2 2 Egypts Old Kingdom I Old Kingdom

2. 2 Egypt’s Old Kingdom

I. Old Kingdom Rulers � The Old Kingdom lasted from 2600 B. C. until about 2300 B. C. � Pharaohs were all-powerful Egyptian kings who guided every activity in Egypt. � Pharaohs appointed officials to carry out their commands. � Egyptian people served pharaohs because they believed the kingdom depended on one strong leader. Also they believed they were the sons of Re, the sun god.

II. Egypt’s Religion � Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses. They controlled every human activity and all natural forces. � The major god was the sun god, Re (Ra). Hapi was the god of the Nile. Isis was the most important goddess.

� Egyptians believe in life after death. The Book of the Dead contained a collection of spells the Egyptians believed they needed to enter the afterlife. It was only for the elite.

� To protect the pharaoh’s body after death he was embalmed and mummified. � Egyptian doctors are famous for their treatments. ◦ ◦ Treated illnesses Set broken bones Stitched cuts Wrote the first medical book

III. The Pyramids � Pyramids were built as tombs for dead pharaohs and contained items they might need in the afterlife. � A pyramid took thousands of people and years of labor to build. ◦ They used astronomy and mathematics to create the pyramids. ◦ Describe how a pyramid was built. � While studying the skies to create pyramids, Egyptians created the 365 -day calendar that became the basis for our calendar today.

� The Great Pyramid is the largest pyramid in Egypt. It was built for King Khufu and is located near the city of Cairo.