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| THE NILE RIVER: CENTER OF
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION |
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| LOCATION |
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RIVER:
Source:
Direction:
Length:
Profile:
Ancient
EGYPT:
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Nile
Central Africa
North
4,000 miles to the Mediterranean
Long navigable stretches broken by several cataracts
750 miles of the river valley , shaped like a funnel with two parts:
 | Upper
(southern Egypt) consisted of the narrow valley of the Nile.
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| Lower
(northern Egypt) consisted of the broad, triangular delta, which branched out about 150
miles along the Mediterranean coast.
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| FEATURES |
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Each year, the river flooded and covered
the land.
| When
the river receded, it left fertile mud that produced 2 crops per year.
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| River
provided agricultural prosperity based on:
 | Construction
and maintenance of irrigation ditches to preserve water.
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| Careful
planning and organization of planting and harvesting.
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| River
served as a highway connecting the long, narrow country and encouraging its unification.
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| Nature
helped protect and isolate the ancient Egyptians from outsiders. These features made
it difficult for foreigners to reach Egypt:
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| Security,
along with a sunny predictable climate, gave Egyptian civilization a more optimistic
outlook than that of Mesopotamia.
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LIFE IN ANCIENT EGYPT |
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| GOVERNMENT |
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OLD KINGDOM
Pharaoh's power was absolute:
| Not
merely a representative of the gods but a god himself
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| Land
his own personal possession
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| People
were his servants
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| Imposed
internal peace and order
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| Appointed
and removed officials at his pleasure
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| Direct
source of law and justice (no law codes needed)
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| Led a
luxurious life (and provided for a luxurious afterlife)
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| Peasants
were carefully regulated, their movement was limited, and they were taxed heavily (up to
as much as one-fifth of what they produced)
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| Government
was merely one aspect of religion, and religion dominated Egyptian life.
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FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
| Power
of the kings declined as priests and nobles gained more independence and influence.
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| Governors
of the regions of Egypt gained hereditary claim to their offices and their families
acquired large estates.
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| Period
of decentralization and disorder.
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MIDDLE KINGDOM
Rulers of Twelfth Dynasty restored the pharaoh's power
| Brought
order, peace, and prosperity
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| Encouraged
trade
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| Extended
Egyptian power and influence northward to Palestine and southward to Ethiopia
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| Emphasized
their role as dispensers of justice
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SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
| Resurgent
power of the local nobility
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| Erosion
of central authority
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| Hyksos
(from east) conquered the Nile Delta
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NEW KINGDOM
Pharaohs of Eighteenth Dynasty:
| Built a
powerful army
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| Imposed
absolute rule
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| Forged
an empire that extended far beyond the Nile Valley
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| Combined
new military techniques (learned from the Hyksos) with determination, fighting spirit, and
an increasingly militarized society
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| Extended
power into Palestine, Syria, and beyond to the upper Euphrates Rive
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| Not
checked until they came in conflict with the Hittite empire in Asia Minor
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| SOCIETY |
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Most Egyptians were serfs and subject to
forced labor.
| Class
stratification was not rigid and people of merit could rise to a higher rank in the
service of the pharaoh.
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| Best
avenue of advancement: education (scribe school).
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Status of women was exceptionally
high.
| Landed
property descended from mother to daughter.
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| Upon
the death of his wife, a husband lost the use of the property, which was inherited by the
daughter and her husband.
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| Brother
and sister marriages often took place within the ruling family to ensure the right of
succession to the throne, which was always through the female line.
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| ECONOMY |
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THEOCRATIC SOCIALISM:
| State
(pharaoh) owned the land and monopolized commerce and industry.
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| Most
trade carried on by ships (The Nile is easily navigable in both directions; ships are
carried downstream by the current and sail upstream with the winds).
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| Egypt's
indispensable imports were lumber, copper, tin, and olive oil paid for with gold from its
rich mines, linens, wheat, and papyrus rolls.
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| FOR
YOUR CONSIDERATION |
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ONLINE
RESOURCES
|
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| Daily
Life in Ancient Egypt: A wealth of information on Ancient Egypt, including
hieroglyphics, medicine, astrology, garment making, and beer and wine making.
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| The Egyptian Creation
Myth: Tells how Amon-Re created the world and man. Check for similarities to Biblical
account of creation.
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| Judgment Day: From the Book
of the Dead, Chapter 125.
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| Walk Like an Egyptian: A modern
guide to the religion and philosophy of ancient Egypt. Includes Love on The Nile:
Basic Concepts behind The Ancient Egyptian Beliefs and Why The Cat
Has Nine Lives: The Essential Egyptian View of Self
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| Death in Ancient Egypt:
Includes a discussion of Ancient Egyptian funerary customs, shabtis, mummies, tombs,
offerings, the Egyptian personality, and the soul.
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| Hieroglyphs: Excellent
treatment of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Includes a hieroglyphics translater (see your name in
hieroglyphics) and a free hieroglyphics screen saver.
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| Plumbing in Egypt: Includes a discussion
of the dam building, plumbing for the dead, and pipe-making.
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| Egyptian Mathematics:
Interesting treatment of Egyptian mathematics. Includes math problems to
see if you could survive in the world of Egyptian numerals and mathematics.
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DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS |
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| Why is
Egypt often referred to as the "Gift of the Nile?"
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| What
role did geography play in the development of Egyptian civilization?
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| What do
Egyptian attitudes toward life after death reveal about the Egyptian religion and
attitudes toward life in general?
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| A
highly centralized government seemed to be a requirement for order, peace, and prosperity
in ancient Egypt. Why do you think that was? How do we maintain order, peace, and
prosperity in the United States today? Do we have a better solution to the problem than
the ancient Egyptians did?
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