The Mystery Of Ancient Egyptian

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were considered to be both divine deities as well as mortal rulers. Throughout the 30+ dynasties in ancient Egyptian history, it is speculated that some 170 or more rulers reigned over the great land of Egypt during a three thousand year time span. The throne of Egypt was primarily intended to be succeeded from father to son, however in many cases this line of kingship was interrupted by murder, mayhem and mysterious disappearances. Each time a new family took control of the throne, a new kingdom began in the history of this fascinating nation. While rulers often intermarried with daughters, granddaughters, sisters and brothers to keep the throne within the family the throne still managed to shift hands multiple times; creating a dynamic, and often, complex ancient pharonic history.

The First King

King Menes

There is contradictory information regarding the first king of Egypt. Some authorities believe he might have been Aha, while others contend that Menes held this title. Very little information on the Egyptian pharaohs of the first and second dynasties is known. The few facts that are known about the sixteen so ancient Egyptian pharaohs who ruled Egypt during this time has been gleaned from the Palermo stone, an ancient stone tablet that contains information such as lists of pharaohs and other facts of daily life from the ancient pharonic periods.

The Egyptian Pharaohs List

★The Early Dynastic Period ☆

Dynaas 1 (3050-2890 BC): Hor-Aha, Djer, Djet, Den, Anedjib, Semerkhet, Qaa.

Dynasty 2 (2890-2686 BC): Hotepsekhemwy, Raneb, Nynetjer, Seth-Peribsen, Khasekhemwy.

★The Old Kingdom ☆

Dynasty 3 (2686-2613 BC): Sanakhte, Djoser, Sekhemkhet, Khaba, Huni.

Dynasty 4 (2613-2498 BC): Snefru, Khufu, Djedefre, Khafre, Menkaure, Shepseskaf.

Dynasty 5 (2498-2345 BC): Userkaf, Sahure, Neferirkare, Shepseskare, Neferefre, Menkauhor, Djedkare, Unas.

Dynasty 6 (2345-2181 BC): Teti, Pepi I, Merenre, Pepi II.

★The First Intermediate Period ☆

Dynasty 7/8 (2181-2160 BC): Wadjkare, Qakare Iby.

Dynasty 9/10 (2160-2040 BC): Meryibre Khety, Merykare, Kaneferre, Nebkaure Akhtoy.

★The Middle Kingdom ☆

Dynasty 11 (2134-1991 BC): Intef I, Inteff II, Intef III, Mentuhotep I, Mentuhotep II, Mentuhotep III.

Dynasty 12 (1991-1782 BC): Amenemhet I, Senusret I, Amenemhet II, Senusret II, Senusret III, Amenemhet III, Amenemhet IV, Queen Sobeknefru.

★The Second Intermediate Period ☆

Dynasty 13 (1782-1650 BC): Wegaf, Ameny Intef IV, Hor, Sobekhotep II, Khendjer, Sobekhotep III, Neferhotep I, Sobekhotep IV, Ay, Neferhotep II.

Dynasty 14: Nehesy.

Dynasty 15 (1663-1555 BC): Sheshi, Yakubher, Khyan, Apepi I, Apepi II.

Dynasty 16 (1663-1555 BC): Anather, Yakobaam.

Dynasty 17 (1663-1570 BC): Sobekemsaf I, Sobekemsaf II, Intef VII, Tao I, Tao II, Kamose.

★The New Kingdom ☆

Dynasty 18(1570-1293 BC): Ahmose I, Amenhotep I, Thutmosis I, Thutmosis II, Thutmosis III, Queen Hatshepsut, Amenhotep II, Thutmosis IV, Amenhotep III, Amenhotep IV, Smenkhkare, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb.

Dynasty 19 (1293-1185 BC): Ramesses I, Seti I, Ramesses II, Merneptah, Amenmesses, Seti II, Septah, Queen Twosret. 
Dynasty 20 (1185-1070 BC): Setnakhte, Ramesses III, Ramesses IV, Ramesses V, Ramesses VI, Ramesses VII, Ramesses VIII, Ramesses IX, Ramesses X, Ramesses XI.

