Egypt 2.1: Life in Ancient Egypt

Egypt 2.1: LIfe in Ancient Egypt

Guiding Question: How was ancient Egypt governed?

​A Unified Egypt

• ​Around 2600 BC, the period of Egypt's civilization was called the Old Kingdom and lasted until 2200 BC.

• ​During these years, Egypt built great cities, increased trade, and formed a unified government

• ​they developed a government under an all-powerful ruler who controlled both religious and political affairs called a theocracy

A Political Leader

• ​the Egyptians were ruled by a pharaoh which means "great house"

• ​the pharaoh held total power and issued commands that had to be obeyed

• ​Egyptians were loyal to their pharaoh and believed that a pharaoh's wise and far-reaching leadership would help their kingdom survive disasters like war and famine

​A Political Leader

• ​The pharaoh appointed bureaucrats or government officials, to carry out his orders

• ​they supervised the construction and repair of dams, irrigation canals, and brick granaries

• ​the pharaoh's officials collected tax payments of grain from farmers

• ​the pharaoh also distributed land to officials, priests, and wealthy Egyptians he liked

Open Ended

What role did the pharaoh play as a political leader?

​A Religious Leader

• ​Egyptians thought the pharaoh was the song of Re, the Egyptian sun god

  • ​was thought to be a god on earth

  • ​ in the public, he was carried and people played music on flutes and cymbals and bowed their heads

A Religious Leader

• ​the pharaoh participated in ceremonies to help the kingdom thrive

  • ​rode a bull around Memphis because the Egyptians believed that this would help keep the soil fertile

  • ​first to cut the grain at harvest time believing this would produce abundant crops

Open Ended

How was the pharaoh a religious leader?