Images of the Egyptian Gods

The divine barque of Amun, carried by priests and
 led by the king,  in ritual procession.
Shrine of Philip Arrhidaeus, c 323 BC.
 Temple of Amun, Karnak.

The object of the temple service was the divine image, for the statue of the deity housed within the sanctuary of the temple was the focal point of the entire cult. As a result, the amount of work dedicated to the production of divine images was often considerable and the results doubtless awe-inspiring.

Although they were not considered to be the gods themselves, statue of Egyptian gods and goddesses were believed to house the spirits or manifestations of the deities, and because of this they were treated as though they were alive. Divine images were taken from their shrines each day and washed, dressed in clean clothes, adorned with precious ornaments and censed. They were given offerings of food and drink - usually wine, milk or water - and then returned to their shrines.
The distinction between the medium of the statue and the seperate identity of the deity is clear in textual sources, however.

"The God of this earth is the sun in the sky. While his images are on earth, when incense is given them as daily food, The lord of rising is satisfied" | The Instruction of Ani

The divine image was not only treated reverntially, but was also the recipient of considerable gifts. For example, Amenophis Son of Hapu, chief steward of Amenophis III, records that he donated 1,000 animals to a statue of the king. Royal gifts to the Egyptian gods were even more prodigious, of course, and were often recorded in representations of the kind presenting his gifts before the image of the deity to whom they were made.

On festivals days or other special occasions the images of the gods were often placed in portable barques which were carried upon the shoulders of the priests and taken in procession to significant sites. These were often the temples of other deities, or their own outlying temples where the deity would simply take up temporary occupancy for the duration of the festival or special event.

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