Gold 0.21%
£3,225.80 OZ
Silver -2.37%
£48.11 OZ
Platinum -0.49%
£1,400.43 OZ
The Silver Britannia is capital gains tax free in the UK, making is a very popular choice with UK investors
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In ancient Egypt, gold was revered not just as a material of wealth, but as a symbol deeply embedded within the religious and spiritual beliefs of the society. Its religious and symbolic importance is evident in various aspects of Egyptian culture, from their mythology and deities to funerary practices and temple rituals.
The ancient Egyptians regarded gold as the flesh of the gods, particularly Ra, the sun god who was considered the most powerful deity in Egyptian history. Gold’s natural properties: its untarnished lustre and resistance to corrosion lead Egyptians to believe it was eternal and unchanging, which were qualities associated with the divine.
The concept of immortality was deeply rooted in the culture and religion of ancient Egyptians, and due to its strong association with the gods, gold was seen as a symbol of immortality. It was used extensively in burial practices, from jewellery to funerary masks and sarcophagi due to the Egyptians belief that it possessed magical properties that would ensure the deceased would be granted safe passage and eternal life in the afterlife.
The ‘death mask’ of Pharaoh Tutankhamun is perhaps the most iconic example of the significant role gold played in funerary practices. Made of solid gold, the mask was used to protect the pharaoh’s face in the afterlife and served as symbol of Tutankhamun’s divine status and his connection to the gods.
The Egyptians also used gold to create the inner coffins or to gild the wooden sarcophagi of the wealthy and powerful. It served not only as a display of wealth but as another means of ensuring the deceased would be honoured and protected in the afterlife.
Protective charms such as gold amulets, often inscribed with prayers and spells from the “Book of the Dead”, were placed inside the coffins as a way of guiding the deceased through the underworld.
Statues of deities were believed to be the physical embodiment of the gods when ceremonially “awakened” in temple rituals. They were often made from or adorned with gold to enhance their sacred and divine presence. Extensive use of gold in temples and sanctuaries glorified the gods and symbolised their divine power. The capstone of a pyramid or the obelisks were often covered in gold to shine brilliantly in the sun, symbolising the rays of the sun god Ra.
In Egyptian cosmology, the sun’s daily journey across the sky and its renewal each morning was a central theme. With its brilliant, sun-like shine, gold symbolised the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth. This cosmic connection reinforced the use of gold in rituals and objects related to the afterlife, as it represented the soul’s journey and its eventual resurrection. In rituals, gold was often used to invoke the sun’s power, whether in the form of jewellery worn by priests or as part of the decorations within a temple.
