Did the ancient Egyptian priests know the dead pharaohs weren't eating the food the people left for them?

Question

Wouldn't the priests have noticed the food was still there? Did they take it themselves? Why didn't they tell the people they didn't need to bring food for the mummies since they weren't taking it? Maybe the priests kept the food for themselves, and snickered at the fools that kept bringing it for the dead pharaohs? Are religious leaders still like that? Is this what organized religion is really all about?

Answer 1

Ancient egyptian religion was actually quite coherent on food offerings for the dead.

Egyptians believed that a man consisted of five parts: his body, his name, his shadow, his ka, and his ba. A ba is what makes each person unique, i.e. his personality and his traits. A ka is the life-force -- when you die, your ka leaves your body.

Egyptians logically concluded that when you are alive, the ka is sustained by food--after all, when you eat, you get stronger. When you don't eat, you die.

So when egyptians left food offerings for the dead, it was the ka of the dead that consumed the "life-force" of the food, since your body is no longer present to physically consume it.

In addition, the ancient egyptians often made "invocation offerings" or "voice offerings" rather than actual food. This involved a recitation offerings made for the ka of the dead, and invoked spiritual food for them in the afterlife.

Answer 2

That's a random interesting question. I really don't know.. but I could give an opinon. The priests probably left the food there, although they might've took them. Back then pagan people, polytheistic religions like the egyptians, left all kinds of sacrifices and food for their gods and people. It was the thing to do. ^_^ Great question. It would be interesting to research stuff like that in the future.

Answer 3

What people forget is that the pyramids were off-limits and sealed both physically and with a curse. The Egyptians thought that if they went into one they would suffer a most tragic and horrific end. Only tomb robbers from outside cultures (and irreverent folk) bothered to go in. So no, the Egyptians would have no idea that the tomb still had the food in there.

Answer 4

Yes, they knew -- and no, they didn't eat it themselves (remains have been found at many sites).
Like a lot of religious icons, the food was symbolic, not literal. It was meant to show that the dead person had prepared for his passage to the otherworld, and that those still living cared enough about the dead person to provide food for them (which bode well for the dead's good deeds while he was alive, if people cared about him).
SYMBOLISM -- religion is rife with it :)

Answer 5

How many people have checked to see if Santa Claus eats the food left for him?

Answer 6

excuse me for asking, but DOES IT REALLY MATTER EVEN??? I MEAN COME ON....