Ancient Egypt

3100-332 BC 

I.          Egypt Arose in Africa's Nile Valley

          A.          Egypt was a land of cultural, ethnic and racial diversity.  The Nile Valley peoples and those who moved in blended their cultures.

          B.          The Nile River was very important to the Egyptian Civilization.

                    1.          The Nile flows over 4100 miles and is the longest river in the world.

                    2.          It flows north.

                    3.          It main source of water is Lake Victoria, the world's third largest lake.

                    4.          Part of the Nile sustained Egyptian culture because every spring it flooded.  The silt (fertile soil) left behind was the "Gift of the Nile"
that the Egyptians depended on for life. 

                              a.          A few feet to low and less fertile soil caused many to starve.

                              b.          A few feet too many and mud houses were flooded.

                    5.          Egyptians worshipped the Nile and were careful not to anger the gods so that the Nile would provide what they needed to survive.

                    6.          Egyptians only knew the lower part of the Nile.  Narrowing cliffs and boulders caused cataracts (churning rapids).  Riverboats could not pass through these for trading.

                    7.          Egypt was divided into two distinct regions.

                              a.          Upper Egypt- southern part of Egypt. (in the mountains)

                              b.          Lower Egypt- northern part of Egypt. (in the delta, or broad marshy, area of the Nile River)

                              c.          Transportation between these two areas was easy in the northward flowing river and sailor friendly winds.

          C.          Deserts shield Egypt from attack

                    1.          On the other side of the farming villages was a dry arid desert.  To the west was the Libyan Desert and to the east was the Arabian Desert.

                    2.          These two deserts kept Egypt from being attacked because they were so extreme and the change from Egyptian villages to desert was so abrupt.

          D.          Egyptian History

                    1.          Possibly as far back as 6000 BC there were farming villages in the Nile River Valley. 

                    2.          They domesticated cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys.

                    3.          They worshipped the exotic creatures of the Nile, such as, the hippo and the crocodile.

                    4.          Eventually the villages merged together to form nomes, or agricultural districts.

                    5.          By 3200 BC Mesopotamian peoples had contacted Egyptians and trade began to occur.

                    6.          By 3200 BC the first kings arose to unite several territories of nomes.

                    7.          In 3200 BC there were two Egyptian Kingdoms.  The Upper
Egyptian King wore a tall white crown shaped like a bowling pin.  The Lower Egyptian King wore a red crown.

                    8.          In 3100 BC a powerful king of Upper Egypt named Menes united the two Kingdoms.  He combined the crowns and established a capital near the middle of the two kingdoms.  The capital was Memphis.  He was the first of many powerful kings to rule over Egypt.

II.          Egypt's Pharaoh's Ruled as gods          

          A.          Dynasties were common throughout Egyptian history.  This is the passing of power from a father to a son to a grandson.  Egypt had 31 dynasties over 2800 years.

          B.          The first two dynasties left little records but the Third Dynasty left some for us.  This is known as the Old Kingdom (2660-2180 BC).

          C.          Pharaohs emerged as the rulers of Egypt.  They were much more than kings.  Pharaoh was a royal title because their names were too sacred to use!

                    1.          Stood at the center of Egyptian religion.

                    2.          Were actual gods themselves.

                    3.          Even after a pharaoh died their burial chamber was painted and stocked with everything they would need to rule from the afterlife.  (ka)

                    4.          Made a mummy as in burial.

                    5.          Buried in pyramids.

                              a.          Scholars think peasants built the pyramids. (Israelites??)

                              b.          The Great Pyramid at Giza has more than 2 million blocks that weigh at least 2½ tons each stacked 481 feet tall!  HOW?????

                              c.           Even though the pyramids still stand thieves typically have emptied them out.

          D.          The First Illness brought ruin

                    1.          The first illness was a breakdown of Egyptian society.

                    2.          Low floodwaters, lawlessness and civil war brought an end to the Old Kingdom.

          E.          The Middle Kingdom restores order.

                    1.          Middle Kingdom-(2080-1640 BC)- strong kings restored farming, trade and the arts.  They were also very interested in the welfare of the common person.

                    2.          A canal was built from the Red Sea to the Nile.  Dikes and irrigation were improved. Swamps were drained for more farmland in Lower Egypt. 

                    3.          Religious view changed a little for the common person.  It was believed that common people had eternal souls too and their burials reflected this thought.  The grandeur of the pharaoh diminished.

          F.          The Hyksos ruled during the Second Illness

                    1.          During a period of 70 years (1640-1570 BC) an Asian nomad group came in to rule. 

                    2.          Civil war broke out in Egypt.  The Egyptians despised these invaders. 

                              a.          However, they learned the use of bronze, horse-drawn chariots and a new bow and arrow. 

                              b.          They also learned new spinning and weaving techniques.

