Quick questions on New Kingdom Egyptian religion: gods, priesthoods, festivals, and temples: HSC Ancient History

The Opet Festival was an annual procession in which the cult statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu travelled from Karnak to Luxor Temple by sacred barque, along the sphinx-lined processional way, accompanied by the pharaoh, priests and the wider public. Its purpose was to renew the divine union between the pharaoh and Amun, refreshing the pharaoh's royal ka (life-force) and reaffirming his legitimacy as Amun's son on earth.

Successive Eighteenth Dynasty pharaohs rebuilt and enlarged Karnak as an act of piety and a public claim to legitimacy, especially after military victories. Karnak's wealth grew from land grants, a share of tribute from vassal states, and booty and captive labour brought home from campaigns. By Amenhotep III's reign the temple of Amun controlled enormous estates, herds, workshops and a large administrative staff, headed by a High Priest of Amun, a position of major political as well as religious weight.

Older accounts sometimes treat a wealthy Amun priesthood as an emerging rival to the crown, foreshadowing Akhenaten's later break with the cult. Betsy M. Bryan cautions against this reading for Amenhotep III's own reign specifically: the king appointed the High Priest, directed Karnak's building program himself, and there is no firm evidence the priesthood acted independently of royal will before his death.