DIANA CRAIG PATCH: Ancient Egypt is one of the most recognizable ancient cultures.

NARRATOR: From the pyramids of Giza to Hollywood films, ancient Egyptian imagery saturates our modern world. But under the surface lies an extraordinarily sophisticated and complex culture.

Diana Craig Patch is the Lila Acheson Wallace Curator in Charge of the Department of Egyptian Art at The Met. She’s the curator of this exhibition.

PATCH: Ancient Egyptian culture lasted for 4500 years…

The Egyptians’ approach to the divine landscape was additive. They didn’t drop deities, but they added new ones as they needed them.

So the result is, by 300 BCE, you had some 1500 deities in the ancient Egyptian belief system.

NARRATOR: Sometimes multiple gods could be represented in the same way. Sometimes a single god could take multiple forms. But they all had a role to play in the lives of Pharaohs and everyday Egyptians.

PATCH: The ancient Egyptians used their religious beliefs, their gods, to tackle life's challenges, to cope with life. They needed to deal just like we do today with health, childbirth, children, love, jobs. All the stuff that we worry about.

NARRATOR: You’ll meet just a few of these many gods and goddesses on your visit today. Diana and her colleagues from The Met’s Department of Egyptian Art will be your guides as you discover the identities of these ancient deities and explore their fascinating world.

Welcome to Divine Egypt!

This Audio Guide is sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies.