Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt Overview and Geographical Importance

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt: Overview and Geographical Importance Egypt began as two separate kingdoms • Upper Egyptian rulers wore a tall, white crown, while Lower Egyptian rulers wore a red crown 3150 BCE Narmer or Menes (King of Upper Egypt) defeated Lower Egypt and created a new capital city at Memphis Unification was symbolized by Narmer adopting the Double Crown, which represented both regions

A mural of Narmer or Menes conquering Lower Egypt (c. a. 3100 B. C. )

There 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 (also enabled creation of calendar and seasons: Emergence and Inundation) • Both revered and feared (too much flooding or droughts) 2. • • • 3. • • The Nile Delta Area were Nile empties into Mediterranean Sea Largest piece of fertile land Encompassed major centres of Egypt 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

Map Of Egypt • Add the following items to your map using Page 60 in World Civilizations: A Comparative History • Water: Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Nile River, First Cataract, Second Cataract, Upper Nile, Lower Nile • Cities: Gizeh (Giza), Thebes, Luxor, Karnak, Memphis, Alexandria, Saqqara, Cairo, Heliopolis, Faiyum • Regions: Nile Delta, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, Valley of the Kings, Arabian Desert (Eastern), Libyan Desert (Western)

Red Land, Black Land • Civilization began about 3200 BCE around Nile River (last 1200 km closest to Mediterranean Sea) • RIVER flows South-North, WINDS blow North-South • Rich silt soil (kemet) was the black land; the barren desert was the red land (strict dividing line) • Egypt also received resources from six fertile areas called “Wadis”: • • • Grapes (Wine) Natron (salt used for embalming and early form of soap!) Olives Barley (beer) Date Palm (wood and dates) • Upper Egypt (south) consisted of many cliffs (limestone and granite) • Lower Egypt separated into the Nile Delta (papyrus) • *** Despite many afrocentrist untruths, “Kemet” did not mean “Land of the Blacks”… referring to race. ***

• Fertile soil • Deserts provided protection and shelter from outside influences • Deserts were an important source of minerals and building supplies (copper, tin, gold and natron) • Access to Mediterranean increased and expanded trade and culture • Culture was one of stability and not rapid change • Video DVD: Engineering an Empire Geographic Effects on Egypt’s history

Wealth What determined Egypt’s Economic Prosperity? • Agriculture - made up most of Egypt’s wealth – grain, vegetables, fruit, cattle, goats, pigs and fowl • Abundance and management of food supplies (not royal treasury) was the measure of Egypt’s • Wealth = full granaries, plenty of wildlife and fish, and thriving herds were the signs of prosperity. • These were the images used in the tombs of the Pharaohs to illustrate the wealth of their reigns Economy • Simple economy based on food production and minerals from desert • Access to the Mediterranean their routes extended trade as far as Northern Europe, subtropical Africa and the Near East • Trading was done by bartering goods (grain, oil, wheat) • Taxes, salaries and loans were all paid entirely on goods • Extensive trading made Egypt a powerful influence on culture, art, ideas and technology (ie. Western calendar was taken from the Romans who had borrowed it from the Egyptians) • Trade eventually grew and expanded, bringing new ideas and goods into Egyptian society

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

Gods and Goddesses GEB NUT TEFNUT ATUM SHU NUT MA’AT Creation Story ANUBIS Website: Gods and Goddesses HORUS ISIS ATUM

Egyptian Deities Re (Ra) The Chief Egyptian God. Was seen as the God of the Sun. Anubis was the patron of embalming. • He was also the keeper of poisons and medicines. • Anubis performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony which was performed at the funeral to restore the senses of the deceased. • The ceremony was done by touching the mouth of a mummy or statue of the deceased • It was believed to restore the senses in preparation for the afterlife.

Osiris Supreme God and judge of the dead. The symbol of resurrection and eternal life. Provider of fertility and prosperity to the living. Isis: As a winged Goddess she may represent the wind. In the Osiris legend there are references to Isis wailing and moaning like the wind. • She restores life to Osiris by flapping her wings and filling his mouth and nose with air. • Isis was a great enchantress, the goddess of magic. • She was the embalmer and guardian of Osiris. She is often rendered on the foot of coffins with long wings spread to protect the deceased.

Horus: was the son of Osiris (The God of the Dead) and Isis. It was said that he avenged the death of his father he was considered to be the model of a dutiful son The Ka It was believed that each person had a Ka, or Soul. The practice of mummification began because it was believed that the soul could exist in the afterlife only so long as the body was preserved But why are all ancient religions similar?

Major Time Periods of Egypt The Old Kingdom When the pharaohs built the pyramids The Middle Kingdom When training and military explorers were sent out to expand Egypt’s boundaries The New Kingdom Ending with Queen Cleopatra losing her land to Augustus Caesar and Rome

Egyptian Timeline • 1504 BCE – Reign of Tuthmosis III (the Napoleon of ancient Egypt) -- video • 1470 BCE – Reign of Hatshepsut (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. • 525 BCE – Persians conquer Egypt • 332 BCE – Alexander the Great defeats the Persians and considered saviour 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

A Biblical Overview of Egypt • Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel, was the favourite child. His father made him a coat of many colours. His brothers were jealous of him. They were going to kill him, but sold him as a slave. He found favour with the Pharaoh Potiphar. He interpreted dreams for the Pharaoh. Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy grain where they ran into Joseph. They did not recognize him. He tested them and revealed his identity. He forgave them for sending him away. He said it was God who sent him to Egypt to save people’s lives. • When a new Pharaoh ruled Egypt, he was worried that the Israelites would rise up against him. He decided that every baby boy should be thrown into the Nile River. One woman was determined to save her son. She kept the baby boy hidden for three months, then she put him in a basket she had made and let him float down the river. The Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby boy and called him Moses, which means “pulled out or the water”. • Moses was commanded by God to ask the Pharaoh to release the people of Egypt. He obeyed God’s command asked Pharaoh to let his people go. God knew that Pharaoh would deny the command he did. God sent ten plagues to Egypt to curse the land.

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 • Video: Engineering an Empire • IMHOTEP: not a ruler but revered and his life was recorded (architect, medicine, right hand to Pharaoh Djoser (2686 -2613 BCE) – built first “true” pyramid • Video: Engineering an Empire • KHUFU (Cheops): Builds the best known pyramids, the “Great Pyramid” outside of modern day Cairo at Giza (c. 2600 BCE) • NATIONAL GOD “AMON-RE”: Middle Kingdom: Under Theban Kings (south), the Theban god “Amon” merged with sun god “Re” which became Egyptian national god “Amon -Re” (c. 20 th century BCE) Geography • EXODUS: under the leadership of Moses, Hebrew slaves under Ramses II leave Egypt in mass migration called Exodus (end of 13 th century BCE, or middle 15 th century BCE*). Moses receives the 10 Commandments at Mount Sinai but never find the “Promised Land”