Egypt was ruled by all-powerful
rulers called pharaohs.
The history of Egypt is divided into 3 periods:
Old KingdomMiddle KingdomNew Kingdom
Egypt’s Old Kingdom began in 2600 B.C. and lasted until 2300 B.C.
Egypt grew and prospered during the
Old KingdomEgyptiansBuilt
Cities
Expanded
TradeSet up a Strong
Government
“Pharaoh” is a Greek term which
means “great house”
Egypt was ruled by
kings called pharaohs
who lived in palaces
1.Believed the unity of their kingdom depended on a strong leader
2. Considered the pharaoh to be the son of the
god Re – the sun god and a god on earth
People showed honor and respect to the Pharaoh
in public by:
playingmusic on flutes and
cymbals
bowing down to smell
the earth or touch their heads
to the ground
The pharaohs’ word was law and had to be obeyed
The Pharaoh appointed officials to:
make sure crops were planted
make sure irrigation canals and grain
storehouses were built
control trade andcollect tax payments
of grain from farmers
The pharaoh carried out ritual ceremonies that Egyptians believed helped control their welfare such as:
1. Riding a sacred bull around the capital city of Memphis to ensure fertility of the soil
(bull = symbol of fertility) 2. cutting the first ripe grain to
ensure a good harvest.
Details about Egyptian pharaohs
Lived inpalaces
Were all-powerful
Considered to be
gods onEarth
Carry-out Religious
rituals
Appointed Government
officials
Let’s Review…All about pharaohs
Egyptians believed in many gods and
goddesses and in life after death for the
pharaohs.
Religion was deeply woven into Egyptian culture
Egyptians believed many deities or gods and goddesses controlled the forces of nature and human activities
The main Egyptian gods included:
1. Re, the sun god who ruled over the rising and setting of the sun, represented the importance of a sunny climate for good harvests
2. Hapi was ruler of the Nile River who represented the importance of water for growing crops.
3. Isis represented the loyal wife and mother who ruled over
the dead with her husband Osiris, god of the underworld and afterlife.
Egyptian Gods & Goddesses:
“The Sacred ‘Trinity’”
Egyptian Gods & Goddesses:
“The Sacred ‘Trinity’”
Osiris Isis Horus Osiris Isis Horus
THE FAMILY OF THE EGYPTIAN GODS
RA
SHU TEFNUT
GEB
HATHOR
NUT RA
OSIRIS
HORUS
NEPHTHYS
ANUBIS
SETISIS OSIRIS
NEKHEBET
Egyptian Creation Myth
Egyptian Creation Myth
The Goddess Nut The Goddess Nuthttp://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/story/main.html
Unlike the Mesopotamians, who imagined a gloomy life after death, the Egyptians thought the afterlife would be a place of peace and plenty
Journey to the Underworld
Journey to the Underworld
A boat for the journey is
provided for a dead pharaoh
in his tomb.
A boat for the journey is
provided for a dead pharaoh
in his tomb.
The dead travel on the “Solar Bark.”
The dead travel on the “Solar Bark.”
Egyptian Book of the Dead
Egyptian Book of the Dead
Read from the Book of the Dead , a collection of spells and prayers that Egyptians studied to obtain life after death.
Egyptians believed they must lead a good life and know the magic spells to gain the afterlife.
Egyptian Book of the Dead
Egyptian Book of the Dead
Osiris met the dead in the next
world and judged whether to grant them
life after death.
The Underworld
• This scene shows what Egyptians believed happened to the soul after it descended into the Underworld.
The Final JudgementThe Final Judgement
Osiris Anubis Horus
Osiris Anubis Horus
Egyptians believed
it important for the pharaoh’s
spirit to reach the next world where
he could continue to
care for Egypt.
