The Priests

The priests of ancient Egypt were ranked with the officers of the state who ran the country on behalf of the pharaoh. The head of every priesthood was the pharaoh himself, as he alone could mediate between humans and the gods. High priests during the period of the early kingdoms were probably members of the royal family and therefore very close to the pharaoh. During the New Kingdom, the priesthood became a highly specialized profession as considerable wealth was lavished upon state gods. The chief priests became the great administrators as well as religious leaders.