Ancient Egypt Flashcards
What was Bastet depicted as?
Head of a cat and slender female body
Who was Bastet?
Goddess of protection, pleasure, and bringer of good health.
Who was Ptah?
Ptah created all other deities and is the god of craftsmen. His breath gave life before existance.
What was Ptah depicted as?
Blue skin, straight bearded man, skull cap and scepter.His body is wrapped like a mummy, leaving only his hands exposed, which are holding the ankh (symbol of life) and the was scepter (symbol of power).
What was the Book of The Dead?
78-foot papyrus scroll designed to help ancient Egyptians attain immortality. It was written only for Pharaohs, but with time, ancient Egyptians believed regular people could also reach the afterlife if they succeeded in the passage. It also had spells to help you in the afterlife. Egyptians studied its prayers and magic spells to prepare for the afterlife.
Who was Amun?
Amun was the god of air, and one of the original gods. Merged with Ra, the sun god to become Amun-Ra, which was. the protector of pharaohs.
What did Amun look like?
Goose, snake, or ram. He had a double crown, and had 2 tall plumes.
How long did ancient Egypt last?
3,000 years
Who was Isis?
Isis was the goddess of healing and magic. Egyptians called her Aset. She was also the protector of women.
What did Isis look like?
Human form. She had a sistrum which was an instrument. She had wings and wore a throne-shaped headdress. She also had a scepter..
What is a pharaoh?
The smallest and wealthiest in the social rank. Led the government and army. Had wielded power.
More than just a ruler considered a god and believed to possess the secrets of heaven and earth.
What is the order/hierarchy of the social status?
Pharaoh, Government Officials, Priests, Scribes, Artisans, Peasants
What benefits did the geography of Ancient Egypt have?
The desert, “The Red Land” was very hot, the heat kept outside armies away from Egypt’s territory, it was a long journey to cross, and also very hot. Nile’s dangerous cataracts blocked every boat from reaching Egypt.
Ancient Egypt’s geography, centered around the Nile River, provided fertile soil, natural protection, and strategic trade opportunities, fostering the civilization’s prosperity.
Priests
Powerful group because religion touched every part of people’s daily lives. In charge of religious rituals. Highly respected in society. High priests advised the Pharaoh and oversaw religious ceremonies. Temple priests were in charge of temples scattered throughout Egypt.
Who was Anubis?
God of the dead, god of mummification.
What was Anubis depicted as?
head of a jackal, a wild dog-like animal native to Egypt.
Who was Sekhmet?
Goddess of hot desert sun, plague, chaos, war, and healing. She turns into Bastet the household car when she is calm.
She had the cure for every problem.
What was Sekhmet depicted as?
Head of lioness, body of a woman, sun disk
How many dynasties did Egypt have?
31
Dynasty/Dynastic
A powerful group or family that maintains its position for a number of years.
When describing a dynasty in a sentence, you say…
They were dynastic
Government Officials
carried out the orders of the pharaohs and assisted the pharaoh. Wealthy and enjoyed a high quality of life. Often members of Pharaoh’s family or often upper-class families. Most inherited their positions from family members.
Who was Ma’at?
Goddess of truth, justice, balance, and order. She kept everything in balance.
What did Ma’at look like?
Feather of Ma’at, double feather crown, human-like form. And had wings sometimes
Who was Osiris?
God of deceased, underworld, and fertility.
What did Osiris look like?
Osiris was a mummified king, with green or black skin, and wore a crown.
What were scribes?
One level below priests, they were highly respected and well-paid. Most worked for the government, while others worked for priest and nobles, only men from all classes of society could be scribes. They studied for many years to learn to read and write
Who was Horus?
God of war, sky, and the sun. Horus was one of the most important deities in ancient Egypt due to his association with the pharaohs, symbolizing royal authority and protection.
What did Horus look like?
Falcon-headed god with a double crown.
Who were artisans?
Below scribes, stone carvers were the most skilled and important. They rarely got respect from higher classes. Only masters were sometimes honored. They created art objects. Carpenters, jewelers, leatherworks, potters, and more were considered artisans.
Hierarchy
a rank
What was the effect of the Nile Flood every year?
The soil was rich and wet. Irrigation. Helped grow wheat, barley, and flax seeds. They dug canals to carry water to strengthen basins.
What was an ankh?
Gives privilege to give or take life
Geography of North, Central, and east Egypt
Upper Egypt is in the south. Lower Egypt is in the north.
What were the importances of the Nile river?
(7) Egyptians got water from it. They bathed in it and used it for farming, cooking, and cleaning. They used this river for trade and transportation. Considered Nile as a precious gift, they worshipped the river on a daily basis, like the song they sing “Hail O’Nile”
When were the earliest known settlements along the Nile River?
6000 B.C-5000 B.C
Polytheism
Egypt is polytheistic,
to believe in several gods
An example is Egypt, and Hinduism.
Peasants
Lowest largest class, unskilled, grew the crops that supplied everybody with food. Revolved around the Nile River. Fewest comforts. Plain houses with woven mats. Helped build monuments such as pyramids.
Monotheism
Is to believe in one god, some examples are Judaism and Christianity and Islam.
Ra
The sun god
king of deities and father of all creation. Amun-ra was protector of pharaohs.
Ra Depiction
Sun. Scarab beetle. Person wielding a sceptor
