VocabularyOld Kingdom - The first of 3 "Kingdom-Periods" in Egypt; followed by "Middle" and "New".
Pharaoh - Egyptian God-King; means "great house" Ra - Egyptian sun god The Great Sphinx - A huge statue with the head of a man and the body of a lion in Egypt Polytheistic - Belief in many deities or gods Hapi - God of the Nile River Isis - The most important goddess; represented the loyal wife and mother Osiris - God of the dead and underworld; Husband of Isis Book of the Dead - collection of spells and prayers that Egyptians studied to obtain life after death. Mummification - The process of preparing the body for the afterlife Pyramids - Tombs or Graves for Pharaohs; contained everything needed for the afterlife. Great Pyramid - Largest pyramid in Egypt; Built for King Khufu 2600 BCE - Old Kingdom period begins 2300 BCE - Old Kingdom period declines Deity -Another word for god or goddess |
How Did the Old Kingdom Develop The Old Kingdom began around 2600 BCE. It was led by the Pharaoh, or god-king. It was in this era that the Egyptians built the pyramids for the Pharaohs. At his death they would mummify the Pharaoh and use the pyramid as his tomb. The largest pyramid is the Great Pyramid of Giza, and it serves as the tomb of King Khufu. The Great Sphinx was built to guard the Great Pyramid.
The Egyptian culture included a complex religious system. To get in to the afterlife, believed in a book of spells and prayers known as the Book of the Dead. They were polytheistic, believing in many different gods. Ra is the god of the Sun, the main god in Egyptian culture. Osiris is the Egyptian god of the Dead and the Underworld. Isis is the most important goddess, and represents the role of a loyal wife and mother. Egyptian religion shaped its culture greatly. |
What Have I Learned From the Past? |
The Great Pyramid of Giza |