★The Third Intermediate Period ☆

Dynasty 21 (1069-945 BC): Smendes I, Amenemnisu, Psusennes I, Amenemope, Osorkon, Siamun, Psusennes II.

Dynasty 22 (945-715 BC): Sheshonq I, Osorkon I, Sheshonq II, Takelot I, Osorkon II, Takelot II, Sheshonq III, Pami, Sheshonq V, Osorkon IV, Harsiese.

Dynasty 23 (818-715 BC): Pedibastet, Sheshonq IV, Osorkon III, Takelot III, Rudamon, Iuput, Nimlot, Peftjauabastet.

Dynasty 24 (727-715 BC): Tefnakht, Bakenrenef.

Dynasty 25 (747-656 BC): Piankhi, Shabaka, Shebitku, Taharqa, Tanutamun.

Dynasty 26 (664-525 BC): Psamtik I, Nekau, Psamtik II, Wahibre, Ahmose II, Psamtik III.

★The Late Period ☆

Dynasty 27 (525-404 BC): Cambyses II, Darius I, Xerxes, Artaxerxes I, Darius II, Artaxerxes II.

Dynasty 28 (404-399 BC): Amyrtaeus.

Dynasty 29 (399-380 BC): Nefaarud I, Hakor.

Dynasty 30 (380-343 BC): Nakhtnebef, Djedhor, Nakhthoreb.

Dynasty 31 (343-332 BC): Artaxerxes III, Arses, Darius III.

The Most Famous Egyptian Pharaohs

Tutankhamen aka King Tut

Perhaps the most well known of famous Egyptian pharaohs is Tutankhamun, commonly referred to as King Tut. The mysterious death of this boy king has interested the world since his tomb was first discovered in 1922. Only 18 when he died, it is speculated that both is wife and grandfather might have played key roles in the mysterious and probably fatal blow to the back of his head. The short life of King Tut and the cause of his death remains a mystery even today.

But….

recently an international research team under the leadership of Egyptian radiologist Ashraf Selim discovered the real cause of Tutankhamen's death. It turns out he fell from a horse, broke his left thigh on several places and got blood poisoning because of the open wound.

Howard Carter and the mummy of King Tut Ankh Amon in 1925 &

The mummyfied head of king Tut

His tomb was uncovered by Howard Carter in the fall of 1922, a wealth of King Tut's treasures were discovered as well. Although the burial tomb was obviously put together rather quickly to accommodate the death of the young king, it contained an amazing array of items. In total, when the tomb was finally emptied, it contained thousands of King Tut's tomb treasure including the King Tut throne chair. A silver trumpet King Tut was buried with was also discovered. Perhaps the most studied and easily recognized of all King Tut's treasures are the Tutankhamen sarcophagus symbols. The preserved mummy of the boy king was found to be contained within 3 golden coffins. His mummy was eventually returned to the tomb, however; persons interested in the life of King Tut can now view his tomb treasure in a museum in Cairo.

The Gods Of Egyptian

There are several Gods in Egyptian, the most popular Gods is Bastet, Anubis, and Osiris .

Osiris

Osiris (Asar, Wesir, Ausar, Unnefer)

Symbols: crook and flail, djed, White and Atef Crowns, bull, mummified form, throne, Bennu (phoenix)
Cult Center: Abydos, Busiris and Heliopolis
Myths: "Isis and Osiris"

A god of the earth and vegetation, Osiris symbolized in his death the yearly drought and in his miraculous rebirth the periodic flooding of the Nile and the growth of grain. He was a god-king who was believed to have given Egypt civilization.

Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb, and therefore the brother of Seth, Nephthys, and Isis. He was married to his sister, Isis. He was also the father of Horus and Anubis. These traditions state that Nephthys (mother of Anubis) assumed the form of Isis, seduced him (perhaps with wine) and she became pregnant with Anubis.

