Egypt Pharaohs Rule as Gods n n n

Egypt

Pharaohs Rule as Gods n n n The role of the king in Egypt was quite different from that of Mesopotamia In Mesopotamia, Kings were representatives of the Gods In Egypt, the Kings WERE Gods These “God-kings” were called pharaohs The type of government in Egypt is called a theocracy

n Theocracy: – A form of government in which religious and political authority derive from the same source

Pharaoh's Responsibilities Center of Egyptian religion n Center of Egyptian government n Had full responsibility for the kingdom’s well being n Promoted truth and justice n

Pyramids Egyptians believed that their kings ruled even after their death n Because of this, their tombs were very important n Their resting place was called a pyramid n

Construction of Pyramids Remarkable for this time since these people had little technology n Made completely of granite, limestone, and quartz n Each block of stone weighed 2 ½ tons n 2 million blocks were stacked to heights of 481 feet ! n

Culture n n Egyptians were polytheistic 3 most important Gods were – – – Re - the sun god Osiris – god of the dead Isis – represented the values of mothers and wives Egyptians had over 2000 different Gods/Goddesses

Religion n n Unlike the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians believed in an afterlife They believed that they would be judged for their deeds – Upon death, their hearts would be weighed. The heart could be no heavier than a feather. If it tipped the scale, that meant it was heavy with sin… The royal and elite would mummify their bodies.