                    3.          In 1600 BC Queen Ahhotep took over Egypt after her husband died in battle and began to drive the Hyksos out.

                    4.          The next Pharaoh, Kamose, battled the Hyksos and drove them completely out of Egypt into Sinai and Palestine.

          G.          The New Kingdom was an age of Empire.

                    1.          The New Kingdom (1570-1075 BC) made Egypt wealthier and more powerful than ever before.

                    2.          Lavish grandeur was the order of the day.

                    3.          Egyptian Kings now built up armed forces to protect their kingdom.  No longer was the desert good enough alone.

                    4.          One of the strongest queens in Egyptian history was Hatshepsut.  She ruled boldly for 22 years (1478-1456??) even though many felt the pharaoh could only be male.  She encouraged trade and died a mysterious death.

                    5.          Her stepson, Thutmose III, was a warrior.  He invaded Palestine and Syria and brought slaves from Nubia, below the 4th cataract, to Egypt.  Egypt grew to its greatest power under this king.

                    6.          In 1288 BC the Egyptians battled with the Hittites at Kadesh.  They were forced to sign a peace treaty and remain allies for the rest of the century.

          F.          These Egyptians were great builders

                    1.          The Pyramids were too often robbed so now kings were buried under desert cliffs near Thebes in the Valley of the Kings.

                    2.          This is where King Tut's tomb was found.

                    3.          Egypt's last great Pharaoh was Ramses II.

                              a.          He ruled for 67 years. (1279-1212 BC)

                              b.          He had 150 children!!!

                              c.          He built two major temples and many gigantic statues of himself. 

                    4.          After 1200 BC the Empire began to crumble.

                    5.          Invasions from neighbors and revolts by those in subjection (Palestine) led to the decline.

                    6.          In 751, a Nubian kingdom, Kush, took Egypt.  This culture would live in Egypt and remain throughout the rest of the invasions. 

                    7.          In 671, the Assyrians took Egypt.

                    8.          In 521, the Persians took control.

III.          Egypt's Way of Life Endured for 3000 years.

          A.          Despite invasions, dynasty changes and difficult times the Egyptian culture was passed down from generation to generation.

          B.          There was a distinct social class system in Egyptian society.

                    1.          Nobles were the highest under the Pharaoh.

                              a.          Governors, generals, tax collectors and officials in service to the Pharaoh.

                              b.          Women could serve in these positions as well.  Women held many rights just as men.

                              c.          They enjoyed many luxuries, such as, education, walled homes, pools, jewelry for men and women, servants, and abundant food.

                              d.          Most nobles were born into this class.  However, warriors in the army that found Pharaoh's favor could rise into the nobility.

                    2.          Peasants were the workers of this society.

                              a.          They worked hard with few comforts.

                              b.          They farmed and paid heavy taxes of their harvests to the Pharaoh.

                              c.          During the flood season they were often called to work on a civil project.

                              d.          They seemed to find joy and happiness in their difficult lives.

                    3.          Slaves were the lowest class.

                              a.          As slaves were brought from Nubia the peasant class moved up a notch.

                              b.          The fortunate served the rich in every manner.  They could hope to earn freedom for hard service.

                              c.          The unfortunate were sent to work in gold mines in the mountains and were beaten and abused.

          C.  Religion taught fairness and hope.

                    1.          Maat- idea of justice, right, truth and order.  Everyone was to uphold this idea even the Pharaoh.

                    2.          Osiris, the god of the dead, would judge everyone's heart and deeds after death.  If their heart weighed less than a feather they would get eternal life.  If it tipped the scales the Devourer of Souls would eat the person.  If you survived this ordeal then you could have eternal life.

                    3.          Priests were believed to help people have influence over the gods.  This was in case you made a little mistake and wanted to correct it!

                    4.          In the New Kingdom they were very wealthy, controlled more slaves and land than the Pharaoh himself!

                    5.          In 1375 BC, Pharaoh Akhenaton, tried to change Egyptian religion to the Sun God (Aton) being the most powerful god in the whole universe.  He seemed to be trying to lessen the power of the priests.

                    6.          He forced all other temples shut down except the ones for Aton, the sun god. 

                    7.          With his death in 1362 BC they returned to all of the old gods.

          D.          Egyptians studied many subjects.

                    1.          Writing:  hieroglyphics-sacred carvings- were the most famous writing of Egypt.  They were first written on stones but eventually papyrus was used.  After Egypt's decline no one could read this.  In 1799 AD the Rosetta Stone was found and in 1822 Jean Francois Champollion broke the code!

                    2.          Numbers-  They invented a system for addition, subtraction and writing numbers but for anything over 100 it did not work well.

                    3.          Geometry and Surveying- made for redoing land boundaries each year after the floods.

                    4.          Calendars- They measured the bright star of Sirius to plant crops at the right time.  They took a year (365 days) and divided it into 12 months of 30 days each and added 5 days for feasting.  This was so accurate it only falls short by 6 hours of the solar calendar!!!