The oldest religious texts refer to Osiris as the great god of the dead, and throughout these texts it is assumed that the reader will understand that he once possessed human form and lived on earth. As the first son of Geb, the original king of Egypt, Osiris inherited the throne when Geb abdicated. At this time the Egyptians were barbarous cannibals and uncivilized. Osiris saw this and was greatly disturbed. Therefore, he went out among the people and taught them what to eat, the art of agriculture, how to worship the gods, and gave them laws. Thoth helped him in many ways by inventing the arts and sciences and giving names to things. Osiris was Egypt's greatest king who ruled through kindness and persuasion. Having civilized Egypt, Osiris traveled to other lands, leaving Isis as his regent, to teach other peoples what he taught the Egyptians.

During Osiris' absence, Isis was troubled with Seth's plotting to acquire both her and the throne of Egypt. Shortly after Osiris' return to Egypt, in the twenty-eighth year of his reign, on the seventeenth day of the month of Hathor (late September or November), Seth and 72 conspirators murdered him. They then threw the coffin in which he was murdered into the Nile, with his divine body still inside.

Isis, with the help of her sister Nephthys, and Anubis and Thoth, magically located Osiris' body. Upon learning the his brother's body was found, Seth went to it and tore it into fourteen pieces and scattered them throughout Egypt. Isis once again found every part of his body, save his phallus (it had been eaten by the now-cursed Nile fish). She magically re-assembled Osiris and resurrected him long enough to be impregnated by him so that she could give birth to the new king Horus.

Seth of course was not willing to surrender the throne of Egypt to the youthful Horus and thus a tribunal of gods met to decide who was the rightful king. The trial lasted eighty years. Eventually through Isis' cunning she won the throne for her son.

Osiris meanwhile had become the king of the Afterlife. He was believed to be willing to admit all people to the Duat, the gentle, fertile land in which the righteous dead lived, that had lived a good and correct life upon earth, and had been buried with appropriate ceremonies under the protection of certain amulets, and with the proper recital of certain "divine words" and words of power. His realm was said to lie beneath Nun, in the northern heavens or in the west.

It is as the King of the Afterlife that Osiris gained his supreme popularity. He was originally a minor god of Middle Egypt, especially in comparison to the gods of Heliopolis and Hermopolis, etc. Noting his increasing popularity, and sensing that Osiris would one day eclipse the adoration of their own gods, the priests of these cities adopted him into their own cosmogonies.

The elements of his story was seen as symbolic of real events that happened in Egypt. With his original association to agriculture, his death and resurrection were seen as symbolic of the annual death and re-growth of the crops and the yearly flooding of the Nile. The sun too with its daily re-birth and death was associated with Osiris. His rivalry with his brother Seth, the god of storms and the desert, was symbolic of the eternal war between the fertile lands of the Nile Valley and the barren desert lands just beyond. The pharaoh of Egypt was called Horus, while his deceased father was the new Osiris.

Several festivals during the year were held in Egypt, in celebration of Osiris. One, held in November, celebrated his beauty. Another, called the "Fall of the Nile" was a time of mourning. As the Nile receded, the Egyptians went to the shore to give gifts and show their grief over his death. When the Nile began to flood again, another festival honoring Osiris was held whereby small shrines were cast into the river and the priests poured sweet water in the Nile, declaring that the god was found again.The name "Osiris" is the Greek corruption of the Egyptian name "Asar" (or Usar.)

There are several possibilities as to what this name means, "the Strength of the Eye", is one. Another is "He Sees the Throne". The oldest and simplest form of the name is the hieroglyph of the throne over an eye (there are at least 158 versions of the name). At one point the first syllable of the name was pronounced "Aus" or "Us" and may have gained the meaning of the word usr, "strength, might, power". At this time the Egyptians supposed the name to mean something like the "strength of the Eye" (i.e., the strength of the Sun-god Re.)

Another possibility raised by an ancient hymn's author is that the name "Unnefer" (another name by which Osiris was known) comes from the roots un ("to open, to appear, to make manifest") and neferu, ("good things"). The author then wrote these lines in his hymn to the god, "Thy beauty maketh itself manifest in thy person to rouse the gods to life in thy name Unnefer". In any case, even to the ancients, the origin of Osiris' Egyptian name is a mystery.

