Egypt – The Nile River Valley

 Civilization developed in a river valley with fertile soil  Nile is the world’s longest river  Nile river begins in East Africa and flows 3,500 miles north towards the Mediterranean Sea

Egypt – The Nile River Valley

   Nile has two main sources    White Nile flows from Lake Victoria Blue Nile flows from modern-day Ethiopia The two rivers meet in present day Sudan (before known as Nubia or Kush) Nile flows through the Sahara Desert  Sahara is the largest desert in the world Nile was difficult to travel by ship  Contained cataracts, or rocky rapids

Upper and Lower Egypt

Upper Egypt     Southern Egypt Narrow Valley lined with cliffs Cataracts Upstream from Mediterranean Sea Lower Egypt     Northern Egypt River here is slower River carries silt, mineral particles that make soil fertile Contains river delta, an area of sediment deposited at the mouth of the river

Black and Red Land

Black Land (Kemet)    Narrow strip of dark, fertile soil around banks of the Nile river Positive: Yearly flooding left behind a layer of rich, fertile soil Negative: Floods were unpredictable (natural disasters) and droughts (shortage of water) made crops fail. Red Land   Vast deserts on the sides of Black Land Deadly place of hot, burning sands.

A Civilization Develops

       7,000 years ago: People start growing grains around Nile river Irrigation system produced food surplus Farmers’ surplus crops were collected as taxes Local rulers used surplus to buy cloth, jewelry, and luxury goods Farmers’ surplus supported full-time artisans, who had time to perfect their skills Cities brought together wealthy and skilled people.

Why could some Egyptians take jobs other than farming?

Egypt is in the continent of Africa.

Can you find Egypt?

The desert surrounded Egypt on the West, East, and South. Up North, the Mediterranean Sea protected them. Egypt was allowed to evolve in its own way.

What is the name of the hot, dry and sandy land that covers most of Egypt? SAHARA DESERT

Egyptian Religion

 Believed Gods controlled everything   Ex. Flooding of the Nile river Ex. Death of a child  Egyptians built temples and offered prayers and gifts  Early Egyptians were polytheists (hundreds)  Many Gods associated with animals

Osiris

      King of the afterlife Symbolized the yearly drought and flooding of the Nile.

Gave Egypt civilization.

Married his sister, Isis Conspirators killed him by chopping him up into pieces Isis, his wife, found the pieces and put him back together

Ra / Re / Amun-Ra

       King of the Gods Sun god, King of the Gods.

Hawk head with solar disk on top.

Sometimes seen as the creator of men (Egyptians called themselves "the cattle of Ra”) Made daily journey across the sky Died in the West each night and was reborn in the East the next day. How could the movement of the Sun affect the beliefs of early Egyptians?

Horus

     Falcon headed The Pharaoh was his earthly embodiment. Son of Osiris and Isis Seth, his brother, is always trying to hurt him His sons take care of the organs during the mummification process

Isis

    Isis was the sister/wife of Osiris May be one of the judges of the dead Has magical powers The purest example of the loving wife and mother

Anubis

    Head of a jackal Guides the dead to the underworld and weighs their heart (bad deeds make your heart weigh more) Works with Osiris in the underworld Mummification god

Ammut

 “Eater of the Dead”  She stands by the scales of the hearts and eats the hearts of the wicked  Head of a crocodile, body of a leopard, hind legs of a hippo

Thoth

 Moon God  Scribe (records the weight of the hearts in the underworld)  Invented writing

Bast

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Cat-headed

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Goddess of love and childbirth

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Cats are sacred (many cats were mummified in her honor)

    Protector of households, mothers, children, and childbirth Later regarded as defender of everything good Images were kept in homes Tasks: killing snakes, fighting off evil spirits, aiding women in labor, protect soldiers before battle

Bes

Sekhmet

     Lion headed Breathes fire against her enemies Her breath created the desert Delivers punishment to the gods Protector of pharaohs and leader in war