Kushite religion

Kushite religion
Votive Plaque of Apedemak, The Naqa kiosk, Excavation by John Garstang, 1909-1910, in the Temple of Apedemak, Meroe
Type	Indigenous religion
Orientation	Polytheistic
Region	Nubia (present-day Sudan)
Headquarters	Kerma, later Meroe
Territory	Nubia
Defunct	Mid-4th century AD

Kushite religion is the traditional belief system and pantheon of deities associated with the Ancient Nubians, who founded the Kingdom of Kush in the land of Nubia (also known as Ta-Seti) in present-day Sudan.^[1][2]

During the Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom periods, increased contact between Egypt and Nubia through military campaigns influenced Nubian culture. By the Middle Kingdom, Nubians had greater control over their territory and some integrated into Egyptian society. The founding of the Kingdom of Kush, with its capital at Kerma, marked a significant period where Nubians maintained their distinct religious practices despite Egyptian dominance, as seen in the elaborate burials of the Classic Kerma Period (ca. 1750-1450 BC).

In the New Kingdom Period, Nubia fell under Egyptian control again, but later unified under leaders like King Alara and King Kashta, leading to the establishment of the "Second Kingdom of Kush." This era saw the integration of Nubian and Egyptian deities. After the fall of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty, Nubian religious practices persisted through various foreign dominations. During the Meroitic Period, the capital moved to Meroe, and the focus shifted to indigenous deities like Apedemak. By the mid-4th century, the region's conversion to Christianity marked the end of traditional Kushite religion.