Download H is for Hatshepsut

A is for Anubis
• Anubis is the jackalheaded god associated
with mummification and
the afterlife in Egyptian
mythology. Anubis in the
Old Kingdom was the
most important god of the
Dead but he was
replaced during the
Middle Kingdom by
Osiris.
B is for Bast
• Bast is an ancient
goddess that has been
worshipped in Egyptian
mythology since at least
the Second Dynasty. In
the later dynasties her
role was diminished in the
Egyptian pantheon. She
was originally a war
goddess and as her role
diminished she became
associated with
representing fertility,
protection, and
C is for Cat
• The cat was a
revered animal in
Ancient Egypt.
The cat became a
worshipped animal
and the
domesticated cat
was a symbol of
poise and prestige.
D is for Djoser
• King Djoser is the
best-known pharaoh
of the Third dynasty
of Egypt. He
commissioned the
official, Imhotep, to
build a Step Pyramid
for him at Saqqara.
The Pyramid of
Dsojer was the first
Egyptian pyramid.
E is for Egypt
• Ancient Egypt was in
eastern north Africa
and was concentrated
on the Nile River.
The civilization began
around 3150 BCE
with the unification of
Upper and Lower
Egypt. It lasted for
the next three
millennia.
F is for Faience
• Faience is a glazed
ceramic material, usually
blue or green in color
which is made up
primarily of quartz sand
or crushed quartz. Egypt
exploited their turquoise
mines during Predynastic
times and faience was
probably of cheap
imitation of turquoise
G is for Geo
• Geb, the god of earth,
was depicted as a
bearded man with a
goose on his head. He
was the provider of crops
and a healer. He was
husband and brother of
the sky goddess Nut. He
was also the father of
Osiris, Isis, Nepthys, and
Seth.
H is for Hatshepsut
• Queen Hatshepsut
was the first female
pharaoh in Egypt.
She took power after
her husband died, but
disguised herself as a
man by wearing a
“false-beard”
I is for Imhotep
• Imhotep was one of
the first engineers
and also one of the
first physicians in
Ancient Egypt. He
was responsible for
designing the
pyramids, including
the ones at Giza.
J is for Jars
• During the sacred
process of
mummification, vital
organs such as the
stomach, intestines
and the liver were
placed in special
canopic jars for
preservation for the
afterlife.
K is for Ka
• Ka was the life force
in all Egyptians. It
was believed to have
been breathed into
people at birth. After
a person died, their
ka continued to live
on. It is similar to the
concept of a spirit.
L is for Lotus Flower
• The lotus flowers
bloomed out of the
muddy waters of the Nile
river and were a beautiful
white color. They
symbolized creation and
life and were an important
part of Egyptian society.
M is for Mummification
• The mummification ceremony
was a highly religious affair
reserved only for the upper
class. The purpose was to
provide the body with
everything it would need for
the afterlife. It included such
practices as draining fluids,
preserving organs in jars,
wrapping the body in linens
and even taking the brain out
of the nose.
N is for Nile
• This is the center of the
civilization and actually
one of the reasons it was
so successful. Its banks
overflow annually which
creates fertile soil for
crops to grow. It also
separates Egypt into the
side of the living and the
side of the dead.
O is for Osiris
• Osiris is the god of
the underworld. He is
one of the main gods
in Egyptian religion
and is believed to
grant lasting eternity
in the afterlife.
P is for Pharaohs
• Pharaohs were the
kings of Egypt. The
most famous is King
Tutankhamen, who
died at a very early
age but was known
for the various
treasures found in his
tomb.
Q is for Qadesh, Battle of
• C. 1273 BC – This was Ramesses most
famous battle. He led the Egyptians in
combat against the Hittites for control of
Syria. Both sides claimed victory, but
neither was truly the victor.
R is for Rosetta Stone
• This stone was found by
Napoleon’s troops in the
Nile Valley in 1799. The
Rosetta Stone is a black
stone slab with writing in
three scripts. This stone
was the key in
deciphering hieroglyphs,
which had been lost for
over 1000 years
S is for Sobek, the Crocodile God
• This was the God of Rivers
and Lakes. Sobek was most
popular in the city of Arsinoe,
which was later renamed
Crocodilopolis by the Greeks.
Sobek was worshipped in
order to insure good crops
and fertility
T is for Tigris River
• This river created the
boundary for Mesopotamia,
or the “land between two
rivers”, the other boundary
is the Euphrates. The
Tigris originates in the
Armenian Mountains and
flows about 1,200 miles to
the Persian Gulf
U is for Userkaf
• Userkaf was the first ruler of the
5th Dynasty. He is credited with
establishing Egypt’s contact with
the Aegean World. He is also
known for building solar temples
V is for Valley of the Kings
This valley is known as Biban elMuluk, “doorway of gateway of the
Kings”. It is located on the West
Bank at Thebes, and is where many
Egyptian kings were buried, including
Thutmose I and Ramesses XI
W is for Weret Hekau
• Weret Hekau is a Goddess
represented by a serpent.
The name means “Great of
Magic”. This shrine possibly
housed a statue of the
Goddess.
X is XII Dynasty
• 1937-1759 BC
• The Twelfth Dynasty was a
wealthy and stable dynasty
which lasted about 160
years and was ruled over
by a series of seven kings
from Thebes. The dynasty
ended when Amenenhat IV
died without a male heir.
Y is for Yuya and Tuya
• Yuya and Tuya were the parents
of Queen Tiye. This husband
and wife exerted immense
political influence during the
reigns of Amenhotep III and his
father, Tuthnosis IV. The picture
is of the very well preserved
mummy of Yuya. Is Yuya the
biblical Joseph, who was sold
into slavery by his jealous
brothers?
Z is for Zodiac of Dendera
• This is the map of
the sky. It was part
of the ceiling at the
Temple of Hathor,
located in a section
devoted to Osiris.
At the time, the
Eqyptians were
influenced by
Hellenic astronomy.