Detailed Instructions: In this task, you will be given a passage to read. A fill in the blank question will be given to you.  Your answer should fit the blank appropriately.
Problem: Modern knowledge of Egyptian beliefs about the gods is mostly drawn from religious writings produced by the nation 's scribes and priests . These people were the elite of Egyptian society and were very distinct from the general populace , most of whom were illiterate . Little is known about how well this broader population knew or understood the sophisticated ideas that the elite developed . Commoners ' perceptions of the divine may have differed from those of the priests . The populace may , for example , have mistaken the religion 's symbolic statements about the gods and their actions for literal truth . But overall , what little is known about popular religious belief is consistent with the elite tradition . The two traditions form a largely cohesive vision of the gods and their nature . fill in the blank  : Modern knowledge of Egyptian __________________ about the gods is mostly drawn from religious writings produced by the nation 's scribes and priests . 
Solution:
 beliefs 