Chapter 4 Section 2 Outline
Big Idea:
Egyptian government and religion were closely connected during the
.
Main Idea # 1
In early Egyptian society, top of the social structure.
Rule by Pharaohs
0 Belief pharaoh was
0 Believed Egypt belonged to
ruled as gods and were at the
0 Came with
0 Blamed if crops did not grow well
0 Blamed if disease
0 Demanded to make trade profitable
0 Demanded to prevent wars
The Social Structure
0
0
0 Rules Egypt as a god
0
0 Officials and priests helped run the government and temples
0
0 Scribes wrote and craftspeople produced goods
0 Most Egyptians were farmers.
0 Below them were servants and slaves
Henry 6 th SS

Chapter 4 Section 2 Outline
Egypt and Its
0 Sumerian designs found in Egyptian art
0 Egyptian pottery reflects styles from Nubia
0 Traders came from Nubia with gold, ivory, slaves and stones
0 Punt (located on Red Sea) had incense and myrrh – used to make perfume and medicine
0 Syria provided
Draw page 91 diagram here
Henry 6 th SS

Chapter 4 Section 2 Outline
Main Idea #2
Religion shaped Egyptian life.
The Gods of Egypt
0 Practiced polytheism
0 Everyone expected to worship the same god
0 Built temples to gods
0 Payments collected from government and worshippers to grow
0 Memphis – people prayed to Ptah – creator of the world
0 Major gods
0 Re, or Amon-Re: sun god
0 Osiris: god of the underworld
0 Isis: goddess of magic
0 Horus: sky god
Emphasis on the Afterlife
0 Believed it was a happy place
0 An ideal world where all people are young and healthy
0 ka (KAH) – a person’s life force
Became a spirit
Had the same needs as the person had when he/she was living
0 Tombs filled with objects
Furniture, clothing, tools, jewelry, weapons
Relatives expected to bring food and drinks
Burial Practices
0 Body had to be prepared for afterlife – preserved
0 Decayed – spirit could not recognize it
0 Embalming preserved bodies as mummies
0 Took several weeks
0 Wrapped body with linen cloth and bandages
0 Placed in coffin
0 Only royalty and Egypt’s elite became mummies
0 Peasant families buried dead in shallow graves
0 Hot dry sand and lack of moisture preserved naturally
Questions to consider
0 What is a mummy?
0 How was the ka different from the body?
Henry 6 th SS

Chapter 4 Section 2 Outline
0 Why did the Egyptians believe it was important to preserve the physical body?
Main Idea #3
The pyramids of Egypt were built as tombs for the pharaohs.
The Pyramids
0 Built during Old Kingdom
0 Great Pyramid of Khufu still standing
0 Not sure how they were built but amazing
0 Size symbolized greatness
0 Wanted to be spectacular – belief pharaohs controlled afterlife
0 Pharaoh spirit happy = happy afterlife for everyone
Questions to consider
0 Why did the Egyptians want the pyramids to be spectacular?
0 Do you think the Egyptians were gloomy and obsessed by death? Why or why not?
Henry 6 th SS