Ritual and Spiritual Purification from an Ancient Egyptian Perspective

 

A ritualistic display requires purity. It is one of the most basic concepts to any religious practice or spiritual discipline.¹ In the modern era, there are growing numbers of people that practice reconstructed versions of lost wisdom traditions. For adherents of sundered wisdom traditions the process and theory behind ritual purity is lost or incomplete. However, there are bits of information from various places and eras that give insight into ancient views on ritual and spiritual purity. For most modern day practitioners of ancient spiritual disciplines who are curious about concepts and mechanisms of purity, ancient Egypt is especially relevant. Ancient Egyptian civilization influenced much of the ancient world. The content in this article comes from “Conceptions of Purity in Ancient Egyptian Religion” by Joachim Quack, which was part of the Brill volume Purity and the Forming of Religious Traditions in the Ancient Mediterranean World and Ancient Judaism. The text was edited by Christian Frevel and Christophe Nihan.² The historical evidence presented by Quack in the article is more than adaptable for any esoteric-minded person. Quack cites a variety of sources from different eras of ancient Egyptian history. His account is both informative and instructional. The highlights are listed below, along with short explanations.

 

Before looking at the elements of ancient Egyptian purity, there are a few things to consider. Many of these purification rules or techniques span different eras and temple traditions. Some were used for  royalty and others for regular people. It should be clear to anyone trying to adapt any of this information that it is out of cultural and historical context. If one were to incorporate an element into a ritual practice, it would be worthwhile to read the text to understand as much as possible about the ritual practice. Now, let’s get to the different techniques that led to a separation between the sacred and the profane.  

 

Pouring of water, suffumigation in incense, pouring of natron water

 

The pouring of water in temples and on altars and near statues was common. Libations used to purify offerings during rituals is also mentioned. Likewise, suffumigation with incense over offerings or altars was a normal part of Egyptian religious practice as well. Third is natron water, which Quack doesn’t focus on too much but is a staple of Egyptian ritual practice. The natron is a naturally occurring salt that is put in the water. These elements are the ones that are most accessible to modern esoteric practitioners.

 

Purifying with lapis lazuli 

 

The purification with lapis lazuli refers to the pouring of water from a vessel made of the stone. While a remarkable concept, the use of lapis lazuli  is an unusual purification material in the overall tradition.

 

Food taboos

 

Fish, pigs, and small livestock were forbidden in various religious texts. It left geese, cattle, and  desert game as viable options. There is evidence it was not the norm for the majority of Egyptians as even the workers of the royal tombs ate fish.³

 

Emphasis on cleanliness 

 

There was a huge emphasis on being clean, which was connected to rituals and spiritual life. “[Herodotus] indicates that the Egyptians were very much concerned with purity, even cleaning the bronze beaker on a daily basis, wearing freshly washed linen garments, practicing circumcision for purity, and requiring that the priest shave his whole body daily and wear only a linen garment and sandals made of papyrus, in addition to washing twice a day and twice a night with cold water.”⁴

 

Gold 

 

Contact with gold can purify. It was equated with the flesh of the gods.⁵

 

Duration of time 

 

Engaging in an activity, be in abstention of a substance or a behavior, or doing a specific routine for a prescribed amount of time was a norm. The duration of some of these purificatory actions or activities was usually one day, four days, seven days, nine days, and ten days long. For example, in one account a priest was supposed to drink natron water for ten days.   

 

Priests

 

Egyptian priests were expected to be pure and had different rules than most people. Besides all sorts of taboos, types of abstinence, and requirements, they were expected to have moral purity. This moral purity included protecting the weak and prohibited stealing food, lying, and being violent.

 

Sexual abstinence 

 

Sexual abstinence was part of the rituals in the Books of Death, likely to be performed by living ritualists on behalf of the dead. One inscription chastises anyone who enters a tomb after having sexual intercourse. One preserved text mentions various periods of purification for men who have had sexual contact with a woman. The text gives periods of one day and nine days. It is in relation to purity as a means of having access to a temple. 

 

Purity and decorating

 

Quack notes the verb used for “to purify” is sw’b. It is sometimes used with the meaning “to decorate.” Readers can arrive at their own conclusions regarding this additional meaning. Of course, beauty and adornment come to mind when considering the concept of decoration as synonymous with purity.

 

 

Notes

1. Frevel, Christian and Nihan Christophe, Purity and the Forming of Religious Traditions in the Ancient Mediterranean World and Ancient Judaism, edited by Christian Frevel and Christophe Nihan, (Koninklijke Brill, NV, Leiden, the Netherlands, 2013), 4.

2.Joachim Friedrich Quack, “Conceptions of Purity in Ancient Egyptian Religion,” in the Purity and the Forming of Religious Traditions in the Ancient Mediterranean World and Ancient Judaism, edited by Christian Frevel and Christophe Nihan, (Koninklijke Brill, NV, Leiden, the Netherlands, 2013), 115-159.

3. Quack, “Conceptions of Purity in Ancient Egyptian Religion,”(Koninklijke Brill, NV, Leiden, the Netherlands, 2013). 140.

4. Quack, “Conceptions of Purity in Ancient Egyptian Religion,”(Koninklijke Brill, NV, Leiden, the Netherlands, 2013). 141.

5. Quack, “Conceptions of Purity in Ancient Egyptian Religion,”(Koninklijke Brill, NV, Leiden, the Netherlands, 2013). 118.

 

Bibliography

1. Quack, Joachim Friedrich. “Conceptions of Purity in Ancient Egyptian Religion.” In the Purity and the Forming of Religious Traditions in the Ancient Mediterranean World and Ancient Judaism. Edited by Christian Frevel and Christophe Nihan. Koninklijke Brill, NV, Leiden, the Netherlands, 2013.

 

Photo Credits

1. A number of gold coins are on a table. Photo by Midjourney. Prompt: 10 gold coins on a stone table in ancient Egypt. Username: @david.k9
2. Scarab ring bezel from the New Kingdom. Sheet gold is neatly molded around a lapis lazuli scarab. The inscription reads “Chiefs of the Priestly Guild of Horus.” Photo is by anonymous at the Walters Art Museum. 
3. Lapis lazuli dragon bowl made by Gasparo Miseroni, Milan, circa 1570. Photo by Vassil.