Ancient EGYPT: GODS AND PHARAOHS Ideas That Matter Written by Robert E. Slavin and Kate Conway Ancient EGYPT: GODS AND PHARAOHS Written by Robert E. Slavin and Kate Conway Ancient Egypt: Gods and Pharaohs © 2014 Success for All Foundation. All rights reserved. ISBN: 9780976785040 Developers: Robert E. Slavin, Kate Conway, Wendy Fitchett, Alli Hoge Editors: Jodie Littleton, Janet Wisner Designers: Barbara Colquitt, Devon Bouldin Image Credits: Creative Commons Attribution—Share Alike: Captmondo (Canopic jars, pg. 16), ChrisO (Nile delta map, pg. 5), Guillaume Blanchard (Amulet, pg. 14), Hans Hillewaert (Rosetta stone, pg. 23), Jeff Dahl (Egyptian gods, pgs. 2 and 5), Joshua Sherurcij (Egyptian mummy, pg. 16), Messer Woland (Giza pyramid complex map, pg. 18), Nina Alden Thune (Kheops pyramid, pg. 19), Titi Sitria (Offerings carrier figurine, Dynasty XI, pg. 14) Shutterstock.com: AcaG, Andrei Nekrassov, Artform, Bill McKelvie, Boonsom, Bzzuspajk, Canicula Cardaf, Daboost, Dinadesign, Dudarev Mikhail, Erhan Dayi, EugenZ, Fstockfoto, javarman, Lukiyanova Natalia/frenta, Mihai Dancaescu, Paul Vinten, pavalena, Peter Hermes Furian, pio3, rook76, Sergey Khachatryan, Vibrant Image Studio, Waj, Yu Lan © Thinkstock: © Brand X Pictures, © iStockphoto, © Photos.com The mission of the Success for All Foundation is to develop and disseminate research-proven educational programs to ensure that all students, from all backgrounds, achieve at the highest academic levels. These programs were originally developed at Johns Hopkins University. 300 E. Joppa Road, Suite 500, Baltimore, MD 21286 PHONE: (800) 548-4998, ext. 2372 FAX: (410) 324-4444 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.successforall.org TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ............................................ 2 The Land ................................................. 5 Pharaohs .................................................. 8 The People ............................................ 12 The Afterlife ......................................... 16 Buildings ................................................ 19 Hieroglyphs ........................................... 22 Egypt Today .......................................... 26 Glossary ................................................. 29 Index ...................................................... 30 INTRODUCTION Marhaban! That’s how you say hello in Arabic. Arabic is the language spoken today in Egypt. Egypt is one of the oldest Thousands of years ago, Egypt believed in many other gods. civilizations in the world. Many was ruled by powerful kings The Egyptians built incredible languages have been spoken in called pharaohs. The ancient pyramids, temples, and tombs Egypt. The religions and people’s Egyptians believed that their to honor their gods. traditions have changed too. pharaohs were gods. They also Get to know the Egyptian Gods The Egyptians had hundreds of gods. Some of the gods were part human and part animal. Here are some of their most important gods. Hathor Anubis Ra Isis Sekhmet Thoth God of the dead Goddess of God of the sun Goddess of love and joy motherhood Goddess of war God of writing 2 Many of the objects we use paper, they needed something to today come from ancient write with, so they invented the Egypt. The Egyptians invented pen! The Egyptians also invented the first form of paper, toothpaste and the toothbrush, which was called papyrus. makeup, wigs, marshmallows, It was made from reeds. and the calendar! After the Egytians invented 3 Researchers and This book will take you Fact: scientists have been on a journey through The study of studying ancient Egypt their discoveries. Let’s ancient Egypt is for many years. Much learn more about called Egyptology. of what we know the land, people, and People who study about this ancient customs that shaped Egypt are called culture comes from the ancient Egypt. Egyptologists. mummies and artifacts that they have studied. 4 THE LAND A huge river called the Nile flows through the middle of Egypt. The Nile is the longest into many smaller rivers river in the world. It runs in what is called a delta. from south to north The small rivers flow into through Africa. At the the Mediterranean Sea. north end, it breaks Egypt is in the northeast corner of Africa. Part of Egypt is also in Asia. It is the only country that connects the two continents. Fact: Sobek was the God of the Nile. He had the head of a crocodile. Egyptians prayed to Sobek to keep them safe from crocodiles when they 5 crossed the Nile. Ancient Egypt was split Egyptians could use into two zones called for farming. Nearly all Kemet and Deshret. Egyptians lived in the Kemet, or the Black Black Land. Deshret Land, was the land means the Red Land. by the Nile. Every year, The Red Land is the the Nile would flood desert that covers and cover the land with most of Egypt. rich dark soil that the 6 Egypt gets less than one source of transportation inch of rain per year, and trade. The Egyptians so the Egyptians relied built ships with sails on the Nile for survival. and oars to travel up The Nile gave people and down the Nile. fresh water for drinking This helped them trade and bathing. It also gave with people all over the them food. They could world. The Egyptians catch fish that lived in took African ideas and the water. They also goods to other countries. used nets and spears to They also brought back hunt birds that flew near ideas and inventions the water’s surface. The from Greece, the Middle Nile was also a major East, and other regions. 