In Egypt, for example, the people were led to worship the Nile River as a god, viewing their priests as possessing divine control over its seasonal overflow, on which their crops depended.

This encouragement of superstitious ignorance was in direct contrast to Israel’s priests, who constantly read and taught the Law to the entire nation. Each man was to know God and his law. (De 6:1-3) The people themselves were able to read and write, being commanded by Jehovah to read and teach his law to their children.​—De 6:4-9.

In most features of their dress and functions there was no similarity whatsoever between the Israelite and the Egyptian priests. For example, while the Israelite priests served barefoot, the Egyptian priests wore sandals. The robes of the Egyptian priests were entirely different in design, and their dress and appurtenances bore symbols of the worship of their false gods. They shaved their heads, which Israel’s priests did not do (Le 21:5), and used wigs or wore headgear totally unlike that of Israel’s priests, according to inscriptions found on monuments in Egypt. Furthermore, Jehovah made it clear that Israel was not to adopt any of the practices of Egypt or the other nations, either in worship or in judicial practice.​—Le 18:1-4; De 6:14; 7:1-6.