there are so many priests who specialize in different areas, they usually worked only one out of every four months. When they weren’t doing their job, they were supposed to be role models and good citizens. They had no authority to direct other people’s activities though.
Another way the social class affected a priest’s life was that they had to follow a lot of rules. When they enter their job in the temples after their “break” they must “ritually clean”. They must wash themselves four times in cold water