Need help! Ancient Egyptian question

[Blamat]

I can't find the answer to this question. ~:confused:

"Why was the solar journey such a powerful image for Egyptians?"

This history class is pissing me off greatly because the teacher expects us to answer things we never learned about. We never went over why Sun was actually so important to the Egyptians, and I don't even know how I know what the solar journey is...

Oh btw don't feel bad about giving me the answers, it basically goes without saying that we are supposed to find the answers ourselves so this is basically like... researching... haahaha.

[Pericles]

Here is some information:

Re (Ra) was the Egyptian sun god who was also often referred to as Re-Horakhty, meaning Re (is) Horus of the Horizon, referring to the god's character.

The early Egyptians believed that he created the world, and the rising sun was, for them, the symbol of creation. The daily cycle, as the sun rose, then set only to rise again the next morning, symbolized renewal and so Re was seen as the paramount force of creation and master of life.

Thus, in the Pyramid Text, Re is perpetually resurrected in the mornings in the form of a scarab beetle, Khepri, which means the Emerging One. He rides on the primordial waters, called Nun, in his sacred bark (boat) along with a number of other deities across the sky, where at sunset he becomes Atum, the "All Lord".
At sunset, he is swallowed by the goddess Nut, who gives birth to him each morning again as Khepri.

Therefore, the cycle continued with birth, life and death.

[Blamat]

Thanks for the info... I still don't get why it was "such an important image" to them though... I am so tired and I have no energy for creative thinking at all tonight... *sigh*

[GoreBag]

It was an important image because of what such an image would symbolise, like in Pericles' post. It was also one half of the Phaoric pair of deities, like the yin in a yin-yang (the other deity in this pairing was Set).

Of course, Ra and Set were eventually replaced as primary deities by Horus and Isis, but that's not very pertinent.

Recapitulation: The Sun symbolised birth, rebirth, renewal, and just about all the other good things in the lives of the Egyptians.