Celestical Alignments and Divine Will: Astronomy and Religion in Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians are mostly known for their sophisticated religious thought and monumental architecture, but they were also an advanced civilization when it came to the understanding of the cosmos . To them, however, the heavens were not just a realm of scientific interest but part of their religious thought and cosmology. To the Egyptians, the celestial sphere was the domain of the gods, residing there and interfering with human affairs at will. It was a force of life, and as such, it was the most important factor in Egyptian mythology . Ra , the sun god , was believed to ride in his solar boat across the sky, battling nightly against the forces of chaos and emerging triumphant each morning. This daily cycle paralleled the journey of the soul through the underworld, underscoring the cyclical nature of life and death. Ra's nocturnal vessel was called Mesektet (Ancient Egyptian: msktt ) while he used Mandjet (Ancient Egyptian: mꜥnḏt ) or the Boat of Millions of ...