The ancient Egyptians led a rich theological life. With 8,700 deities in their pantheon, religion played a central part in both their society and their daily lives. The heart of their religious devotions was the temple. Devotees did not worship at the temple. Rather, they left offerings to their gods, made requests for their god …
David Rymer BA MBT
Xerxes I was Persia’s king from 486 to 465 B.C. His reign continued the Achaemenid Dynasty. He has come to be known to historians as Xerxes the Great. In his time, Xerxes I’s empire stretched from Egypt to parts of Europe and east to India. At that time the Persian Empire was the largest and …
As with other cultures, the home was the centre of social life. Ancient Egyptian homes were built to a generally common layout using a limited range of natural materials. Most houses in ancient Egypt were built using readily available and abundant materials. Facts About Ancient Egyptian Houses Ancient Egypt’s earliest recorded houses date back to …
Thanks to her role as the ancient Egyptian goddess of kindness and love, Hathor was one of the most popular deities, worshipped by pharaohs and queens through to ordinary people. Hathor also personified motherhood and joy, as well as being the goddess of foreign lands, music and dance and miner’s patron goddess. Her instrument was …
In a religious pantheon brimming with 8,700 gods, the ancient Egyptians worshipped Ra ahead of all other gods. After all, Ra was the Egyptian god who created everything. In this role, Ra rose from a sea of turbulent chaos. Standing astride the primordial BenBen mound, creating himself, before begetting the remaining gods who formed the …
Today, Tutankhamun’s tomb is considered to be one of the world’s great art treasures. When his burial items go on tour, they continue to draw record crowds. Its fame is due in no small part to the grave goods in King Tutankhamun’s tomb being intact when Howard Carter discovered it. Intact royal burials are rare …
Few Pharaohs have captured the public imagination over succeeding generations than the young Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Ever since Howard Carter discovered his tomb in 1922, the world has been enthralled with the splendour and vast richness of his burial. The pharaoh’s comparatively young age and the mystery surrounding his death have combined to fuel the world’s …
Neferefre may not be amongst the most high profile of Egyptian pharaohs, however, he is one of the most thoroughly documented kings of the Old Kingdom’s (c. 2613-2181 BCE) Fifth Dynasty. Inscriptions, texts and artifacts discovered in his mortuary temple have given Egyptologists fresh insights into elements of life in ancient Egypt during the time …
An icon of ancient Egyptian culture, the enigmatic Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most instantly recognizable artifacts in the world. Hewn from a single colossal limestone outcrop, the origins of this 20 metres (66 feet) high, 73 metres (241 feet) long and 19 metres (63 feet) wide figure of a recumbent lion …
In ancient Egypt, Isis was the much-loved goddess of fertility, motherhood, marriage, medicine and magic. Myths and legends abounded in the ancient world about Isis and have come down to us today through Egyptian literature. The ancient Egyptian scribes adopted multiple titles and names for this popular goddess. Worship of the Isis cult spread across …
That the ancient Egyptian civilization proved so resilient and endured for thousands of years was in no small part due to the system of government it evolved over centuries. Ancient Egypt developed and refined a theocratic monarchy model of government. The pharaoh ruled through a divine mandate received directly from the gods. To him, fell …
Ancient Egypt was a culture rich in theological beliefs. In a religious cosmos featuring 8,700 major and minor deities, one god, Amun was consistently depicted as the Egyptian supreme creator-god and the king of all the gods. Amun was ancient Egypt’s god of the air, sun, life and fertility. While the popularity of many Egyptian …
The ancient Egyptian concept of ma’at or harmony and balance in all things lay at the heart of their approach to technology. Harmony and balance could be maintained by overcoming life’s problems with human ingenuity through advances in technology. While those ancient Egyptians believed the gods gifted many great benefits to the Egyptians, an individual …
Alongside the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, when we think of ancient Egypt, we immediately summon an image of an eternal mummy, swathed in bandages. Initially, it was the grave goods that accompanied the mummy into the afterlife that attracted the attention of Egyptologists. Howard Carter’s remarkable discovery of King Tutankhamun’s intact tomb triggered …
Ancient Egyptian medical practises were so advanced that many of their procedures and observations were not eclipsed by western medicine for centuries following the fall of Rome. Both the ancient Greeks and Roman borrowed extensively from Egyptian medical expertise. Doctors in ancient Egypt were both male and female, made house calls, understood the importance of …
Religion in ancient Egypt permeated every facet of society. Ancient Egyptian religion combined theological beliefs, ritual ceremonies, magical practices and spiritualism. Religion’s central role in everyday Egyptians’ daily lives is due to their belief that their earthly lives represented merely one stage on their eternal journey. Moreover, everyone was expected to uphold the concept of …
While Egypt’s Old Kingdom poured resources into building the Giza Pyramids and tombs in the Nile Delta, New Kingdom pharaohs, searched for a southern location closer to their dynastic roots in the south. Eventually, inspired by Hatshepsut’s magnificent mortuary temple, they elected to build their tombs in the hills of a barren, waterless valley network …
Education in ancient Egypt was shaped by its conservative social system. While education was valued, it was largely restricted to the children of those with means. As the same families often staffed civilian and military positions in the palace administration across generations, education was one of the means by which institutional memory was transferred down …
Geb was the ancient Egyptian god of the earth. He was also one of the second generations of the nine gods who formed the Ennead of Heliopolis. Also known as Gebb, Kebb, Keb or Seb, Geb was the third divine pharaoh. He reigned after succeeding Shu, his father and before Osiris ascended the throne. Geb …
Surely one of the world’s most evocative rivers as well as being its longest, the mighty Nile River surges imperiously ever northwards 6,650 kilometres (4,132 miles) from its origins in Africa to its mouth on the Uat-Ur the Egyptian word for the Mediterranean Sea. Along its passage, it gave life to the ancient Egyptians nourishing …
People have played sports seemingly since the dawn of time when the first cities and organized civilisations emerged. Unsurprisingly, ancient Egyptians enjoyed both individual and team sports. Just as ancient Greece had its Olympic Games ancient Egyptians enjoyed playing many of the same activities. Egyptian tombs contain numerous paintings showing Egyptians playing sports. This documentary …