The Priest-Magician in ancient Egypt

The Priest-Magician in ancient Egypt

egypt temple priests

The summit of the magician’s skill was to possess the ability to control the forces of nature.

It was believed that they knew and could control the supernatural force that created and maintained life. The magician could use this power to achieve results in this world and in the afterlife.

Magicians were regarded as priests and scholars who could read and write the hieroglyphs, which gave them ultimate knowledge and control. They were trained for many years, and as apprentice magicians were instructed by masters at special schools and temples. In the House of Life attached to many of the temples the priest-magician would be taught to read and understand the sacred texts. Here the official Books of Magic were kept as part of the royal archive. Magic was thus an integral element of the state system, and magicians were never regarded as “strange” or abnormal.

The Priest-Magician in ancient Egypt

Their activities, whether for the state or for the individual, were part of mainstream belief and practice.

It was thought that since they were in direct contact with the architect of the universe and knew the secrets that went back to earliest times, magicians could re-create the conditions of the time of creation.

With their unique knowledge the magicians were expected to guide others along the path of wisdom. Although the events of an individual’s life were believed to some extent to be predestined, magic could be used to influence and change the course of destiny and to avoid some of the dangers.