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How were Egyptian priests initiated into the priesthood? I know there's some information on the Web, but how accurate is that? Did they really undergo a 'mystic' experience deep under the Sphinx or the pyramids? It sounds a little impractical to me.

I would tend to think that it depends on the temple and the Aspect of Netjer that they are being called to serve. After all, the preists were more than just there to pray and give offerings. Priests of Sekhmet were doctors and surgeons. Priests of Ma'at were judges. Priests of Djehuty were scholars and dream readers. Priests of Yinepu were embalmers and handled the mortuary affairs. So I would tend to believe initiation differs between temples.

I really don't know how priests may have been initiated, though I can say a couple of things for certain.^_^ The office of the priest in ancient Egypt was different from what we see and expect in many modern societies- priesthood wasn't necessarily a mystical occupation. Generally speaking, they were not charged with spreading the deity's ministrations or public relations to the masses, and their position was either passed down a family line or appointed by the king himself. Furthermore, it is believed today that most able members of the village likely served as low level wAb priests for three months out of every year- providing most of the labor for the temple's daily ritual preparations and cleaning.

The ancient Egyptian was a House of God- but not in the same sense as modern Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, etc. Primarily, it was not a place where the masses came in to experience god, listen to spiritual counselling, or any of the things that we primarily associate with spiritual buildings today. While the outer courtyards of the temple housed many social venues and some services, the temple itself was a place for a god to live and his or her need for privacy was important and deeply respected. The only people allowed into the inner sanctuums of the temple were the priests, but they did not enter as ministers to the people- there wouldn't have been any point, since the people were not inside. The priests were basically servants to the deity, much in the same way that a noble of ancient Egypt would have had servants to run the household. They danced played music to entertain the deity, served His or Her meals, washed and clothed Him or Her, and basically provided a cool and peaceful retreat where the deity could rest as He or She proceeded to infuse the world with His or Her divine spirit and influence and uphold the ever-important balance of ma'at. Part of me wonders, really, how much of an initiation this would really need, though that's not to say that there wasn't one- certainly there were purity taboos and those had to be followed before a priest returned to temple service, but on the whole the work of the Egyptian priesthood was extremely practical.