The Awesomeness Of The Egyptian Empire

THE AWESOMENESS OF THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE

Upper and Lower Egypt refer to the direction in which the Nile flows,

from south to north

The Old Kingdom:Egypt Becomes an Incredibly

Impressive Force

2575-2134 BCE

(And, no, the Israelites did not build the pyramids. At least not the famous ones.)

TIME LAUGHS AT ALL THINGS; BUT THE PYRAMIDS LAUGH AT TIME

– OLD ARAB PROVERB

BASIC PYRAMID PLAN:KHUFU’S PYRAMID

THE FAMOUS GIZEH PYRAMIDS WITH THE SPHINX

PHARAOH AS SUN GOD

Brick Making in Ancient Egypt

From the tomb of Rekhmire, vizier to Thutmose III, 15th century BCE, New Kingdom

* Death was so important to the lives of the Egyptians * It’s no wonder the ancient Egyptian lands around the Nile

became studded with tombs.

Perhaps we can now better understand B’nei Yisrael’s remark in Shmot 14:11:

ים Cר Eב Gין-ק Jי א Cל Gב Cמ Oה, ה QשSל-מ Qרו א GאמSי Vוה Vר:  מ Eב Gד Cמ Vמות ב Eנו ל Eת Gח Vק Gים ל Vר Gצ Cמ Gב

ים Eר Gצ Cמ Cיאנו מ Cהוצ Gנו ל Eל Eית Cש Eאת עSז

“And they [B’nei Yisrael] said to Moshe: Was it for lack of graves in Egypt thatyou brought us into the wilderness to die?What have you done to us, taking us out ofEgypt?”

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED AND SEEN SO FAR

• The Egyptian culture was centered on death• A huge amount of labor and effort went into

creating the pharaohs’ tombs. Whole cities had to be created to support the tomb projects.

• The Pharaohs were apotheosized – made into gods – so the Pharaoh never died– so the Pharaoh’s power was absolute

• The sun was worshipped • There is a strong life/death/rebirth mythology in

Egypt

WHAT ELSE CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THE PHARAOH?

SO WHAT DID MUMMIES DO ALL DAY?

Aside from look charming, that is

Mastaba of Ti, an official from the Old Kingdom (Fifth Dynasty)

The New Kingdom

1550-1070 BCE

Era of the Exodus

Painted Chest from the Tomb of Tutankhamen

Speaking of Tut . . .

Tut’s Innermost Coffin

RAMSES II: PHARAOH OF THE EXODUS STORY?

• צום Eע Gב ו Vל--ר Jא Eר Gי יש Jנ Gם ב Vה ע Jנ Cמו:  ה Vל-ע Qר א QאמSי Vונו Qמ Cמ

• ה Eאנ Qר Gק Cי-ת Cה כ Eי Eה Gה, ו Qב Gן-יר Qה לו:  פ Eמ Gכ Vח Gת Cה נ Eב Eהנו, Eם-ב Vח Gל Cנ Gינו, ו Jא GנSל-ש Vם-הוא ע Vף ג Vנוס Gה ו Eמ Eח Gל Cמ

ץ Qאר Eן-ה Cה מ Eל Eע Gו

EXODUS 1:9

EXODUS 1:10

And he [the pharaoh] said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join ourenemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.”

Stela of Khusobek

• 1 His majesty proceeded northward, to overthrow the Asiatics (mnTjw-sTt [1]). His majesty arrived at a district, Sekmem (skmm) was its name. 2 His majesty led the good way in proceeding to the palace of "Life, Prosperity and Health", when Sekmem had fallen, together with Retenu(rTnw) the wretched, 3 while I was acting as rearguard.

• Then the citizens (anxw) of the army mixed in, to fight with the Asiatics (aAmw). Then 4 I captured an Asiatic (aAm) and had his weapons seized by two citizens (anxw) of the army, (for) one did not turn back from the fight, (but) my face was to the front, and I gave not my back to the Asiatics.

Semna Stela of Senusret III: Stela from Year 16, ca. 1862 BCE

• I captured their women, I carried off 15 their subjects, went forth to their wells, smote their bulls; I reaped their grain, and 16 set fire thereto. (I swear) as my father lives for me, I speak in truth without a lie therein, 17 coming out of my mouth. Now, as for every son of mine who shall maintain this boundary, 18 which my majesty has made, he is my son, he is born to my majesty, the likeness of a son who is the champion of his father, 19 who maintains the boundary of him who begat him. Now, as for him who shall relax it, and shall not fight 20 for it; he is not born to me.

