1. Egypt Block II Essential Guided Reading Questions For Chapter 5 Lesson 2

2.  How was Ancient Egypt governed?  How was the pharaoh both a political leader and a religious leader?  What kind of religion did the ancient Egyptians practice?  Why did Egyptians protect a person’s body after death?  Why and how were pyramids built?  How was Egyptian society organized? Chapter 5 Lesson 2 p. 108-119

3.  How was Ancient Egypt governed?  Ruled by pharaohs – generational – family member  Pharaohs in charge of trade  Theocracy – ruled by one  Three kingdoms (time periods) – Old, middle,new  Controlled both upper and lower Egypt  Pharaoh’s thought of as a god – like a dictator  Appointed bureaucrats and political leaders to carry out his orders.  Pharaoh had total power and had to be obeyed

4.  How was the pharaoh both a political leader and a religious leader?  Thought of as a god in human form  He was in charge of construction of pyramids  In charge of food growth and distribution  In charge of everything  Attended and led religious ceremonies  Collected taxes

5.  What kind of religion did the ancient Egyptians practice?  Polytheistic – believing in more than one god  Practiced mummification to preserve the body for the after life  Belief that there was life after death  If you lived a good life in this world, you would have a good life in the next life  Whatever the pharaoh believed and worshipped was done by the people

6.  Why did Egyptians protect a person’s body after death?  belief that there was another life

7.  Why and how were pyramids built?  First built as pharaoh’s tomb  Became a Seven Wonder of the World  Built by slaves and farmers and fishermen…  Made out of limestone and sandstone  Took decades to build  Used wooden sleds to drag stones around and float down the Nile  There are many different kinds of pyramids  Grave robbers

8.  How was Egyptian society organized?  Top of the “Social Pyramid” was the pharaoh  Next was the priest and nobles and commanders  Next were traders, artisans, scribes,  Last were farmers and herders  Slaves and unskilled workers  Born into your social role but could be moved up by the pharaoh  At the peak there were 5 million people living in Egypt