Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt

           

              

                           

             

Ancient Egypt: Why so stable? • Ancient Egypt

lasted for 3500 years due to factors in:

• Geography• Politics• Social structure• Education• Economy• Religion

Stability was the goal; change was slow and cautious

What was the “SOUL” of

Ancient Egypt?

• THE NILE was considered the SOUL as it was the source of life and path to immortality

• Egyptians lived on Eastern side but buried on Western side• River was symbol of passage of one life to next (eternity)• Creation story began in swirling waters of the Nile when

god Horus gave power to Pharaohs

Click here for Creation Story

Creation Story

ATUM NUT

GEB

SHU

TEFNUT

Gods and Goddesses

NUT

ATUM

ANUBIS

MA’AT HORUS

ISISWebsite: Gods and Goddesses

Religion: How did it contribute to stability?

• The Egyptians were deeply religious people

• religious roots were in the worship of nature deities – their first gods were in animal forms

• Those responsible for creation were the most important gods (Atum is the creator God)

• They later developed national gods around the Middle Kingdom (Amon- local god of Thebes; gods of Dead: Osiris, Anubis, Horus and Thoth)

• Religion was instrumental to stability of Egypt (life, social structure, education, laws, rule of Pharaoh, economy, death, afterlife)

Atum

Geography: Populated AreasThere were three main areas that were populated

in Egypt:

1. The Nile Valley • sole source of water for Egypt• Predictable flooding provided rich fertile soil• Both revered and feared (too much flooding

or droughts)

2. The Nile Delta • Area were Nile empties into Mediterranean

Sea• Largest piece of fertile land• Encompassed major centres of Egypt

3. Faiyum• Lake Moeris lies at end of branch of Nile is

centre of oasis called Faiyum• Irrigation from Nile made Faiyum the third

most populated land

Geographic Effects on Egypt’s stability and

history

• Fertile soil• deserts provided protection

and shelter from outside influences

• Access to Mediterranean increased and expanded trade and culture

• culture was one of stability and not rapid change

• Deserts were an important source of minerals and building supplies (copper, tin, gold and natron, the drying agent used in mummification)

Geography

Highlights of Ancient Egyptian History•UNIFICATION OF EGYPT: King Menes unites Upper and Lower Egypt and wears double crown in 3100 BCE. Following Menes came 31 dynasties over 3000 years.

•AGE OF PYRAMIDS: Era of the Old Kingdom (2690 BCE), Pharaohs were absolute rulers and viewed as a god holding absolute secular and religious power. Stone monuments were embodiment of Pharaoh's power and a medium of immortality. Pyramids evolved from mastabas, then Step Pyramids, most known are Pyramids at Giza (2600-2500 BCE)

•IMHOTEP: not a ruler but revered and his life was recorded (architect, medicine, right hand to Pharaoh Djoser (2686-2613 BCE)

•NATIONAL GOD “AMON-RA”: Middle Kingdom: Under Theban Kings (south), the Theban god “Amon” merged with sun god “Ra” which became Egyptian national god “Amon-Ra”

•EXODUS: under the leadership of Moses, Hebrew slaves under Rames II leave Egypt in mass migration called Exodus (end of 13th century BCE). Moses receives the 10 Commandments at Mount Sinai but never find the “Promised Land”

Pharaohs

•1470 BCE – Reign of Hatsheput (one of four female Kings)

•1350 BCE – Reign of Akhenaton (Wanted to change religious beliefs to monotheism)

•1334 BCE – Reign of Tutankhamun (Religious revolution is reversed)

•1297 BCE - Reign of Ramses II. He had over 200 wives and concubines, approximately 90 sons and 60 daughters and reigned over 67 years! His reign saw massive building projects in Egypt. The Exodus of Jews from Egypt also occurred during his reign.

•525 BCE – Persians conquer Egypt

•332 BCE – Alexander the Great defeats the Persians and considered savior of Egypt

•50 BCE – Cleopatra VII is crowned Queen of Egypt

•30 BCE – Egypt becomes part of Roman Empire after death of Cleopatra VII and Mark Anthony

Politics

How did Pharaoh's rule?•absolute rulers of the land

•believed to be the earthly embodiment of the god Horus who was the son of Amon-Re

•Therefore they had the divine right to rule

•This allowed them to move between god and their people

•People followed their orders because they believed they were from god

•No one would challenge the King’s authority and he could rule in relative peace

•The throne passed on to eldest son of Principal Queen who was usual the eldest daughter of the previous king therefore the king’s sister

•Pharaohs owned all the land – they had a hierarchy of government officials to help him rule

•Second to the Pharaohs were the scribes who would record the doings of the Pharaoh