THE MYSTERIES OFANCIENT EGYPT

I. GEOGRAPHY

A. EGYPT’S NATURAL BARRIERS

1. North – Mediterranean Sea

2. South – Ethiopian Highlands and Nubian Desert

3. West – Libyan Desert/Western Desert

4. East – Eastern Desert/Red Sea

B. “GIFT OF THE NILE”

1. Nile River is the major source for food and water for the Egyptian people.

2. Nile flows north from the highlands to the sea.

3. Yearly predictable floods provide fertile soil along the banks of the river.

4. River has many churning rapids called cataracts where boats could not pass south.

HOW DID EGYPT’S NATURAL BARRIERS CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT AS A

PEOPLE?

• Their culture is uniquely Egyptian due to very little influence from other cultures.

• They did not have to concern themselves too much with protecting their citizens thus giving them more time to focus on cultural development.

C. EGYPT’S DISTINCT REGIONS

1.Upper Egypt – Southern portion from the first cataract to the beginning of the Nile Delta.

2.Lower Egypt – Nile Delta to the Mediterranean Sea. The Delta is a broad, marshy, triangular land formed by deposits of silt at the mouth of the river.

II. INTERACTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

A. Transportation – The Nile River provided a reliable system of transportation between Upper and Lower Egypt. This helped unify Egyptian villages and promote trade.

B. Agriculture – The flooding provided a bed of fertile soil for growing crops. The Egyptians harvested crops such as wheat and barley.

C. Irrigation Canals – The Egyptians developed an intricate system of irrigation canals in order to bring water to crops.

D. Papyrus Reeds – Tall stalks along the Nile provided a writing surface for scribes.E. Limestone – The Egyptians used limestone to construct the pyramids on the Giza

plateau as well as the Sphinx. (Or was it the Egyptians?)

III. POWER AND AUTHORITYA. OLD KINGDOM –

2700B.C.1. Menes – A strong

willed King, unified Upper and Lower Egypt.2. Kings were known

as Pharaohs. Pharaohs

were considered gods by the people.3. Theocracy – A religious based government. Egypt

was a Theocracy because Pharaohs

were both political and spiritual

leaders.

4. Pyramid Builders

The Egyptians believed the Pharaohs ruled forever. Their tombs were often more important than their palaces. For Kings of the Old Kingdom, the resting place after death was an immense structure called a pyramid – making the Old Kingdom the great age of pyramid building.

5. End of the Old Kingdom

The Old Kingdom came to an end when the Pharaohs lost control of Egypt to powerful priests. Very little is known about

this dark period of Egyptian history.

B. MIDDLE KINGDOM

1. Pharaohs regained control beginning a new era of prosperity to the Egyptians.

2. The prosperity did not last due to the invasion of Egypt by the Hyksos. The Hyksos introduced Horse-drawn chariots, a weapon of warfare unknown to the Egyptians.

C. THE NEW KINGDOM

1. During the New Kingdom the Egyptians became conquerors equipped with bronze weapons and two-wheeled chariots.

2. Age of Builders – Pharaohs of the New Kingdom built magnificent temples, palaces, and tombs. In search of security in the afterlife, Egyptians hid their splendid tombs beneath cliffs.

KING TUT’S TOMB

Pharaoh’s of the New Kingdom

3. Hatshepsut – Female Pharaoh who spent most of her reign encouraging trade rather than waging war.

4. Thutmose III – “The Great Warrior Pharaoh” He led Egypt to victories in Syria and Palestine as well as pushing farther south into Nubia.

5. Ramses II – Led Egypt in several battles against the Hittites (of Asia Minor). The Hittites introduced iron weapons to the Egyptians. Ramses is most know for his role in the biblical story of Moses.

Thutmose, Hatshsepsut, Ramses, and Moses

IV. RELIGIOUS AND ETHICAL SYSTEMS

A. Early Egyptians were polytheistic, or the belief in many gods.

1. Ra – Sun god and most important of the gods

2. Horus – Sky god

3. Isis – the ideal mother and wife

4. Osiris – god of the dead

Osiris judged the soul after death. The heart could be no heavier than a feather. If the heart tipped the scale, it was heavy with sin. The fierce beast known as the “Devourer of the Dead” would pounce on the heavy heart and gobble it up. If the scales balanced, the soul was allowed to pass to the “Field of Reeds” or place of eternal happiness.

