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Religion and government in ancient Egypt
Religion and government in ancient Egypt
Religion and government in ancient Egypt
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Egypt social structure was like a pyramid. At the top was egypt’s ruler, Pharaoh. Below the pharaoh; next two highest classes in the social pyramid, which are government officials and priests. Then there were scribes. They recorded information for government and religious leaders.
The pharaoh controlled Egypt so it wouldn't go out of hand. He also was the leader of religion and praised the gods. The Egyptians considered him as a god because he was a very important to the people of Egypt. The pharaoh was kind of like a president because he ruled both the upper and lower Egypt. Some of the officials were the Visor, Nomarks and Monarchy.
The Pharaoh would control who would go to war and who would not. The Pharaoh was the highest class and the most powerful ruler. According to Ducksters ¨the Pharaoh was the supreme leader not only of the government, but
The cult of the pharaoh had reached new heights during this time, with temples and monuments erected throughout the kingdom to honor the divine ruler, such as the ones under the Ramesses. The pharaoh’s link with the gods became even more visible in rituals and ceremonies that were carried out by the priesthood. This once again confirmed his role as divine mediator. The New Kingdom also experienced fresh military expansions and territorial seizures, especially when strong pharaohs like Tuthmose III and Ramesses II ruled. These campaigns not only enlarged Egypt’s borders but also made the pharaoh look glorious as a powerful warrior and guardian of the kingdom who would smite the “others”.
Life in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt revolved around deities and more often than not, the architecture served purposes for deities and the afterlife. Massive temples, palaces and ziggurats were erected in ancient Mesopotamia. In Egypt, pharaohs were considered the link to the Gods and Goddesses, which establishes the presence of deities in the people’s lives. They constructed mastabas and mortuary temples for the dead as well as pyramids and elaborate tombs. In ancient Egyptian culture, the afterlife is extremely important in addition to their rulers and pharaohs.
These two ancient civilizations shared similar social structures as both divided their citizens into different classes. During the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt, people were divided into seven different levels. At the top was the Pharaoh with the government officials, nobles and priests below him/her. The fourth level consisted of the scribes and soldiers with the craftsmen and merchants making up the middle class in the fifth level.
1.3.1 Land of the Nile The Egyptians called their country Kernet meaning “the Black Land.” They also called it Deshret meaning “the Red Land. ”They also used the term Lower Egypt to refer to the northern delta and Upper Egypt to refer to the communities along the river all the way south to Asia. Through the use of the Nile River water, careful management of dykes and irrigation systems, the Egyptians developed a flourishing agricultural system. They also established an early fishing industry.
The Egyptians did not have a strong barrier between the normal people and the divine, and the pharaoh was identified as three different deities. The “son-god” Re, the “falcon-headed” Horus, and the pharaoh of the underworld “Osiris,” were his forms at birth, succession, and death. The land and everything within the land of Egypt belonged to the Pharaoh. The Egyptians lived along the Nile River and were polytheistic. After the year 1800 BC, they believed that the souls of the dead were to be judged by the rule of the underworld, Osiris.
A pharaoh was the political and religious leader. In Mesopotamia their leaders were called kings and there were also nobles. The kings decided when to go to war and decided how to honor their gods. There was an assembly of people who were there to overpower the king when they thought that
Sometimes, they were referred to as: “Horus Living-of-Incarnations; Two ladies Living-of-Incarnations; Golden Horus Living-of-Incarnations…” Pharaohs in Egypt were considered deities and “just monarchs,” and they were often referred to as Horus, who is the Egyptian God of the Sky, and often associated with kingship over a territory. Comparing the pharaohs to gods gave them more power, as people here worshipped them. Additionally, pharaohs and those in power are in control or one with nature. Due to their faith being so strong with their deities, their faith was equally devout to their pharaoh. “High Steward, my lord!
The Pharaohs themselves were believed to be intermediaries between the gods and their people, responsible for maintaining Ma'at, the principle of cosmic balance and order. This meant that they had to perform a range of religious duties, from overseeing the construction of temples to participating in elaborate ceremonies and
The Pharaoh was the sovereign of the land. The Pharaoh was the supreme leader. The Pharaoh was also the leader of the religion. Everyone in Egypt praised the Pharaoh and did whatever he told them to do. The Pharaoh had a helper called a Vizer.
However, Egyptian religions varied quite differently. In Egypt, Pharaohs were seen as supreme tyrants that were better than every other human being, causing for these rulers to become worshipped as “gods and goddess.” Pharaohs that had offspring would take the position of supreme ruler and would be then worshipped as “god/goddess” Because of this many religions have been created in order to fulfil the needs of the people as well as the Pharaohs. An example of the pharaohs that were worshipped as
First let’s talk about the ancient beliefs, and gods and goddesses. There are so many shrines and things to show gods, goddesses, and even pharaohs. They are often depicted as part human, part animal, sounds familiar? Hint, hint the Great Sphinx. Now then pyramids, the first pyramid was built in 2630 B.C., that’s a long time ago!
Ancient Egypt was one of the most dominant civilizations in it’s time. As a whole, Egypt’s population had some of the most diverse jobs. Specialized trade was quite crucial to the advancement in Egypt’s reign. Power was one of the key factors to a successful civilization, during it’s time, Egypt was the most advanced group of people. Good farming seasons and more food led to people being able to branch out and diversify their trades.
