Temples , where the state rituals was carried out , was filled with images of the gods . The most important temple image was the cult statue in the inner sanctuary . These statues was usually less than life @-@ size , and made of the same precious materials that was said to form the gods ' bodies . Many temples had several sanctuaries , each with a cult statue representing one of the gods in a group such as a family triad . The city 's primary god was envisioned as its lord , employing many of the residents as servants in the divine household that the temple represented . The gods residing in the temples of Egypt collectively represented the entire pantheon . But many deities — including some important gods as well as those that was minor or hostile — was never given temples of their own , although some was represented in the temples of other gods .