Explain the Importance and Worship of Amun and Other State Gods in the Ramesside Society

Natalie ChanMr. Slow12AHB

Explain the importance and worship of Amun and other state gods in the Ramesside Society.
The beginning of Dynasty 19 marks the start of the Ramesside period. Temples, reliefs and various stelas all show the importance and worship of gods by the pharaohs. When honouring the gods, the ideal universal order of maintaining maat was fulfilled by the pharaohs. The most important feature throughout the Ramesside period to understand the importance of Amun and state gods is the construction of temples dedicated to the various gods. The pharaohs, Rameses I, Sety I, Rameses II, Sety II and Rameses III all provide us with rich sources showing change and continuity of importance and worship of Amun and other state gods.
The most obvious shift in the importance of gods is the different names used with the new set of rulers. The new ruling dynasty showed a different orientation in its names: The Thutmoses and Amenhoteps were replaced by the Ramesesses and Setis and Mer-enPtahs, the southern gods Thoth and Amun by the northern gods Re and Set and Ptah[1]. Not only did this shift affect the names and importance of the gods but the northern shift was affected by placing the working capital of Egypt at a Delta site, Tanis[2] (Per-Rameses).
The first pharaoh showing signs of worship towards other gods besides Amun was Rameses I. The stela from Sinai honours Mut, the consort of Amun, and another stela at Buhen mentioning Re and Ptah as he ‘who is the ruler of the Two Lands’. This shows Rameses I honouring several gods typical of the early dynasty. By honouring several gods it showed that Rameses wanted to prevent any one religious cult from having great influence and becoming powerful, as it had occurred in Dynasty 18 during the reign of Akenaten.
By the time Sety I came to the throne, the importance of gods had changed, but only slightly. By analysing the name of Sety, we can identify his close association with the god Set; his name meaning ‘he who belongs to Seth’. Like his father Rameses I, Sety shows equal distribution of his favours towards the different gods and to religious cults. Further evidence showing equality is with the adoption of the names Men-maat-Re, meaning ‘Enduring is the truth of Re’ and adding Meren-Ptah, meaning ‘beloved of Ptah’.
Sety’s temple of Osiris at Abydos, also gives equal prominence to six gods. The temple includes seven chapels devoted to the gods, which included Osiris, Isis, Ptah, Horus, Amun and Re-Horakhte. The last of the seventh chapels was set aside for his own cult. The type of decoration used is the same for each chapel, is identical in style, and the doors are plated with electrum, this also emphasises the equality of favour shared amongst these gods. Not only this, but the chapel is decorated with scenes of Sety making offerings to each of the gods. The importance of Amun during the reign of Sety is clearly evident from his temple at Abydos. From this temple, a relief shows Sety kneeling before the god Amun and is receiving the weapons of war from Amuns hands. This shows that Amun is significant both militarily and religiously as state god.
During the reign of Rameses II, he appointed the high priest of Hathor as the new high priest of Amun. By appointing a new high priest of Amun, Rameses showing reverence toward Amun. Through his building efforts the forecourt of the temple at Luxor and a Third Pylon was complete. The temple at Luxor was dedicated to Amun, Mut and Khons, all whom belonged to the Theban triad of gods. Further promoting the importance and worship of Amun, Ptah and Re, there are statues of the gods at his temple at Abu Simbel.
The change during Rameses II’s reign was that he supported the cults of other gods particularly of Re and Ptah. The significance of this move by Rameses II was that he did not want any one cult to achieve powers like a previous cult during earlier dynasties; the cult of Aten. However, Rameses II did not neglect Amun. The main shrine of his mortuary temple that he built on the western bank at Thebes, the Ramesseum, was dedicated to Amun. Temples to Re, Amun, Ptah and Hathor in Nubia, Temple to Thoth at Memphis were constructed and from this, we may conclude that none of the gods were abandoned.
The most important building during the reign of Sety II is the triple shrine for the barques of Amun, Khons and Mut at Karnak. This shrine shows the continuing importance of worship to the gods Amun, Khons and Mut.
The most significant of rulers during Dynasty 20 was Rameses III. The Harris Papyrus shows the significance of Amun and the gods of Memphis. The scene from the Great Harris Papyrus, Ramesses III is standing before the god Amun. Under Rameses III, Karnak and other Amun temples were wealthiest during this period because of the large proportions of booty received from the king from their military victories. The Harris Papyrus also shows that while various state gods received Rameses III’s benefaction, the overwhelming majority of gifts went to the temples of Amun.
However, other gods were not neglected by Rameses III. Mut and Khons were still remembered and Rameses III had built a temple dedicated to these gods opposite the triple shrine of Sety II at Karnak. Outside of the main temple there was a larger temple dedicated to Khons but was not completed by him. Also contributions to Mut are evident and at Per-Rameses a temple of Seth was constructed there.
When reaching the end of Dynasty 20, the power of the king had declined. After Rameses V and the time of Rameses XI, the king’s worship to the gods wasn’t as strong as the earlier period. Herihor, the high priest of Amun emerged into prominence and some reliefs are even showing Herihor performing duties of the king. In other reliefs and some temple inscriptions, Herihor is depicted the same size as Rameses XI, is shown wearing the uraeus of a king and his name is written within a cartouche.
Throughout the reigns of several pharaohs of Dynasties 19 and 20, change and continuity can be seen. The importance and worship of gods, particularly during the reign of Rameses II, we see an elevation and equality of the gods. The significance of Amun during the Ramesside period was not promoted as actively by the pharaohs of Dynasty 18, Hatshepsut. Although that was the case, throughout Dynasties 19 and 20, Amun was still the main focus of most of the royal building programs. Re and Ptah in particular were being honoured and even army divisions were named after them by the Ramesside kings, this emphasised a close relationship with these gods. From the royal building programs especially the temples, shows the importance of religious practice and worship throughout the Ramesside period. However, towards the ending of Rameses II’s reign and after his death, there is a significant change. With the decline of the period, the importance of the god Amun is so great that its powers had risen and given the priesthood of Amun opportunities to usurp the king.

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[1] J.A. Wilson, The culture of Ancient Egypt, University of Chicago, 1971. p239

[2] Ibid., p239