7 PHARAOHS Pharaohs ruled over Egypt for thousands of years. The Egyptians believed that their pharaohs were half-man and half-god. A ritual was held when a pharaoh had been on the throne for thirty years. The pharaoh transformed into a full god. The pharaoh was the most powerful person in Egypt. The pharaoh owned all the land and made all the laws. The pharaoh also led Fact: In 1925, an Englishman found King the Egyptian army in battle against other nations. Tut’s tomb. It was filled with riches and covered One of the most well-known pharaohs is Tutankhamun. He is in gold, silver, and jewels. sometimes called King Tut or the boy king. He ruled Egypt for nine The Egyptians believed years before he died when he was only eighteen. that they took their riches with them to the afterlife. King Tut was buried with thousands of objects, including jewelry, statues, and a gold throne. You can still see the riches from Tut’s tomb in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. 8 Nearly all the pharaohs were men. When a pharaoh died, his son, nephew, or grandson would become pharaoh. The queen would rule with him if the boy was too young. One queen named Hatshepsut wanted all the power. Hatshepsut married Thutmose II, who had a son by another woman. Thutmose III was just a child when his father died. Hatshepsut, the boy’s stepmother, acted as pharaoh while he grew up. She was the daughter of a popular pharaoh, and the people liked her. 9 However, when pharaohs. She even Thutmose III was wore a false beard. Fact: Women in old enough to rule, She ruled for nearly ancient Egypt painted their fingernails! The Hatshepsut decided twenty-two years. color was determined to remain pharaoh. When Hatshepsut died, by a woman’s status in She made herself king. the new pharaoh took society. Hatshepsut wore Everyone knew she his revenge. He had black and red, the colors was a woman, but she all references to his of royalty. dressed like the male stepmother destroyed. You can see Hatshepsut’s feminine features, even though she is wearing a false beard. 10 Cleopatra’s name in Heiroglyphs Another famous female leader and queens of Egypt respected of Egypt was Cleopatra VII. She Egyptian traditions and religion. was of Greek descent. The Greeks They dressed like pharaohs and conquered Egypt in 305 BCE. honored the Egyptian gods. Cleopatra and other Greek kings 1332–1323 BCE Tutankhamun rules 3500 BCE 3000 BCE 2500 BCE 2000 BCE 1500 BCE 1000 BCE 500 BCE 0 3100 BCE 1479–1458 51–30 BCE Upper and Lower BCE Cleopatra VII Egypt are unified. Egypt Hatshepsut rules becomes one nation. rules 11 THE PEOPLE Jobs Men in ancient Egypt use as food and flax were expected to to use for linen clothes. Fact: The Nile flooded every work to support their Other men were priests, year between May and October. families. The women builders, artists, or Farmers abandoned their fields. When they returned, the fields were expected to take craftsmen. Children would be covered with rich, care of the homes and spent their childhoods thick soil that was ideal for children. Most men in learning the jobs that growing grains and other crops. ancient Egypt worked they would need to as farmers. They grew do as adults. wheat and barley to 12 There were very few took several years to schools. Only boys from learn to read and write royal or wealthy families the complicated symbols Fact: The attended school. These that the Egyptians used Egyptians used boys were taught to be to communicate. Being symbols called scribes. They studied a scribe was one of the hieroglyphs. reading and writing. It best jobs in Egypt. 13 Clothing and Dress Egypt has a very hot and dry climate. Clothing in ancient Egypt was Jewelry was very The poor made their often made from linen, popular. Men and jewelry from colored which is a very light women wore brightly beads. Egyptians had fabric. Most men wore colored necklaces, many superstitions. They short skirts or loincloths. earrings, bracelets, believed that certain Women wore simple anklets, and rings. actions could bring good dresses. Children often Jewelry was often made luck or bad luck. People did not wear clothing from gold, silver, and often wore good luck until they were about precious stones. charms on their jewelry. six years old. 14 Cleanliness was very important to the Egyptians. Many shaved their heads to protect themselves from lice.