Old Kingdom Rulers

1. Old Kingdom Rulers • The Old Kingdom lasted until 2300 B.C. and really grew and prospered • People followed the pharaoh because they believed two things: 1) unity of the kingdom depended on a strong leader 2) pharaoh was god on earth

2. Ever heard of a Guard Cat?

3. Egypt’s Religion • Egyptians believed in deities and life after death • The main Egyptian god was the sun god Re, Hapi ruled the Nile River, and Isis (loyal wife and mother) helped rule over the dead with her husband Osiris

5. Egypt’s Religion • Egyptians were hopeful about the after life, and that it would be even better than life. • The Book of the Dead was sacred and contained a spells and prayers to help Egyptians obtain life after death. • Identify four things that Egyptians believed about the afterlife on p. 49

6. Egypt’s Religion • Preparing the body for the afterlife was a process. • Embalming was an important part of preserving the pharaoh’s body for the afterlife. • Once the body was prepared, it would be wrapped in linen. This wrapped body is known as a mummy.

7. Pyramids

8. Pyramids • Egyptians built pyramids to protect the bodies of dead pharaohs. • The pyramids also contained items the pharaohs might need in the afterlife. • A pyramid took thousands of people and years of labor to build.

9. Pyramids • Egyptians used astronomy and mathematics to create the pyramids. • To build a pyramid, Egyptians first selected a site. • Then, they searched for stone. • The artisans cut the stone into blocks, and other workers tied the stone to sleds and pulled them to the Nile.

10. Pyramids

11. Pyramids • At the river, workers loaded the stones onto barges and floated them to the site. • There, the blocks were unloaded and dragged or pushed up ramps. • While studying the skies to create pyramids, Egyptians created the 365-day calendar that became the basis for our calendar today.

12. Pyramids • The Great Pyramid is the largest pyramid in Egypt • It was built for King Khufu and is located in Giza.