Anubis

Anubis (Yinepu, Anpu)

Symbols: jackal, ox-hide hanging from a pole, embalming equipment, flail, flags
Cult Center: Heliopolis, Cynopolis

The jackal-god of mummification, he assisted in the rites by which a dead man was admitted to the underworld. Anubis was worshipped as the inventor of embalming and who embalmed the dead Osiris and thereby helping to preserve him that he might live again.

Anubis is portrayed as a man with the head of a jackal holding the divine sceptre carried by kings and gods; as simply a blackjackal or as a dog accompanying Isis. His symbol was a black and white ox-hide splattered with blood and hanging from a pole. It's meaning is unknown.

Anubis had three important functions. He supervised the embalming of bodies. He received the mummy into the tomb and performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony and then conducted the soul in the Field of Celestial Offerings. Most importantly though, Anubis monitored the Scales of Truth to protect the dead from deception and eternal death.

Early in Egyptian history, Anubis was a god of the dead. This role was usurped by Osiris as he rose in popularity.

The god of embalming is probably associated with the jackal due to the habits of jackals to lurk about tombs and graves. One of the reasons the early Egyptians sought to make their tombs more elaborate was to keep the bodies safe from the jackals lingering about the graves. It is only natural therefore that a god of mummification would be connected with them. By worshipping Anubis, the Egyptians hoped to invoke him to protect their deceased from jackals, and later, the natural decay that unprotected bodies endure.

Anubis was the son of Nephthys, and his father was Osiris. One myth says that Nephthys got Osiris drunk and the resultant seduction brought forth Anubis. Yet another says she disguised herself as Isis and seduced Osiris and subsequently gave birth to Anubis.

Bastet

Bastet (Bast)

Symbols: cat, lioness, sistrum, Udjat (Eye of Horus)
Cult Center: Bubastis
Links: The Name of Bast

The goddess Bastet was usually represented as a woman with the head of a domesticated cat. However, up until 1000 BC she was portrayed as a lioness. Bastet was the daughter of Re, the sun god. It may have been through him that she acquired her feline characteristics. When Re destroyed his enemy Apep, he was usually depicted as a cat. As portrayed as a cat, she was connected with the moon (her son Khonsu was the god of the moon). When shown as a lioness, she is associated with sunlight.

Bastet was the goddess of fire, cats, of the home and pregnant women. According to one myth, she was the personification of the soul of Isis. She was also called the "Lady of the East". As such, her counterpart as "Lady of the West" was Sekhmet.

Bastet seemed to have two sides to her personality, docile and aggressive. Her docile and gentle side was displayed in her duties as a protector of the home, and pregnant women. Her aggressive and vicious nature was exposed in the accounts of battles in which the pharaoh was said to have slaughtered the enemy as Bastet slaughtered her victims.

Her center of worship was in Bubastis (Per-Bast, Pa-Bast, Pibeseth, Tell-Basta), in the eastern Delta. Her chief festivals were celebrated in April and May. Herodotus, the famous Greek historian, provides the following description of one of the festivals:

"When the Egyptians travel to Bubastis, they do so in this manner: men and women sail together, and in each boat there are many persons of both sexes. Some of the women shake their rattles and some of the men blow their pipes during the whole journey, while others sing and clap their hands. If they pass a town on the way, some of the women land and shout and jeer at the local women, while others dance and create a disturbance. They do this at every town on the Nile. When they arrive at Bubastis, they begin the festival with great sacrifices, and on this occasion, more wine is consumed than during the whole of the rest of the year."

The Built of Egyptian Pyramids

The built of Egyptian pyramids has remained a mystery for several thousand years. Throughout history there have been a number of theories offered to explain the mystery, but no one seems to have devised a concept that has been completely accepted. While the question of how were the pyramids built remains unanswered, there is no doubt to the complex beauty of the ancient Egypt pyramids.

A mastaba

From the scorching heat of the Egyptian desert rises up the first of the ancient Egypt pyramids to be constructed, the step pyramids. So named because of their step like exterior, these pyramids are believed to have been constructed during the Third Dynasty. It is probable that the first step pyramid was intended to be an improvement of the mastabas that were originally designed to be burial tombs for the royalty. The built of Egyptian pyramids during this time appears to have been constructed by stacking box like structures on top of one another in graduating sizes, large to small; with the smallest resting at the top. The first step pyramid is believed to have been constructed under the reign of King Djoser.

