The Old Kingdom

Government

• Pharaoh was a king and a god

• Pharaoh had absolute power over all the land and people of Egypt

Government

• Pharaoh was blamed for disease or poor crops

Government

• Khufu most famous pharaoh

Government

• Social classes• Well ordered society

Religion

• Polytheistic• Everyone expected to

worship same gods• Emphasis on afterlife• Afterlife happy place

with young and happy people

• Ka-a person’s life force

Religion

• Preserved bodies so the spirit would recognize it

• Preserved bodies as mummies

Egyptian gods and goddesses

• Anubis• god of the dead

Egyptian gods and goddesses

• Re (Amon-Re)• The sun god

Egyptian gods and goddesses

• Osiris• The god of the

underworld

Egyptian gods and goddesses

• Isis• The goddess of magic

Egyptian gods and goddesses

• Horus• The sky god; god of the

pharaohs

Egyptian gods and goddesses

• Thoth• The god of wisdom

Egyptian gods and goddesses

• Geb• The Earth god

Pyramids

• Burial sites for pharaohs• Pyramid of Khufu 481

feet high, 2 million blocks

• How did they build them????

• Pyramids pointed to the sky, symbolizing journey to afterlife