Through the embalming
process, Egyptians prepared
the pharaoh’s body
to accept his spirit in the
afterlife
Shabtis: The Pharaoh’s Servants
in the Afterlife
Shabtis: The Pharaoh’s Servants
in the Afterlife
1. remove the brain2. remove the lungs, liver,
stomach, and intestines and place in canoptic jars
3. wash the body with wine4. salt the body with natron and bury it in the desert sands to dry
5. remove the body from the sands, fill it with spices and perfumes, and stitch it closed.
6. cleanse the body with oils7. wrap the body with long strips of cotton-
linen cloth
8. place inside a wooden coffin and put it into a sarcophagus
Materials Used in Mummification
Materials Used in Mummification
1. Linen 6. Natron2. Sawdust 7. Onion3. Lichen 8. Nile Mud4. Beeswax 9. Linen Pads5. Resin 10. Frankinsense
1. Linen 6. Natron2. Sawdust 7. Onion3. Lichen 8. Nile Mud4. Beeswax 9. Linen Pads5. Resin 10. Frankinsense
Preparation for the Afterlife
Preparation for the Afterlife
Egyptian MummiesEgyptian Mummies
Seti I1291-1278
B. C.
Seti I1291-1278
B. C.
Queen Tiye, wife of
Amenhotep II1210-1200 B. C.
Queen Tiye, wife of
Amenhotep II1210-1200 B. C.
Ramses II1279-1212
B. C.
Ramses II1279-1212
B. C.
Preparations for the Underworld
Preparations for the UnderworldPriests
protected your KA, or soul-spirit
Priests protected your KA, or soul-spirit
ANUBIS weighs the dead person’s heart against a feather.
ANUBIS weighs the dead person’s heart against a feather.
Egyptian Beliefs
Belief in many gods
hopeful viewof life
after death
Pharaoh neededbody forafterlife
Osiris judged
whether or notto grant them
afterlife
Magic spellsneeded to gainlife after deathThe Book of
the Dead
Let’s Review…Egyptians’ beliefs
Egyptian doctors
used herbs and drugs to treat many different
illnesses
specialists to treat
particular parts of the body
world’s first medical
books on papyrus
scrolls
became skilled at sewing up
cuts and setting
broken bones
Ancient EgyptThe Nile Valley
Chapter 2, Section 2World History
Mrs. Thompson
The Egyptians of the Old Kingdom built
huge stone pyramids as tombs for their
pharaohs.
Egyptians built mountain-like pyramids, entirely of stone, as tombs for the pharaohs
They were the size of several city blocks and were meant to protect the dead bodies of pharaohs from:
floodswild animalsgrave robbers
Pyramids were filled with supplies that the might need in the spirit world such as pharaoh :
clothingfurniturejewelryfood
Each pyramid sat on a square base with entrance facing north
Egyptians used astronomy to determine true north
Egyptians developed 365 day/12 month calendar which is basis for modern calendar
About 2540 B.C., Egyptians built the largest and grandest of the pyramids known as the Great Pyramid
Located about 10 miles from Cairoand stands in Giza on the west bank
of the Nile River
Rises nearly 5oo ft. above desert andcovers an area about 9 football fields
Contains more than 2 million stone blocks, each about 2.5 tons
Tallest structure on the world for morethan 4,000 years and is equal to
size of a 48 story building
Largest of about 80 pyramids found in Egypt
Egyptian advances in Math helped them determine angle measurements and amount of stone needed for pyramids
Advances inMathematics
System of written numbers based on 10
Creation of fractions and usingthem with whole numbersto add, subtract, & divide
Locate stone from
hundreds of miles
away
Load stones on
barges and float to
building site
Unload stones and
drag or push up
ramps to be set in place
Use copper tools to cutthe stone
intohuge blocks
Tie blocks towooden sleds
and pull them to Nile over a path paved with
logshttp://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms_wh_survey/resources/html/animations/pyramid_anim/wh04_pyramid.html
Thousands of people and many years to build the pyramids
Most of the builders were farmers
Surveyors, engineers, carpenters, and stonecutters also lent skills to pyramid building