ancient egypt
TRANSCRIPT
How did they form a civilization in the desert?
They had help from the Nile River
The Egyptians and the Nile• The Nile River is the
longest river in the world• It provided water and
fertile soil to the Egyptians
• It flows from south to north, making northern Egypt, Lower Egypt
• The river’s flooding were predictable so the Egyptians did not fear their gods like the Mesopotamians did
How did the Egyptian religion come to be?
• At first, only one god, Atun, rose up as a hill out of the waters and created the other gods
• Osiris, Isis, Seth, Nephthys were then the grandchildren of the gods and Osiris was the god of Earth and Isis his sister Queen
• Seth was jealous so he killed Osiris, and then Osiris went down to the underworld
• Isis and Nephythys gathered up Osiris and brought him back to life. Isis and Osiris then had a son Horus who battled Seth and won
• Then Horus was the king of earth and Osiris was the king of the underworld
The Belief in the Afterlife
• The Egyptians believed that after death, your soul continued into another life
• Anubis would weigh your heart with the feather of justice• If your heart was heavier then it was full of sins and
would be eaten• If it was lighter then eternal life was granted
Mummification
• Egyptians wanted to preserve the body for the afterlife
• They mummified the bodies so it would be preserved for the next lifetime
• It encouraged new discoveries in anatomy and science made by the Egyptians
• Canopic jars were used to hold the organs that were needed to continue in the afterlife
• The brain was removed because it was believed to be useless
Temples
• Egyptian leaders called pharaohs were buried in massive tombs called pyramids to glorify themselves
• Often times, their family members were killed and buried with them
• They were buried with all their riches to have in the afterlife
Hieroglyphics• The Egyptian
writing system• Originally began as
pictograms but later included ideograms and phonograms
• Written on a paper-like material called papyrus
How was power organized in Egypt?
• Egyptian pharaoh power was passed through dynasties, or ruling families
• Viziers were chosen by the pharaoh and were ministers and advisors to the pharaoh. They handled collecting taxes, public works, etc.
Old Kingdom (3100-2200 BCE)
• Began when King Menes unified Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt.
• The Giza Pyramids were built during this time period
The Middle Kingdom (2100-1700 BCE)• The Prince of Thebes united
the Middle Kingdom after a period of civil wars
• The Middle Kingdom was remarkable for its literature, arts, and ideas
• Reclaimed land lost in Lower Egypt
• Occupied Nubia• Trade expanded to
Mesopotamia, and Crete• Power was lost when the
Hyksos invaded in 1700 BCE
New Kingdom • Began in 1580 BCE
when the Egyptians rebelled against the Hyksos
• Extended its rule through Syria and Palestine
• Ramses II tried to maintain Egyptian power but by the 10th century BCE, Egypt was fell to foreign power