EGYPTIANS LITERATURE -pharaoh established as the king

Known for: Sphinx, Pyramid, pharaoh, obelisk -pharaoh build huge pyramids, temples and other
monuments/ obelisk
Sphinx-The Great Sphinx at Giza, near Cairo, is probably
the most famous sculpture in the world. 4.Egypt had split (by 1000 B.C.)

As ancient Egyptian rulers, pharaohs were both the -Egypt had into smaller parts/tidbits
heads of state and the religious leaders of their people.
-Kingdom was in decline
The word “pharaoh” means “Great House,” a reference
to the palace where the pharaoh resides. 5.Egypt fell under Roman control (31 B.C.)
Obelisk-Stone monument of God 6.Muslims warriors, Cairo (In A.D. 640)
ALL ABOUT EGYPT -Muslim warrior took over Egypt and ruled for several
centuries.
Official name: Arab Republic of Egypt
-Cairo (modern capital was founded); most significant
Form of Government: Republic
thing founded during A.D. 640
Capital: Cairo
7. European Powers (in the late 18th Century)
Population: 99,413,317
-European played an increasing role in Egypt
Official language: Arabic
8. Invasion (1882)
Money: Egyptian Pound
-Invaded by British
Area: 386,662 square miles (1,001,449 square
-British wanted to take control Suez Canal (link the
kilometers)
Mediterranean with the Red sea)
Major Mountain ranges- Eastern Highlands
-Reason why Suez Canal? Primary source of water;
Major river: Nile shortened greatly the sailing from Asia to Europe

*Egypt is divided into 2 sections: 9.Gained full independence, Suez Canal (1952 and
1956)
-Upper Egypt in South
-1952-Egypt gained full independence from the Great
-Lower Egypt in the North
Britain/British
Southern Egypt’s landscape- contains low mountains
-1956-Egyptians took control the Suez Canal
and desert.
10.Jewish State of Israel and other neighboring Arab
Northern Egypt- has wide valleys near the Nile and
countries fought a series of war against Egyptians
desert to the east and west.
(1970)
HISTORY OF EGYPT
11.Peace agreement (1979)
1.Hunters and fisher man (over 8000 yrs. Ago)
-Egypt and Israel signed a piece of agreement
-first people who live in the banks of the Nile
12. Hosni Mubarak (2011)
-Learn how to build villages and tomb
-Egypt’s longtime president
2.Civilization happened (3000 B.C.)

3.Pharaoh (around 3000 B.C.)

-upper and lower Egypt were unified


PEOPLE AND CULTURE
90% of Egyptians are Muslim
10% are Copts (old Christian teachings)
-Children are highly valued in Egypt through the love
and care given by their Egyptian parents. During their
young age are being taught to be responsible and
respectful. Children help their family in chores.
-The extended Egyptian families did not grow short in
number after the death of parents and grandparents, as
they were respectfully treated even after death!
-Egyptians are amiable (friendly) and smiling.
-The family was the bedrock of ancient Egyptian society.
All the members of the family were respected and
everyone was taken care of in all aspects.
An Egyptian man was responsible for the whole family’s
protection.
TRADITIONAL AND CULTURE
-main characteristic: warmth and hospitality
-Tourism is one of the main sources of income
-“Egypt received 11.7 million tourist in 2022, up from 8
million in 2021, marking 46.2% increase, said Minister of
Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa on Wednesday.
-Egyptian are friendly and helpful.
-Life expectancy was low for both men and women,
probably in the 30s. However, Egyptians tried to banish
the effects of ageing through cures for balding and
wrinkles. At the same time, they cared very much about
how they appeared in public. Women used perfume,
jewelry, and wigs, while men also used wigs from time
to time on important occasions.
-Who were all considered to be a part of the family in
ancient Egypt? Servants (doing menial task and
household chores)
-Where slaves prevalent in Egypt? NO
-Why were the death venerated (look up to) in ancient
Egypt? The dead relatives were considered a living
presence. Egyptians believed that the dead had the
power to make good and bad things happen in the life
of the living relatives. They constantly worshiped and
prayed to the dead, took food and drink to their tombs,
and tried to show how much they loved and respected
them.
Several petitions to the dead have been found inscribed
on papyri, stelae (stone shafts), and offering bowls.
Egyptians usually requested their help or pleaded with
them to withdraw their negative influence, if they
suspected that the dead were responsible for a recent
misfortune
Q: Who all were considered to be a part of the family
in ancient Egypt?
A typical family included, a couple, their children, their
parents, or grandparents. The dead were also
considered a part of the family.
Q: Why were the dead venerated in ancient Egypt?
The Egyptians believed that the dead were very
powerful. Any misfortune in the family was linked to the
deceased being unhappy. So, the people would
periodically worship the dead requesting them to look
after the descendants.
Q: Were slaves kept as servants in Egyptian homes?
There is no evidence that slavery was prevalent in
ancient Egypt.
RELIGION
-plays big role in the life of Egyptians, and it is
intermingled with daily acts of Muslim and Christian
living in Egypt.
-The petitions started with reminding the dead how
much they are loved and respected, and hoping that
gods take good care of them. Next, the request was
written. The Egyptians believed that there were two
kinds of the dead: the blessed (the akhu) and the
damned (the mutu). The akhu also could cause harm,
especially when they were offended by the living
descendant’s behavior. However, the dead were not the
only potential harm to the family.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
-ancient Egyptian
-literature in the old kingdom
-middle kingdom of literature
-New kingdom literature
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LITERATURE comprises a wide array advice one finds in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, and
of narrative and poetic forms including inscriptions on other biblical narratives.
tombs, stele, obelisks, and temples; myths, stories, and
legends; religious writings; philosophical works; wisdom
literature; autobiographies; biographies; histories;
poetry; hymns; personal essays; letters and court
records.

-The first examples of Egyptian writing come from the

Early Dynastic Period (c. 6000- c. 3150 BCE) in the form
of Offering Lists and autobiographies; the autobiography
was carved on one's tomb along with the Offering List to
let the living know what gifts, and in what quantity, the
deceased was due regularly in visiting the grave.

-These texts were written in hieroglyphics ("sacred

carvings") a writing system combining phonograms
(symbols which represent sound), logograms (symbols
representing words), and ideograms (symbols which
represent meaning or sense). Hieroglyphic writing was
extremely labor intensive and so another script grew up
beside it known as hieratic ("sacred writings") which
was faster to work with and easier to use.

-Hieratic was based on hieroglyphic script and relied on

the same principles but was less formal and precise.
Hieroglyphic script was written with particular care for
the aesthetic beauty of the arrangement of the symbols;
hieratic script was used to relay information quickly and
easily.

LITERATURE IN THE OLD KINGDOM

-The Offering Lists and autobiographies, though not

considered "literature", are the first examples of the
Egyptian writing system in action

-The Offering List was a simple instruction, known to the

Egyptians as the hetep-di-nesw ("a boon given by the
king"), inscribed on a tomb detailing food, drink, and
other offerings appropriate for the person buried there.
The autobiography, written after the person's death,
was always inscribed in the first person as though the
deceased were speaking.

-story of Osiris, his murder by his brother Set, his

resurrection from the dead by his sister-wife Isis, and
her care for their son Horus in the marshes of the Delta.

-body of literature known as the Instructions in Wisdom

appeared. These works offer short maxims on how to
live much along the lines of the biblical Book of Proverbs
and, in many instances, anticipate the same kinds of