What role did the priest serve in the embalming process in ancient Egypt?

In ancient Egypt, the embalming process was a significant ritual tied to their beliefs about the afterlife and the preservation of the body for the journey to the next world. The priest played a vital role in this process by conducting rituals and overseeing the embalming, which included the application of various substances and the performance of intricate ceremonies intended to protect and sanctify the deceased.

The involvement of priests was crucial as they were believed to serve as intermediaries between the gods and the deceased. They carried out sacred rites that not only honored the departed but also invoked divine protection for the individual in the afterlife. This spiritual aspect of the embalming process underscored the Egyptian belief in the significance of the soul and the need to maintain the physical body for eternity.

While other roles such as decorating the sarcophagus, handling finances, and writing tomb inscriptions were certainly important in the broader context of funerary practices, none carried the same level of religious significance or embodied the protective and sanctifying functions as those performed by the priests during the embalming process.