Acolyte

Bearer of the Censer

The acolyte served in the great temples of ancient Egypt, the youngest and most junior of the priesthood. Swinging the censer of fragrant incense through the columned halls, he purified the sacred precincts and carried prayers aloft toward the sun-god. Learning the hymns, rituals, and sacred writing under the senior priests, he tended the daily offerings to the gods' images, his long apprenticeship the first step toward the mysteries of the temple.