• Now, behold, my majesty caused a statue 21 of my majesty to be made upon this boundary, which my majesty made; in order the ye might prosper because of it, and in order that ye might fight for it. ye might prosper:

• J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part One, §§ 656ff

• ן Qב Cי Vם; ו Eלת Gב Cס Gתו בSנ Vן ע Vע Vמ Gים, ל Cס Cי מ Jר Eיו ש Eל Eימו ע Cש Eי Vוס Jס Gמ Vע Vת-ר Qא Gם, וSת Cת-פ Qה--אSע Gר Vפ Gנות, ל Gכ Gס Cי מ Jר Eע

So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor; and they built garrison cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Ramses.

Exodus 1:11

RAMSES II BEGAN MANY NEW BUILDING PROJECTS

45 foot colossal statue of Ramses II with his daughterBent’anta

Abu Simbel: Ramses II’s Temple

Abu Simbel, Approached by Boat

Interior of Abu Simbel

Credits:Slide 3: http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu.smr04/101910/Slide2.31.jpg.Slide 4: www.geog.pkstate.edu/113web/images/Figure2.jpg.Slide 6: www.traveladventures.org/continents/africa/images/pyramids3. Slide 7: www.mnsu.edu/prehistory/egypt/images/architecture-images/cheopspyramidlayout.jpg.Slide 8: www.digitaldutch.com/imagepages/image9.html. Slide 9: www.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/africa/egypt/images/pyramids.Slide 11: http://www.luxor-westbank.com/bilder/seheswuerdigkeiten/map_theban_sites_e.jpg.Slide 14: Khafre: http://egyptphoto.net.ca/egyptian%20musuem4.htm.Statue of Khafre, arm: http://geocities.com/unforbidden_geology/khafre_statue_3.jpg.Statue of Khafre, feet: http://geocities.com/unforbidden_geology/Khafre_statue_1.jpg.Statue of Khafre, profile head view: http://marysia.com/pagan/Kephren_and_Horus.gif.Slide 15: http://www.crbz.k12.wy.us/users/pkraft/Egypt/Ramses%20II020mummy.jpg.Slide 16: Ti’s mastaba: www.philae.nu/akhet/TiEntrance.gifTi’s hunting scene: www.philae/nu/akhet/Hippohunt.gifSlide 18: Painted chest: www.nilemuse.com/muse/TutBoxF.html.Detail of painted chest: www.specialtyinterests.net/dyn22.html.Slide 19: Map: www.britannica.com/cb/art/print?id=55135&articleTypeID=0.Valley of the Kings: www.homestead.com/wysinger/burial2.jpgSlide 20: Right photo: www.homestead.com/wysinge//MiddleCoffinRightView.jpg.Left photo: www.bornemania.com/ancient_egypt/tut_ank_amon/tut-inner-coffin.jpg.Slide 21: Death mask, front view: www.homestead.com/wysinger/files/54_tut.jpg.Details of front of Tutankhamen’s death mask: www.homestead.com/wysinger/KingTutankhamen5.jpg.Back of Tutankhamen’s death mask: www.homestead.com/wysinger/b_mask_bk.jpg.Slide 23: http://nefertiti/webland.com/texts/djaa.htm.Slide 24: http://nefertiti/webland.com/texts/semna_stela.htm.Slide 25: http://nefertiti/webland.com/timelines/topics/workrelations.htm.Slide 26: Colossal statue of Ramses II: http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Egypt/Karnak-Ramses7085.jpg.Ramses II with Sphinx: www.galenfrysinger.com/egypt_Karnak12.jpg.Slide 27: www.utexas.edu/courses/classicalarch/images/AbuRamIID19.jpg.Slide 28: http://homepage.powerup.comau/~ancient/abusim/.jpg.Slide 29: Main hall, Abu Simbel: http://witcombe.sbc.edu/sacredplaces/images/abusimbelint.jpg.Innermost shrine: http://witcombe.sbc.edu/sacredplaces/images/abusimbelshrine.jpg.