Step Pyramid

Lying across the same complex of the Djoser pyramid is what appears to be an unfinished step pyramid. This later construction was not discovered until 1952 and is believed to have been begun by Djoser's architect, Imhothep. The built of Egyptian pyramids continued throughout the Third Dynasty, prior to the erection of what is commonly believed to be the last step pyramid, by King Snefru.

Bent Pyramid

King Snerfu quickly moved on from the step pyramid to his next attempt, the Bent pyramid located at Dashur. The pyramid takes its name from the reduced angle of the top of the structure, giving it a bent appearance. This pyramid apparently failed to meet the expectations of the pharaoh and his architecture team.

Red Pyramid

The final pyramid believed to have been constructed by King Snerfu was a rousing success. The Red pyramid, also referred to as the North pyramid, is considered to be the first structure to take on the true pyramid shape.

Great Pyramid

The work of Snerfu's pyramids seems to have inspired his son, Khufu, a great deal. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest ever built of Egyptian pyramids. Standing at an impressive height of 146 meters, the Great Pyramid resides alongside several smaller pyramids that were intended for the king's wives and mother as well as a cult pyramid. The built of Egyptian pyramids usually contains a number of passageways and chambers as well as boat pits for the vessels that would carry the dead to Osiris. Like all ancient Egyptian pyramids, the Great Pyramid is no different.

Throughout the late Fifth Dynasty, the built of Egyptian pyramids continued, although none were ever able to rival the marvel of the Great Pyramid at Giza. These ancient Egypt pyramids have made a significant contribution to understanding the history and culture of the Egyptian nation. The inside of the Egyptian pyramids, particularly, have proven to quite valuable in appreciating how the ancient Egyptians lived and their thoughts on the afterlife.

Here is some boring Daily Life In Ancient Egyptian

  

Life in ancient Egypt was primarily centered toward a polytheistic religion, the pharaoh and the importance of family. In ancient Egypt family life began early. Men and women tended to marry quite young in ancient Egypt and everyday life reflected their commitment to the sanctity of the family unit. Divorce was known to have existed but does not appear to have been that prevalent or common. Marriages were generally polygamous; at least in the royal and noble circles, with the husband having several wives. In most cases there was usually a senior wife or chief wife; however it is apparent that husbands were quite fond of all their wives.

Children were a very important component of life in Egypt and were considered to be a great blessing from the gods. Also in the noble and royal families, children were highly regarded. Paintings of King Akhenaten and his wife, Queen Nefertiti, indicate they had a very close and loving bond with their six daughters.

The role of women in ancient Egyptian society is often a surprise. It is usually assumed that women were relegated to the role of a second class citizen, when actually the opposite was true. Women were allowed to own property, testify in court and conduct business dealings. More than one woman even ruled the Egyptian land as pharaoh. While women were highly regarded and given rights that most of their contemporaries in other lands could only dream of, daily life in ancient Egypt for women also involved responsibilities for most of the duties of the home. It was the woman's responsibility to raise the children, see to the home and prepare the meals.

The daily life of people of ancient Egypt was very involved with the various gods and goddesses who ruled Egyptian mythology. It was quite acceptable to worship more than one deity and most towns and villages throughout Egypt did so, although a city would normally claim a patron god. Temples were built and scattered throughout Egypt, reflecting a religion that involved frequent rites, rituals and practices.

Ancient Egyptian Board Games

In ancient Egypt board games were extremely popular and many different kinds existed, both for two players at a time and multiple players. One of the most popular ancient Egyptian games, a version of which is still practiced in modern day Egypt today, was senet. Similar to checkers or draught, the purpose of this game was to move pieces around on a multi-colored board. Very elaborate senet sets were discovered in the tomb of King Tut, among many other treasures. Other ancient Egypt games that were popular included Dogs and Jackals and Seega. Expensive sets, made of precious materials such as ivory and ebony, have been discovered in tombs throughout Egypt. Dice carved from stone and ivory were typical components of many ancient Egypt games.

