Ancient Egypt, 18th Dynasty
The ram was associated with Amun, the Egyptian sky God who came to be regarded as a sun God and the head of the Egyptian pantheon.
Although they were not worshiped as Gods, animals were considered sacred to particular Gods. During the Dynastic Period, when the government became strong and centralized, the most popular cult animals became national deities. Cult animals were raised in the temple precincts during the New Kingdom and were pampered with special attention as the living representatives of Gods. Upon their demise, they were mummified with due diligence and given spectacular funerary celebrations. Later, it became the practice to raise large numbers of animals in cult centers for sacrifice and mummification as offerings to their various deities.