The Nile Valley Chapter 2:ie Life in Ancient Egypt “The Land of the Pharaohs.”

Life in Ancient Egypt

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[Image source: The nobility and priests who formed the top of the social order controlled both the religious and political affairs.

The upper class lived a comfortable urban life with their immediate families. [Image source: The Age of the God-Kings, B.C. (Time-Life Books)]

[Image source: The middle class was made up of artisans, scribes, merchants, and tax collectors who lived a comfortable urban life.

The lower class provided for the needs of the upper classes. [Image source:

The majority of of Egyptians were poor farmers who grew food. [Image source:

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Some peasants ground grain and provided baked goods for the rich.

Still others herded and slaughtered animals for meat. [Image source:

Some were potters who provided ceramic wares. [Image source:

Some slaves provided music entertainment... [Image source:

... while other sang or danced. [Image source:

Upper class urban-dwelling Egyptian families were often nuclear, including only the parents and their children. [Image source:

Many lower class people lived in extended families that included grandparents and other relatives.

Women were originally viewed as the property of their husbands. [Image source:

By the New Kingdom, women could buy, own, and sell property, testify in court, and initiate divorce and other legal proceedings. [

Children were expected to cherish their mothers for bearing them, nourishing them, and loving and caring for them. [Image source:

Egyptians in each region worshipped local deities, but rulers and priests promoted the worship of specific gods and goddesses throughout the land.

As a result, Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, or the worship of many deities (gods). [Image source:

Horus, the sky god. Pharaohs were often referred to as “the living Horus.” [Image source: bin/tour_def/mythology/horus_sun.html]

Ra, the sun god, was also known as the “father of the gods.” Pharaohs were often referred to as the “son of the living Ra.” [Image source:

Amon, a fertility god, was the deity worshipped in Thebes. [Image source:

The Theban pharaohs combined their local deity Amon with the sun god Ra to create Amon-Ra. [Image source:

Osiris, originally the powerful god of the Nile, became the god of life, death, and rebirth. [Image source:

Isis, the wife of Osiris, was the great mother- goddess. [Image source:

Writing in Ancient Egypt [Image source:

In A.D French soldiers in Egypt uncovered a stone near Rosetta that was carved with Greek letters and hieroglyphs. [Image source: freemasonry.com/biography/champollion_jf/rosetta.ht ml]

In 1822 French archaeologist Jean-François Champollion succeeded in deciphering the Rosetta Stone. [Image source:

Champollion figured out how the Greek text on the Rosetta Stone matched the Egyptian texts. [Image source:

Because of the work of people like Champollion, scholars today are able to read Egyptian hieroglyphic texts. [Image source:

For everyday business, Egyptians used a cursive script known as hieratic. [Image source:

Contributions of Ancient Egypt

Egyptian architecture bears witness to the achievements of their artisans. [Image source:

Egyptian monuments testify to the skill of their engineers.

These works would not have been possible without advances in disciplines such as mathematics.

Egyptians used the principles of geometry to survey flooded land.

Egyptian priests worked out a 365 day calendar that made it possible to predict the annual inundation.

Egyptians learned about anatomy as a result of their practice of embalming their dead.

Other ancient cultures acquired much of their medical knowledge from the Egyptians. [Image source: