How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"The pharaoh himself was called a living god, you know. Egyptologists believe this was just a lot of propaganda, but in fact it was often literally true. The greatest of the pharaohs became hosts for gods, usually Horus. He gave them power and wisdom, and let them build Egypt into a mighty empire." (15.101)
Ah, we reach the intersection of politics and religion—and it isn't always pretty. As Iskandar points out later in that same conversation, some pharaohs who tried to host the gods died young because of the strain. And with Horus in charge of most of the rulers, well, that can make things tough because... he's the god of war. Think about it. Would it be better if a different kind of god were in charge?
Quote #8
"You're telling me our parents secretly worshipped animal-headed gods?" I asked. "Not worshiped," Amos corrected. "By the end of the ancient times, Egyptians had learned that their gods were not to be worshipped." (6.115-116)
And here we see some of the different ways magicians think about Egyptian religion: it's not to be taken at face value. Like: don't worship the gods just because they're gods. Do you think the magicians have their own religion? Something like a religion of magic? What makes them think differently about Egyptian religion? Why do they dislike the gods so much?
Quote #9
"Legend says the world will end when Ra gets too tired to continue living in his weakened state. Apophis will swallow the sun. Darkness will reign. Chaos will overcome Ma'at, and the Serpent will reign forever." (27.37)
Well, Egyptian religion wouldn't be Egyptian religion if it didn't have some sort of doomsday or apocalypse scenario. This one is not particularly cheery, but we're not talking locusts or rivers of blood either, so that's a plus. This quote also reveals that Egyptian religion is all about order and harmony: it's about overcoming chaos. How does that relate to the overall theme of the book?