World History Chapter 2: Section Four

Egyptian Civ. Religion affected daily life in Egypt What we know comes from inscriptions on walls and tombs

Gods and Goddesses Sun god was tops – Re Became associated with Amon Called Amon-Re – great god Pharaohs received right to rule from Amon- Re Osiris and Isis – Osiris ruled underworld and the Nile – controlled annual flood Isis – taught women to weave cloth, grind corn, spin flax and raise children

Amenhotep IV – tried to reshape religion He served Aton – minor god Changed name to Akhenaton Ordered priests to only serve Aton Most ignored him and after he died they went back to their old ways

Afterlife All Egyptians believed in afterlife Soul had to pass test to win eternal life Ferried across lake of fire to Hall of Osiris – heart was weighed against the feather of truth Sinners – fed to the Eater of Death Worthy – field of food – live forever To survive underworld – used book of the dead – spells, charms, formulas

Preparation of the Dead Afterlife – much like life on Earth Buried dead with everything they would need Mummification - preservation of the body – embalm, wrap in cloth At first only rulers/nobles Then ordinary people and pets

Tutankhamen New Kingdom – pharaohs buried in the Valley of the Kings Tombs filled with treasure – robbed long ago Tutankhamen’s tomb untouched and offered many artifacts and information Solid gold coffin etc. on display in Cairo museum

Society Pharaoh at the top with royal family Government officials High priests and priestesses Merchants, scribes, artisans Peasants and slaves Most people were farmers – offseason – they worked for Pharaoh building palaces, temples, tombs

Social Change Trade and warfare increased More trade = more money = more business opportunities = more business for artisans

Women Generally had a higher status than in other civilizations Ramses II said a woman could go where she wanted and no one could stop her Own property, business deals, buy and sell, go to court, obtain a divorce Women made perfumes, textiles, doctors, managed estates, priests Few women learned to read and write If they did they were still excluded from government

Advances in Learning Developed writing – multiple Hieroglyphics – system of pictures represent objects, concepts or sounds Often carved in stone Hieratic – simpler writing for everyday use – cursive form of writing by simplifying hieroglyphs

Papyrus – paper like writing material from plants Writing on this was easier than chiseling in stone Official writing was still done in stone

Rosetta Stone Meanings of hieroglyphs lost 1800’s – Jean Champollion deciphered hieroglyphs by decoding the Rosetta Stone Flat black stone – has the same passage in three languages – hieroglyphs, demotic script, Greek By comparing them, found the meaning of many hieroglyphs Scholars could now read ancient records of Egypt

Science and Math Accumulated knowledge in medicine, astronomy, math Physicians believed in magic Learned about the body through mummification Could diagnose and cure Performed surgeries Used herbal remedies Mapped constellations –calendar 12 months, 30 days Geometry to survey land and build pyramids

Egyptian Art and Literature Statues, paintings, poems, stories, carvings Show everyday scenes in life: Farming, family life, ceremonies The larger the person drawn / Carved = importance Sphinx – pharaoh as lion / man

Literature Oldest – hymns and prayers to gods, proverbs and love poems