CIVILIZATION OF THE NILE

The Ancient Egyptians

The Ancient Egyptians
1. Contemporary with Mesopotamia, Egypt
rose from about 5000 B.C.E to 3100 B.C.E

1. Geographically, Egypt is divided into Upper

Egypt & Lower Egypt.

1. Around 3100 B.C.E Upper and Lower are

united by NARMER/MENES (ME-neez).

1. Egyptian history is divided into about 30

dynasties, distinguished by wealth, stability,
and rulership… Kings, later called Pharaoh.

1. Around 525 B.C.E, Egypt loses its

independence to the Persian Empire.
Egyptian hieroglyphs
(/ˈhaɪər.ɵɡlɪf/ hyr-o-glif; Egyptian: mdw·w-nṯr, "god's words”)

1. First came into use before 3000 B.C.E

1. At first believed to indicated complete

ideas rather than sounds.

1. Frenchman Jean François Champollion

deciphered the Rosetta Stone.

1. Combined logographic and alphabetic

elements.

1. scholars believe that cuneiforms are the

the basis of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

During the Old Kingdom of Egypt (circa 2686 B.C.E. — circa 2181 B.C.E.), Egypt
consisted of the Nile River region and the area along the river south to Elephantine.
The Rosetta Stone
1. Found in 1822 during
Napoleon’s military
campaign in Egypt near the
town of Rosetta.

1. It is estimated to weigh over

750 kilograms (1,600
pounds).

1. Granodiorite is a plutonic
rock composed of black
biotite, dark-gray
hornblende, off-white
plagioclase, and translucent
gray quartz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFXY9-pec1I
 Ancient Egyptian Religion
1. Ancient Egyptian religion was polytheistic,
involving a profusion of Gods/Deities.
2. Importance was given to cosmic forces, the
sun, Earth, sky, air, and water.
1. Such forces were depicted in various forms,
often as animals, humans, or as hybrids.
1. One of the most important Gods was
Osiris, caretaker of the dead, of the
afterlife, of the underworld.
1. Another God was Isis, wife of Osiris, and
Ra, the Sun God.
Ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, wife of Osiris. Isis is usually represented as a woman with the
throne-hieroglyph on her head, symbolizing her as the wife of Osiris, the king of the afterlife. Isis can
also be represented as a bird (called a kite) wearing the same headdress. In another form, Isis bears the
headdress used by Hathor, consisting of a sun-disk and cow horns.
Horus, son of Isis & Osiris
1. Horus, a God of the Sun, war, and
protection… Depicted as a falcon…
• In Greek one says
Ὧρος Hōros

• Eye of Horus

Horus relief in the Temple of Edfu

Horus, an ancient Egyptian falcon headed-deity. Horus was usually depicted wearing the
double crown of kingship, but also appeared in a fully falcon form, among others. Ra, another
falcon-headed deity, is distinguished by the presence of the sun disk on his head, but the ancient
Egyptians often combined Re and Horus into the composite deity known as Re-Horakhty.
 The Myth of Osiris
1. Osiris is killed by his brother Set, and his
body is disposed, supposedly in the Nile.
2. Isis, than searches for the body of Osiris,
finding him and bringing him back to Egypt.
3. When Set came upon the body, he is
angered, and dismembers the dead body.
4. Isis again claims the body parts, but this
times buries them locally.
5. Horus, than comes of age to challenge Set,
of which he defeats in battle.
6. Accordingly, Osiris becomes caretaker of
the underworld.
Osiris, lord of the dead in the ancient Egyptian religion. Here, he is shown in typical mummy wrappings.
Isis, in the form of a bird, copulates with the deceased Osiris. At either side
are Horus, although he is as yet unborn, and Isis in human form.

Horus

Isis
Osiris
Isis nursing Horus

From right to left: Isis, her husband Osiris, and their son Horus, the protagonists of the Osiris myth, in a 22nd dynasty statue
Survey of Major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Anubis, the jackal Khonsu, an ancient
headed god of Egyptian god depicted as
ancient Egypt. a mummiform child with
a moon disk on his head.

Bastet, the Goddess of

Cat in Ancient Egypt
Major Egyptian Gods and Goddesses cont…
Ptah is one of the Taweret, an ancient Egyptian hippo
ancient Egyptian goddess of pregnancy and motherhood.
creator-gods. God Left forepaw rests on Sa magical protection
of craftsman. amulet and hieroglyph.

