A lector priest was a priest in ancient Egypt who recited

spells Spell(s) or The Spell(s) may refer to: Processes * Spell (paranormal), an incantation * Spell (ritual), a magical ritual * Spelling, the writing of words Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Spell'' (1977 film), an American ...

and

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

s during

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

rituals and official ceremonies. Such priests also sold their services to laymen, reciting texts during private

apotropaic Apotropaic magic (from Greek "to ward off") or protective magic is a type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. Apotropaic observances may also be practiced out of superst ...

rituals or at

funerals A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

.Ritner, Robert Kriech (1993). ''The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice''. pp. 220–222 As such, they were some of the most prominent practitioners of "

magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

" (''heku'') in ancient Egypt. In ancient Egyptian literature, lector priests are often portrayed as the keepers of secret knowledge and the performers of amazing magical feats.Doxey, Denise, "Priesthood", in Redford, Donald B. (ed) (2001). ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt''. Vol. III, pp. 69–70 The highest-ranking lector priest in a temple, the chief lector priest, managed the temple's archives of ritual texts. The term ''lector priest''" is usually used to translate the

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

title, ''ẖrj-ḥꜣb'' (''kheri-hab''), which literally means "the carrier of the book of ritual".Collier, Mark, and Bill Manley (1998). ''How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs''. p. 33 The term for a chief lector priest, ''ẖrj-ḥꜣb ḥrj-tp'', was so closely associated with magic that, in

Late Egyptian language Late Egyptian is the stage of the Egyptian language that was written by the time of the New Kingdom of Egypt around 1350 BC (the Amarna Period). Texts written wholly in Late Egyptian date to the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt and later. Late Egyptian ...

, the shortened form ''ḥrj-tp'' became a general term for "magician". Lector priests wore a sash across the chest that indicated their position.

References

Ancient Egyptian titles {{AncientEgypt-stub