Egypt “The Black Land” A historical survey

Land of the Nile The Nile is as important to Egypt as the Tigris and Euphrates were to Mesopotamia. Without the Nile river THERE WOULD BE NO EGYPT! The Egyptians themselves called their land “Khemet”. This translates into roughly, the “Black Land”. Once a year, the Nile would flood. This flood was a great blessing to the Egyptian people because it brought with it silt. Silt is a black soil that is found on the bottom of the Nile. When the Nile floods, this silt washes upon the land, fertilizing the dry desert and making it possible for crops to grow. Like in Mesopotamia, irrigation was used to help control the river Notice the fertility of the River! Its in the middle of the desert!

What did the Nile do? Most importantly, was the annual floods that left behind the fertile silt. But the Nile has other important features and effects to consider: 1. The Nile actually flows from the south TO the North. (see map on page 6). 2. The Nile has small waterfalls along its length, called cataracts. 3. At its northern most point, was the extremely fertile Nile delta. –A delta is a region of triangular marshland 4. The Nile was also the major route for trade and communication in Egypt. Sunset over the Nile

A Timeline of Egyptian History For nearly 1000 years, Egypt was divided into two kingdoms, Upper and Lower Egypt. Around 3100 BC, the King of Upper Egypt (the exact name of this king is disputed. It is either Narmer or Menes), conquered Lower Egypt. In either case, Egypt became a united kingdom, with a capital city of Memphis. After this unification, Egyptian history is divided by modern historians into three time periods, which we today call “kingdoms”. –The Old Kingdom ( BC) –The Middle Kingdom ( BC) –The New Kingdom (1550 – 1100 BC) The Narmer Palette

Specific Histories : The Old Kingdom Egyptian rulers, called pharaohs, rule Egypt –A pharaoh was considered to be the son of Amon-Re, the sun god. Therefore, the pharaoh was also a god. –The pharaoh was the chief politician, meaning, like a king, he controlled all decisions of law and the military. –However, he was also the chief priest of Egypt. theocracy –A government ruled by such religious leaders is called a theocracy.  To help him rule, the pharaoh had a chief official, called a vizier. The vizier organized government and saw to the day-to-day affairs of rulership. It was during the Old Kingdom that the pyramids were built. The pyramids were tombs for the pharaohs, but tomb robbers eventually brought an end to their construction.

Specific Histories: The Middle Kingdom The Middle Kingdom represents the time when the power of Egypt had grown weak. –The Nile did not flood as regularly as it had. This created crop shortages –Many government officials were corrupt. –Rebellions began because of these problems. On the positive side, Egypt did conquer parts of Nubia. Egypt reaches a disaster around 1700 BC when foreign invaders, called the Hyksos, attack and conquer Egypt. –The Hyksos had superior technology, especially the chariot. After 100 years of occupation, the Egyptians learned the Hyksos style of warfare, including the use of chariots, and a successful rebellion drove the Hyksos out of Egypt.

Specific Histories: The New Kingdom The New Kingdom was the Golden Age of Egyptian Society The Empire was extended to its farthest reaches ever. Several powerful rulers characterized the New Kingdom –Ramses II – Ramses the Great –Conquered all the way north to Syria and finished the conquest of Nubia –He used Nubian gold to help make Egypt rich. –He had many monuments erected to his military victories. He always claimed the credit for himself.

The End of an Ancient Legacy After Ramses died, Egypt existed for centuries more, but its power declined. –Egypt would be conquered by the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks and Romans. Despite this end, Egypt remains a vibrant example of a river valley civilization. Remember, Egyptian society dates from 2700 BC – 1100BC (And after, really) –That is 1600 years! –By contrast the United States has been in existence for about 300 years The soul of an Egyptian noble, standing judgement before Anubis, god of the dead and the feather of truth.