Ra-Horakhty is a
combined deity of
Horus and Ra, and is
usually depicted as a
falcon-headed man
wearing a sun disk on
his head.
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses at the Louvre, Fr.
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses at the Louvre, Fr.
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses at the Louvre, Fr.
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses at the Louvre, Fr.
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses at the Louvre, Fr.
The Old Kingdom (2686-2181 B.C.E)

1. The Old Kingdom was a time of

social and political stability.

2. During this time society was

stratified: commoners, artisans,
wealthy, nobles, and God/Kings
(Pharaoh).

3. Common people and artisans were

kept busy through sanctioned
works: The Great Pyramids of
Giza, sculpture, and mastabas.

4. The human body was central to

Egyptian life, and The Book of the
Dead came to be known.
The Pyramid of Khafre, also known as the Pyramid of Chephren, is the second-tallest,
and second-largest of the Pyramids of Giza. It serves as the tomb of Khafre.

The Great Sphinx of Giza (Arabic: ‫الهول‬

‫‫‬ ‫‫أبو‬Abū al-Haul, English: The Terrifying
One; literally: Father of Dread),
Pharaoh Chefren of the Old Kingdom

(also read as Khafre, Khafra, Khefren)

1. King of the 4th Dynasty.

c. 2613 to 2494 BC.

2. He was the son of Khufu.

3. His reign was a time of peace

and prosperity…

4. Time when trade with other

countries is documented.

1. Built the 2nd largest pyramid

at Giza.
Isometric drawing of the Pyramid of Khafre taken from a 3d model – R.F. Morgan
Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza, Facchinelli, Beniamino (1829?-1895?)
 Fragment of the beard of the
sphinx (British Museum).

Profile of the Great Sphinx

 The Book of the Dead The Book of Coming Forth by Day

1. Spells out the procedures that the deceased

had to pass through to reach peace.

2. The purpose of the soul was to be reunited

with Osiris in the Field of Reeds.

3. In the Field of Reeds, a person would have

to justify their good to people/Gods.

4. A favorable judgment reunited souls in

The ba was a free-ranging peace and joy.
spirit aspect of the deceased.
It was the ba, depicted as a
human-headed bird, which 5. The book contained incantations that might
could "go forth by day" from protect against an unfavorable judgment.
the tomb into the world;
spells 61 and 89 of the book
acted to preserve it.
If all the obstacles of the Duat could be negotiated, the deceased would be judged in the "Weighing of the Heart" ritual, depicted in Spell
125. The deceased was led by the god Anubis into the presence of Osiris. There, the dead person swore that he had not committed any sin
from a list of 42 sins, reciting a text known as the "Negative Confession".
Part of the Book of the Dead of Pinedjem II. The text is hieratic, except for hieroglyphics in
the vignette. The use of red pigment, and the joins between papyrus sheets, are also visible.

Books were often prefabricated in funerary workshops, with spaces being left
for the name of the deceased to be written in later. For instance, in the Papyrus of
Ani, the name "Ani" appears at the top or bottom of a column, or immediately
following a rubric introducing him as the speaker of a block of text; the name
appears in a different handwriting to the rest of the manuscript, and in some
places is mis-spelt or omitted entirely.
 Sheet from a Book of the Dead, ca. 1075-945 B.C.E. Papyrus, pigment, 37.1699Ea, as
mounted: 24 1/2 x 13 15/16 x 7/8 in. (62.2 x 35.4 x 2.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum

The existence of the Book of the Dead was known as early as the Middle Ages, well before
its contents could be understood. Since it was found in tombs, it was evidently a document
of a religious nature, and this led to the widespread misapprehension that the Book of the
Dead was the equivalent of a Bible or Qur'an. It was not recognize as a funerary ritual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I-3TxjNVgk
The Book of the Dead found in tombs… @ the Louvre
The Middle Kingdom
(2040 B.CE. to 1700 B.C.E.)
1. In 2040 B.C.E a prince named
Mentuhotep II unites Upper
and Lower Egypt…

1. During this period regional

governors where given power.

1. Farming increased to higher

grounds of the Nile River.

2. A resurgence of art, literary

works, and small scale works.

