With the establishment of a centralised pharaonic state, the myriad of local gods was unified into a single pantheon. Many deities were at first embodied in animals but gradually were humanised.
The central myth of the religion held that Ra, the sun god, appeared out of chaos and created a race of beings including Seth who murdered his brother Osiris, the king. Isis, the sister and wife of Osiris conceived a son, Horus, who avenged his father's death and became king. Pharaohs identified themselves with this strong and righteous ruler and built many temples to honour Horus.
Despite the rise and fall of cults and changing popularity of the various deities, the ancient Egyptian religion remained relatively stable throughout 3,000 years of pharaonic rule.