Egypt Block I Essential Guided Reading Questions For Chapter 5 Lesson 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

 How was Ancient Egypt governed?  Pharaoh did special ceremonies to keep things in order.  Pharaoh chose government officials and told the bureaucrats what to do  Pharaoh was a descendent of the Sun God  He controlled both religious beliefs and political events  Pharaoh’s are passed down  He controlled the planting and harvesting of crops  He owned everything and divided it up depending on the wealth of the people

 How was Ancient Egypt governed?  A pharaoh  Ruled by theocracy-religious leader/gov leader  Unified gov  All powerful ruler appointed bureaucrats (lesser ruler appointed by government)  At first, ruler was called KING  Pharaoh chose government officials and told the bureaucrats what to do  He controlled the planting and harvesting of crops  He owned everything and divided it up depending on the wealth of the people

 How was the pharaoh both a political leader and a religious leader?  Total control over land and the people  Son of Sun God Re  He was revered by all  Belief in afterlife so people buried pharaoh with riches  Collected taxes  Appointed government officials  Took part and often led religious ceremonies  Believed that a strong ruler to unify the community

 How was the pharaoh both a political leader and a religious leader?  Everybody followed their rule because they could speak to the Gods  Pharaoh was son of Re (Sun God)  He performed religious rituals and collected taxes  Believed Pharaoh could keep them from disaster  Strong ruler was critical for unification

 What kind of religion did the ancient Egyptians practice?  Polytheism  Afterlife!  They buried them with their stuff  Positive view of afterlife  Some believed afterlife was even better than life on earth  Believed Gods control natural forces

 What kind of religion did the ancient Egyptians practice?  Preserved bodies because of a belief in the after life.  Worshipped many gods and goddess and thought they were powerful in their daily life.  Mostly prayed to Re and Hapi  Bowed down to lots of different gods to ask for favors  Each god represents a different part of life on earth  Thought of Pharaoh as a god  All people could go to the after life

 Why did Egyptians protect a person’s body after death?  So that soul could complete the journey in the afterlife  Pharaohs would be happy if that had their cool stuff.  They believed the soul stays in the body  The mummified every one and everything  If the body decayed, the soul would have no place to live  By preserving the body, the spirit would find a place of peace

 Why did Egyptians protect a person’s body after death?  They believed in an after life.

 Why and how were pyramids built?  To hold dead pharaohs and their stuff  To honor pharaohs  Pharaohs soul would have another chance at life  Built by peasants (farmers) and some slaves  Workers slide limestone blocks up inclined planes  Discovered 365 day calendar…  Step pyramid, mastaba (layered pyramid)

 Why and how were pyramids built?  Pyramids were used as tombs for pharaohs and high government officials – burial chamber  Spent years of hard labor building them depending on the time of death of the pharaoh  Made of solid sandstone/limestone  Stored riches for the afterlife  Used as protection – filled with “booby traps” to protect from robbers  Cool inside  Workers searched for stone in the river valleys  Slaves and craftsman were used to build them

 How was Egyptian society organized?  Roles reflected their social status (jobs they had were based on their social status)  King on top (pharaoh)  Commander/nobles  Priests  Traders/artisans/scribes  Farmers/unskilled workers  Slaves  Needed organized gov because farming, trade, population

 How was Egyptian society organized?  At the top of the social pyramid was the pharaoh and the family  Second level from the top were priests and nobles  Craftsman, traders, artisans, shop keepers, and scribes came next  Farmers and herders were next  Slaves and unskilled workers were at the bottom  At Egypt’s peak it was home to more than 5 million people  You were either born into your social class or appointed to a higher level based on your training and at the pharaoh’s request  This was your position in the society