History 8 Egypt Questions

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1. Detail the importance of the Nile River to Egypt.

2. How and why did the Egyptian view of life differ from the Mesopotamian outlook?

While Mesopotamia and Egypt drew their life from a river, the Nile was a gift to the Egyptians whereas the Tigris and Euphrates drowned people when it flooded. The Nile deposited fresh silt before it receded, allowing for fresh soil and good farming land. Also, the Egyptian empire was permanent and stable, allowing for confidence in the Egyptian peoples. Because of this stability, there was always optimism in the Egyptians feelings, unlike Mesopotamia’s outlook, which was pessimistic (Manual page 88). JCT

3. What lay at the heart of Egyptian civilization? "The ideological basis of prehistoric kingship, its symbols and myths, proved uniquely long-lasting, indeed it lay at the heart of Egyptian civilization. The temple was symbolic representation of the original mound of creation...a pattern to be maintained by kingship, law, religion, and ritual." (Manual 89) Basically the prehistoric kingship, the myths and the symbols live in the heart of Egypt. The temple, and their religion also constructed Egyptian way of life. LRM

[1]is a picture of and Egyptian temple [2]- a website for Egyptian temple

4. What was significance of the temple in this civilization? The temple was a symbol of the mound of creation, a reed shrine around the place where the hawk landed. Shockingly similar to many other religions with their story of creation, the Egyptians believed in a hawk that was the first life to land on the earth. The temple also signified all the firsts (such as the first place), but most importantly the first time when society and life was given to humans. Human life in turn, would not perish as long as the kingship, law, religion, and ritual were upheld by the god-pharaoh. Thus, nothing needed to be changed, and life remained the consistent for the next three millennium.

(Manual 89) [3]-a website on Egyptian temples [4]-picture LJ

5. Name and explain the mainstays of Egyptian civilization. The mainstays of Egyptians civilization were efficient farming, which was essential to produce surplus and which was organized by the central government, centrally organized irrigation, which stored water for dry seasons and directed channels of water to fields, pottery, stone-working, ceremonial and monumental architecture like the pyramids, which were built over tombs of pharaohs, elaborate burials, which included mummification of the body and insisted that the bodies be recognizable so that the kas or souls of the deceased could find their ways home, and long-distance trade, which was facilitated by the Nile River since boats could travel North with the current and South with the wind (LM pg. 89). Claire G.

6. Describe the key themes of Egyptian history.

Egyptians believed that a divine kingship ensured a stable universe. The key themes of Egyptian history stem from that belief. The themes are centralization of power, cult of the dead and royal rituals. Centralization of power is the concentration of power among a few select people of the upper class. The cult of the dead refers to the treatment of the corpses, the extensive embalming, the great pyramids, and the gold and other treasures buried for the corpse. The royal ritual, another theme of Egyptian history, refers to celebration and worship of the gods. These ceremonies were often performed to placate or ask favors from gods. Learn more about Egyptian rituals at [5] One theme in Egyptian religion is the constant struggle between the two sons of Osiris, Horus and Seth. Many historians think this myth originates from a real conflict between two kingdoms. (CF Manual p 88-89) N.G.

Picture at [6]The gold embellished tombs and intricate wall designs embody the Egyptian cult of the dead. Picture from http://www.vegas-dreaming.com/tut_tomb_las_vegas.htm

7. Explain the role of the pyramid and the legitimation of authority in Egypt. The authority in Egypt was the Pharaoh. Like in many civilizations of the time, the leaders authority was legitimized using religion. The people were told that their leader was of divine origin, which gave them the authority to rule. In the case of Egypt, their leaders were thought to be better than all those bellow them and worthy of rule. In their art, the Egyptians depict their pharaohs as being larger than those around them and towering above those bellow. The larger-than-life aura that surrounded them was certainly enough to make them worthy to rule, but the pyramids were another depiction of their superiority. The pyramids were build by work gangs, not slaves, who were paid by the government. Each pharaoh tried to outdo the other and legitimize their authority by building larger and larger monuments. The idea was that the pharaohs needed a way to ascend to the afterlife in the morning and then go back down at night. A picture can be found here: [7]-Chris Gillett

8. Give as many reasons for the collapse of the Old Kingdom as possible.

Around 2200-2100 BC the Old Kingdom was affected by the same dry period that caused problems for the civilizations in Mesopotamia. This dry period brought low floods and half a century of famine in the Old Kingdom. All of this helped pull the old order apart. Eventually, the monarchy was overthrown. (CF Manual pg. 91) F.F.

For more Information [8]

9. What kind of state or society existed in the Middle Kingdom?. Give Examples

In the Middle Kingdom, the state grew up around Thebes. Mentuhotep, a lord in Thebes, is credited with uniting the two kingdoms (Upper and Lower Egypt, and his deeds are comparable to Menes/Narmer. However, there is no evidence to suggest alternative forms of government. During this time, the Egyptians were mostly a provider society, giving a basic standard of living to all. The surpluses of food were sold and the money was used to make great temples, palaces, tombs, and monuments. Paraphrased from pages 91-91 in CF Manual. To learn more about the Middle Kingdom, go to [[9]] A.D.

10. What changes occurred in the New Kingdom?. The New Kingdom was flexible enough to adapt to a form of rule where it (the New Kingdom) was essentially political. The development of professional institutions: army, civil service, ministries and priesthood led in the end to the day-to-day life of the state being taken over by those who dealt in economic realities. The king was still the divine figurehead, but he had much less real power. (CF manual pg. 92) Ma C.

11. Detail the greatest change in thinking in the first millennium B.C. There were several great changes that occurred in the first millennium B.C. The New Kingdom developed a more pluralistic society. The society was flexible enough to form new rules. One rule was that the New Kingdom was more political than it had previously been. There was a pledge by the Society that unpredictable forces were to be put away with. The Ma'at a new philosophy created. This philosophy was based on justice, law, and ethics. (Lab Manual Page 92). MEC

12. Explain what Ibn Khaldun, the Islamic historian, meant when he called Egypt the best example of the habit of civilization.

Ibn Khaldun meant that culture could have a continuity, or their be influence from the first cultures to the ones following, and Egypt is the best example of this "habit of civilization". In Egypt, the habit of civilization shows through the pharaohs, gods, and way of life. At the beginning of egypt, there was the first attempt to satisfy the needs of men and women, so they could live together in an ordered state (CF Manual pg. 95). Another example is the continuity of the boats or skiffs that the Egyptians use for trading, back then and now. Finally, the habit of civilization shows in where the cities are located along the Nile River, because of the good farming land around the Nile, some of the cities like Cairo are still inhabited today. Egypt is the best form of the "habit of civilization" because of the ideas, customs, beliefs, and traditions that are still around today. JC

13. How did the Egyptians conceive of the universe and the civil state? The Egyptians considered the universe to be above everything else. Everything had its proper place in the universe and the universe functioned regularly and predictably. The universe was in perfect balance morally and physically. Morally speaking, purity was rewarded and sin was punished. The state has beliefs in the indivisibility of divine and earthy rule, and in the need of a stable cosmos (CF Manual pg. 92). The civil state and the universe were related to each other in that the universe required the upholding of justice and the civil state required a stable cosmos. The state and universe are, as stated, indivisible. [10] is a representation of the Egyptian cosmos. MB

14. Define and explain the concept of ma'at.