Fasting in civilizations and cultures.. The Pharaohs fasted from sunrise to sunset
Muslims around the world perform the obligation of fasting on those days, after the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan. It is an obligation and one of the five pillars of Islam, as millions of Muslims gather daily throughout the blessed month of Ramadan to perform the obligation of fasting, obedience to God, and Tarawih prayers.
A number of other civilizations and cultures preceded Muslims in fasting, and each civilization had its own rituals imposed on it by its environment. Perhaps the ancient Egyptians were one of those civilizations that knew fasting.
The ancient Egyptians knew fasting to get closer to the gods and purify themselves from any transgressions or sins they had committed. The Pharaohs were among the oldest peoples that knew the idea of abstaining from eating and drinking in order to obtain blessings and the approval of the gods. The temple servant would fast for 7 consecutive days without water before joining the temple. The period of fasting could extend to forty-two days. The Pharaohs’ fasting would begin from sunrise to sunset. They abstain from eating and having sex with women.
According to a number of studies, the fasting ritual was divided throughout the different Pharaonic dynasties into two fasts. The first fast was for the priestly class only, with the aim of getting closer to the gods and purifying the soul. The fasting period ranged between 7 days and 42 days, depending on the desired goal of the priest, and before he joined the temple. The priest would fast for 7 days without water, and during the 42-day fast, the ritual would begin from sunrise until sunset by abstaining from eating food and drinking water. At times, the priests were prohibited from eating meat during the first 10 days of the 42-day fast.
The second fast was allocated to the rest of the classes of the people, and the people’s fasting times were determined during the flood season, by fasting 4 days every year, and the fasting period begins in the first week of the third month of the flood season.
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