ancient egypt- history of western civilization
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EGYPT – “THE GIFT OF THE NILE”
Key Questions
• Why did the Greek historian, Herodotus, call Egypt the “gift of the Nile”? • What role did the Nile River play in fostering
Egyptian civilization and culture? • What role did geography play in Egypt’s isolation
from other powerful empires in the Near East? • What was the role of religion in Egyptian life and
government? • What were the three major kingdoms in Egyptian
history?
Key Terms • Nile River • Irrigation • Annual flooding • Silt• Delta• Upper Egypt• Lower Egypt• Dynasty• Pharaohs• Vizier• Pyramids • Old Kingdom• Middle Kingdom • New Kingdom • Ramses II• Hyksos • Hieroglyphics • Papyrus • Rossetta Stone
The Nile River
•Major “highway” for Egypt • Abundant fresh water • Used for trade and communication• Rich land for farming-• Regular (yearly) flooding of the river• Rich soil to grow crops– silt deposits • Irrigation systems and canals were built
Egyptian homes made of mud brick
Resources of Egypt
• Abundant fresh water supply• Raw materials for building and
development • stone and gold • papyrus – a type of early paper •mud and straw for making bricks • Rich land for farming - silt• Strong network for trade along the Nile
Impact of Egypt’s Geography on its Isolation from other Empires • Egypt is surrounded by deserts and
water •Violent rapids in the southern part of
the Nile prevented access to the river from the south• Egypt’s geography shielded it from
military invasion and outside influences from other cultures
Government and Religion •Polytheistic- believed in many gods •Pharaohs ruled as kings • – the word pharaoh mean “great
house” •pharaohs were seen as gods by the
Egyptian people (theocracy) •Dynasties of rulers dominated Egypt• - family line of rulers
Government and Religion• Pharaohs controlled wealth, resources,
and the people • Pharaoh was seen as embodying justice
and order • Egypt did NOT have a written law code • (like the Code of Hammurabi )• Government officials served the king • Vizier- chief minister of the pharaoh • Joseph was vizier to the pharaoh
Tut
Egyptian Society
• Egypt did not have a strict social class hierarchy• Common people could rise to a higher level in
Egyptian society (example- Joseph in the Bible) • Freedom and regulations were part of Egyptian
society • Slavery was common during the period of the
New Kingdom • Poor peasants were often subjected to forced
labor
Egyptian Gods
• Osiris- associated with the Nile and its yearly flooding – • ruled over the underworld • killed by his evil brother, Set
• Isis – wife of Osiris- brings her dead husband back to life • Horus – son of Osiris – Falcon God • avenges his father’s murder and kills Set
• Ra- created heaven and earth• associated with the sun
Beliefs
• Strong belief in the afterlife •Believed that the body needed to be
preserved for the afterlife •Mummification • Elaborate tombs •When the pharaoh died it was
believed he became one with Osiris
Osiris
Isis
Horus
Eye of Horus
Mummification- Anubis- God of the Dead
Mummification- Anubis
Canopic Jars- held the organs of the mummy
Mummified Animals- cats were associated with one of the Egyptian gods
Crockidile
Historical Divisions
• Earliest Egyptian civilization @3100 BC• Old Kingdom -2660-2180 BC (Pyramid
Age )• Pyramids of Giza were built •Middle Kingdom- 2080-1640 BC • Time period of Abraham • Hyksos Rule- 1640-1570 BC• Egypt was ruled by foreigners
Historical Divisions
• New Kingdom- 1570-1075 BC • Possibly the time of Moses and the
Exodus • Pharaoh Ramses II • Kingdoms were based on family dynasties
of rulers• The kingdoms usually were associated
with periods of high achievement and political stability
Ramses II
Tomb
•Egypt would eventually be conquered by the Assyrian Empire and later the Greeks and Romans
Egypt and the biblical account • Abraham visits Egypt and encounters the
pharaoh on his journey to the Promised Land • Joseph is sold into slavery and taken to Egypt
and eventually becomes the second most powerful man in Egypt • Israelites come to Egypt fleeing a famine and
remain for nearly 400 years • Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt – the
Exodus • Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt after the birth of
Jesus – afraid for the baby’s life
What was Egypt’s contribution to the development of civilization?
•Advances in mathematics and engineering • The use of papyrus – paper- as a new
medium for writing •Advances in farming
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