They believed in many gods that had human emotions. They mummified the dead because they thought they would need their bodies for the afterlife. They also built temples & pyramids. Religion lead every aspect of Egyptian life. It was based on Polytheism, or worship of many deities Except for during the rein of Akhenaton. The Egyptians had 2,000 gods and goddesses!!! Usually gods were presented part human and part animal. Like Horus the sky God, he had the head of a hawk and the body of a human. Some animals were considered holy by the Egyptians like the Bull , cat, and crocodile.