1. Ideas of the afterlife now

followed by common people.
 The Middle Kingdom cont.
The block statue is a type of
memorial statue that first emerged
in the Middle Kingdom of Ancient
Egypt. The block statue grew in
popularity in the New Kingdom
and the Third Intermediate Period,
and by the Late Period, this type of
statue was the most common.
These statues were used in temples
typically as funerary monuments of
non-royal yet important
individuals.

Block-statue of Pa-Ankh-Ra, ship master, bearing a statue of Ptah.

 Block statue for Khay, Scribe for the general staff, showing
Harwa, attendant to the Divine Adoratrice of Amun, Amenirdis I titulary god of the scribe, Thoth-(a baboon)
The Speos Artemidos (Grotto of Artemis) is an archaeological site in Egypt. It is located
about 2 km south of the Middle Kingdom tombs at Beni Hasan, and about 28 km south of
Al Minya. Today, the site is a small village known as Istabl Antar.
 The New Kingdom or Empire
1552 B.C.E. to 1200 B.C.E.

1. The New Kingdom is known for its

military expansion.

2. Theban King AHMOSE [AR-mohz]

first pushed back the Hyksos.

1. This was the Bronze Age period for

Egypt, choosing to adopt metal…

1. Controlled the entire Nile Basin,

and eastern Mediterranean coast.

2. Fell to Persia in 525 B.C.E.

A fragmentary statue of Ahmose I, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
6. Capital was established
at Thebes.

7. Concealment was a
major concern for Kings.

8. A switch from pyramids

to temples…

9. The Funerary Temple of

Queen Hatshepsut.
A stone statue of Hatshepsut
HATSHEPSUT [hat-SHEP-sut]
meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies

1. Wife of King Thutmose II.

2. Became regent/advisor of King

Thutmose III, her son-in-law...
after her husband died.

3. One of the most successful

pharaohs, reigning longer than
any other woman of Egyptian
dynasty.

4. According to scholars she was co-

regent from 1479 to 1458 B.C.E.

5. Hatshepsut was one of the most

prolific builders in ancient Egypt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qukfARxNu2M
The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, located beneath the
cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile near the Valley
of the Kings in Egypt.
The relief sculpture within Hatshepsut’s temple recites the tale of the divine birth of a
female pharaoh – the first of its kind. The text and pictorial cycle also tell of an expedition
to the Land of Punt, an exotic country on the Red Sea coast. While the statues and
ornamentation have since been stolen or destroyed, the temple once was home to two
statues of Osiris, a sphinx avenue as well as many sculptures of the Queen in different
attitudes – standing, sitting, or kneeling. Many of these portraits were destroyed at the
order of her stepson Thutmose III after her death.
 Moreover, the Osirian statues of
Hatshepsut—as with other pharaohs—
depict the dead pharaoh as Osiris, with
the body and regalia of that deity. All
of the statues of Hatshepsut at her
tomb follow that tradition. The promise
of resurrection after death was a tenet
of the cult of Osiris. Since many
statues of Hatshepsut depicted in this
fashion have been put on display in
museums and those images have been
widely published, viewers who lack an
understanding of the religious
significance of these depictions have
been misled. Aside from the face
depicting Hatshepsut, these statues
closely resemble those of other kings as
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L01bDlX5pTA Osiris, following religious traditions.
Ramesses II Ramesses the Great
(born c. 1303 BC; died July or August
1213 BC; reigned 1279–1213 BC)

• Third Pharaoh of the 19th

Dynasty of Egypt.
• Ramesses II led several
military expeditions into the
Levant...
• At age fourteen, Ramesses
was appointed Prince Regent
by his father Seti I.
• Built cities, temples, and
monuments. Died at the age
of 90 or 91.
• Buried in the Valley of Kings
Areas of the Levant under Ramesses II
The Battle of Kadesh in his fifth regnal year was the climactic
engagement in a campaign that Ramesses fought in Syria, against
the resurgent Hittite forces of Muwatallis. Ramesses's forces were
caught in a Hittite ambush and outnumbered at Kadesh when they
counterattacked and routed the Hittites, whose survivors abandoned
their chariots and swam the Orontes river back to the safe city walls.
The pharaoh's mummy reveals an aquiline nose and strong jaw, and stands at about 1.7 meters, (5’, 7”)