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Egypt Block II
Essential Guided Reading
Questions For Chapter 5
Lesson 2
Chapter 5 Lesson 2 p. 108-119
How was Ancient Egypt governed?
 How was the pharaoh both a political leader
and a religious leader?
 What kind of religion did the ancient Egyptians
practice?
 Why did Egyptians protect a person’s body
after death?
 Why and how were pyramids built?
 How was Egyptian society organized?
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How was Ancient Egypt governed?
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Ruled by pharaohs – generational – family
member
Pharaohs in charge of trade
Theocracy – ruled by one
Three kingdoms (time periods) – Old, middle
,new
Controlled both upper and lower Egypt
Pharaoh’s thought of as a god – like a dictator
Appointed bureaucrats and political leaders to
carry out his orders.
Pharaoh had total power and had to be obeyed
 How
was the pharaoh both a political leader
and a religious leader?
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Thought of as a god in human form
He was in charge of construction of pyramids
In charge of food growth and distribution
In charge of everything
Attended and led religious ceremonies
Collected taxes
 What
kind of religion did the ancient Egyptians
practice?
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Polytheistic – believing in more than one god
Practiced mummification to preserve the body
for the after life
Belief that there was life after death
If you lived a good life in this world, you would
have a good life in the next life
Whatever the pharaoh believed and worshipped
was done by the people
 Why
did Egyptians protect a person’s body
after death?

belief that there was another life
 Why
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and how were pyramids built?
First built as pharaoh’s tomb
Became a Seven Wonder of the World
Built by slaves and farmers and fishermen…
Made out of limestone and sandstone
Took decades to build
Used wooden sleds to drag stones around and
float down the Nile
There are many different kinds of pyramids
Grave robbers
 How
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was Egyptian society organized?
Top of the “Social Pyramid” was the pharaoh
Next was the priest and nobles and commanders
Next were traders, artisans, scribes,
Last were farmers and herders
Slaves and unskilled workers
Born into your social role but could be moved up
by the pharaoh
At the peak there were 5 million people living in
Egypt