VOICE FROM THE PAST

“Behold, I have come to you, I have brought you truth, I have repelled falsehood for you. I have not done falsehood against men, I have not impoverished my associates, I have done no wrong in the Place of Truth, I have not learnt which is not, I have done no evil…I have not caused pain, I have not made hungry, I have not made to weep, I have not killed, I have not commanded to kill, I have not mad suffering for anyone…I am pure, pure, pure, pure.”

Book of the Dead, translated by Raymond O. Faulkner

B. The Journey of the Afterlife

1. The Egyptians prepared for the journey of the afterlife by embalming, or removing the internal organs (except heart because Osiris needs it) and drying the corpse to prevent it from decaying.

2. After embalming the corpse, the Egyptians also used mummification, or the process of wrapping the corpse in linen.

3. The body was then placed in a tomb filled with all the necessary items needed for the journey such as food, clothing, cosmetics, and jewelry. These items might be used to bribe the gods.

4. Tombs also possessed the “Book of the Dead.” The book contained hymns, prayers, and magic spells intended to guide the soul.

VOICE FROM THE PAST

“First they draw out the brains through the nostrils with an iron hook…then with a sharp stone they make an incision in the side, and take out all the bowels…then, having filled the belly with pure myrrh, cassia, and other perfumes, they sew it up again; and when they have done this they steep it in natron (a mineral salt), leaving it under for 70 days…At the end of 70 days, they wash the corpse, and wrap the whole body in bandages of waxen cloth.”

Herodotus

Embalming, Mummification, and the “Book of the Dead”

C. Monotheism under Amenhotep IV – In 1375B.C. the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV introduced the idea of monotheism,

or belief in a single god.

1. Pharaohs took the names of important gods. Amenhotep IV took the name Amen for the god of the city of Thebes.

2. Amenhotep claimed that Aton (new sun god) was the only true god.

3. Amenhotep honored the new god by changing his name to Ikhnaton.

IMPACT OF AMENHOTEP IV

4. The change angered many Egyptians, especially priests because they lost some of their power.

5. Ikhnaton, upon his death, handed power to his 9 year old son-in-law Tutankhanaton.

6. To make peace with the priests, Tutankhanaton restored the old religion.

7. He changed his name to Tutankhamen, in honor of Amen.

V. EMPIRE BUILDING

A. Egypt was only an empire during the New Kingdom

B. Pharaohs helped expand the empire.

1. Thutmose III – Conquered Palestine, Syria, and parts of Nubia

2. Ramses II – Fought and made treaties over territories with the Hittites.

VI. REVOLUTION

The only major change is the religious revolution of Amenhotep IV. This represents one of the earliest forms of monotheism. Today, Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in one all powerful God.

VII. ECONOMICSA. Old Kingdom

1. Early Egyptians traded with the people of Mesopotamia. They loaded goods on caravans for trade.2. Egyptians also traded with the southern regions of Kush and Nubia. They were interested in gold, ivory, cattle and granite.

B. New Kingdom 1. Trade flourished during the New Kingdom, particularly during the reign of Hatshepsut.2. During the New Kingdom, the Egyptians traded with many neighboring civilizations including Mesopotamia, Syria, Asia Minor, Israel and Judah, Phoenicia, Kush, and Nubia.

VIII. CULTURAL INTERACTION

A. The Hyksos invasion during the Middle Kingdom introduced Horse-drawn chariots to the Egyptians.

B. By the time of the New Kingdom, many people had migrated to the Nile River Valley from other parts of Africa and the Middle East making Egypt a land of cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity.

C. The wars with the Hittites introduced iron weapons to the Egyptians.

IX. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A. Hieroglyphics – A form of writing using pictographs.

B. Papyrus – Tall stalks along the Nile that were used as writing surfaces for scribes.

C. Embalming and Mummification process.

ROSETTA STONE – THE KEY TO DECIPHERING HIEROGLYPHICS

D. MATHEMATICS

1. Egyptians developed a number system for counting, adding, and subtracting.

2. Egyptians used geometry to survey and reset property boundaries after the annual Nile floods.

3. Mathematical knowledge was used to build pyramids and tombs.

4. Calendar was created to keep track of the time between the floods.

E. MEDICINE

1. Developed splints for broken bones.

2. Developed treatments for wounds and fevers.

3. Checked for a heart rate by feeling for a pulse.