The role of priests in the temples was not pastoral and contact was minimal believers. They were appointed from the classes of scribes and many offices became hereditary, while the role of lay priests recruited from the general population declined and their importance was reduced. Control over the temples ceased to be in the hands of the community.
Although much is known about the official religion and rituals, religious customs of the Egyptian people are not as well documented. They seem to have worshiped gods in their homes, perhaps by placing small statuettes offerings before God. In the rooms before the houses of Deir el Medina workers have been raised platforms that may have served altars.
In the rooms before the houses of Deir el Medina workers have been raised platforms that may have served altars.In the rooms before the houses of Deir el Medina workers have been raised platforms that may have served altars.In the rooms before the houses of Deir el Medina workers have been raised platforms that may have served altars.
Bes and Taweret were two major domestic gods. New Kingdoms, ordinary individuals were permitted to file votive offerings in areas outside of the temples, but the main occasions during which they could approach the gods were public holidays. During these periods, ordinary people could watch the procession of a deity, although it is most often remote and in general the real image of God is not visible to them.
Egyptians asked the Nile god and thanked him for all the blessings He gives to the people, especially during the festival of the flood, or a flood. There were also prayers for the afterlife. Rich Egyptians were buried with larger quantities of luxury items, but all burials, regardless of social status, included goods of the deceased.
From the New Kingdom, books of the dead were included in the tomb, with statues believed to be Shabti perform manual labor for them in the afterlife Rituals in which the deceased was magically re-burials accompanied animation. After burial, living relatives were expected to bring food from time to time to the tomb and recite prayers on behalf of the deceased.
There was a guide known as the Book of the Dead, which contained spells and instructions to ensure safe passage through the dangers of hell. Funeral prayers and spells were chanted to the Egyptian gods and a roll of papyrus Book of the Dead was buried with the Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians also seem to have recognized that stress may contribute to the disease.
They established sanitariums where people experience a "dream therapy" and treatments with "healing waters." A few gods were considered as dangerous as protection against them was deemed necessary by prudence. One of them was Nefertoum, of Sekhmet son, whose amulets against evil influences were worn. The attitude towards some of the gods was ambivalent and has changed over time.