Personal piety is not uniformly attested throughout Egyptian history. Before the New Kingdom Egypt, it is very rare to find evident of personal Piety.

Personal Piety was also known as "giving god in one's heart". In New kingdom people could pray for personal bidding and were not confine to political aspects. They had extended it to all aspects of life.

Evidence for such personal piety becomes abundant during the Ramesside period such as wall painting depicting individual asking for favors to their Gods, or graffitis on the walls of temples asking for favors, and prays. An Individual prime source to encounter the Deities was the temple. Most temple activities were closed to the public, but there were occasions such as festivals in which the Gods would appear.

During festivals, when the gods left their temples, people had the opportunity to present the gods with questions and receive oracular responses.

People would visit a temple for three main purposes prayer, sacrifice, and offerings. Prayers were generally delivered orally, and began with a low bow, called kissing the ground.The prayer would then kneel or stand, with arms raised, in respect to the God and then make their requests. Most evident were provided from the numerous graffiti, on the temple wall which preserved evidence of the types of things people prayed for. People could pray to receive the favor of the gods, or to be loved by their gods.

There were other places within the temple where people could approach the gods with their prayers. At the rear of some temples, directly behind the sanctuary of the temple, could be found a chapel of the hearing ear.This could be as simple as an ear carved into a wall or as divine as a chapel. The ear would represent the gods ability to hear prayers.

There were also places in the gates of the temenos wall (the wall surrounding a temple) where people could make prayers and offering to the gods. The south gate of the temenos wall at Edfu were people would pray for life from the lord of life.

Another focused could be an images of the gods in the temple were prayers and offerings could be made.


Bibliography:

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