Ancient Egypt Music

Zummara, a double pipe with reeds

Percussion instruments were the most common instruments used in ancient Egyptian music, with the simplest being the human hands. Clapping was depicted on many walls as being a large part of most musical performances. Drums were also popular during the Middle Kingdom, and bells were used frequently later, during the Late Period.

While most percussion instruments have a very limited pitch range, other types of instruments -- those of the wind and stringed variety -- were used as well. It is believed that the flute may have been invented in ancient Egypt . Other wind instruments included the trumpet, the parallel double-pipes and the divergent double-pipes. These were often made using reeds, until later, when bronze work was more common.

Stringed instruments were also used in ancient Egyptian music, predominantly in the form of harps, lutes, and lyres. The lyres were introduced around 2500 BC in nearby Syria , while the lute was used more widely during the New Kingdom period.

Harps were special instruments in that they were of a much more complex design than other string instruments, and it was also common to deck out a harp with precious materials such as ebony, silver, gold, lapis lazuli, malachite, or anything valuable both monetarily and aesthetically.

As for the ancient Egyptian music itself, there is very little notation from before the time of the Greek invasion. It is believed that some of the music was either spontaneously created, or perhaps singers were able to direct their accompanying music with arm gestures to indicate pitch and tempo. Once the Greeks came along, there is evidence of musical notation on papyrus, though the resulting music and what is on the papyrus itself is Greek, not Egyptian.

During the Old Kingdom, only the male musicians were allowed to play almost any instrument available while the women were given options for the harp and percussion. By the Middle Kingdom, however, ensembles of both genders were common, and during the New Kingdom, it was even common to see female-only musical ensembles at rituals, celebrations, and where ever a song was needed.

Music is generally important in any society, for many reasons, and ancient Egypt is no exception. Whether honoring the gods, mourning the deceased, or celebrating a joyous event, the art of song was one utilized frequently, and most likely will continue to for a very long time.

Ancient Egyptian Food

The Nile River and her fertile river banks provided the basis for most ancient Egyptian food. In a land that is otherwise almost completely dry desert land; the people of Egypt are blessed to have soil that is so fertile it is almost completely black. This fertile soil has allowed the Egyptian people to maintain a bountiful agricultural system since the days when the first Egyptians settled along the Nile River, in spite of the fact that Egypt sees very little annual rainfall.

The Nile River produced an abundance of fish, which could be incorporated into a number of ancient Egyptian food recipes. Due to the desert geography of the Egyptian nation, it was extremely difficult for the ancient Egyptian peoples to raise livestock, therefore meats such as pork and beef were not often seen in ancient Egyptian food preparations. Fish likely provided the bulk of meat to the Egyptian diet.

Besides of fish, bread and beer contributed to the majority of the ancient Egyptian food and drink diet. The fertile soil deposited by the Nile River allowed the ancient Egyptians to grow wheat in abundance. The wheat could be fermented into beer or prepared in a variety of manners such as bread and cakes. Typical ancient Egyptian foods included recipes made from the wheat and often sweetened with honey. The Egyptian food recipe and preparation of bread seems to have been quite labor intensive, as the wheat would have had to be ground by hand and then baked in archaic ovens.

Vegetables were also common ancient Egyptian foods and a number of recipes featured the use of peas and beans. Onions were also a widespread ancient Egyptian food. In addition, garlic was very well liked. Records indicate that leeks, lettuce, cabbages and turnips were also staples in the typical ancient Egyptian diet.

Figs and dates have always been extremely popular and sensible food crops in the arid Egyptian climate. Grapes were a well liked ancient Egyptian food, both as a fruit and in the form of wine; for those who could afford it.

The menus served by the wealthy and the common families in ancient Egypt, seems to have varied greatly. Some types of ancient Egyptian food could only be afforded by the very wealthy, such as coconuts and olives. As it was difficult to raise livestock on the Egyptian deserts, meat was a luxury ancient Egyptian food and fairly unknown by the commoner. The poorer ancient Egyptian families seemed to have existed solely on whatever vegetables they could grow in a garden, supplemented mainly by wheat dishes; at best.