Influences from Outside

War played a major part in the 18^th Dynasty of Egypt which was about 1570 – 1550 BC.  Egypt was a world power during the 18^th Dynasty.  Syria and the Hittites (Turkey) were their greatest opposition.  These empires were able to stop expansion of Egypt during this time. Very little is known of Egypt before this time period and even this period is sketchy.

[1]

Trade was involved; however, it is believed that this was done more for homage to Egypt.  Egypt was the country to impress and keep from invading.  For example the above vessel is believed to be from Cyprus due to its design and is dated to the 1500 BC time period.  It was excavated in 1891 in Egypt.  It is believed that it carried opium; however, this is debated heavily among historians.  Some believe it was wine.

[2]

It is also evident that Egyptians brought gods from Asia back, such as Astarte which came from the Mediterranean seaports.  She came to Egypt and is believed to have been the goddess later considered Isis, the goddess of the skies.

There is evidence that the leaders of Babylon, Assyria and the Near East in diplomatic correspondence.  The biggest event being the marrying of Ramesses II to Mathroneferure the Hittite king’s daughter.  This appears to be the “first known peace treaty of the world”.[3]

So during the dynasty period from 6000 BC to 300 BC, Egypt spent most of this time period fighting with the countries around them with Prussia being the one to conquer them until Alexander the Great came on the scene in 332 BC.  Alexander’s aim was to conquer the known world.  However, the Roman/Byzantine rule changed the style of houses built from horizontal living to now building up. Rome was in Egypt for approximately 670 years. 

When Islam came to Egypt, the people were looking for someone or thing to free them for the oppression of the Roman domination.  Islam brought that promise of freedom.  Islam is still strong in Egypt today.  Although still the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire invaded, in the end, Egypt became a Republic in 1953 and remains so today.  Islam still flourishes as the main religion of the area.

Most of Egyptian movement with the outside countries was for expansion.  Moving into the A.D. period is the first that religion played a major role in why a country invaded, this being Islam.  Trade was apparent in the early B.C. arena; however, this trade was instigated to pay tribute to Egypt to keep them from invading more than for the actual trade of goods.  It was more of a homage until we see the first peace treaty resulting in the marrying of two countries to keep war out.

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[1] http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/sedment/archive/uc13427.jpg

[2] http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/memphis/archive/uc14392.jpg

[3] Grajetzki, Wolfram and Stephen Quirke. London; University College London. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/foreignrelations/asiank.html

Natural Resources: Yesterday and Today

When you think of Egypt’s natural resources, the first thing that comes to mind is the Nile River.  Due to this being a major water source, the development of urbanization flourished in this area.  In ancient times and today, agriculture plays a big part due to the Nile River; however, in today’s culture the Nile is also used for hydroelectric power.

[1]

[2]

Paper was made in Egypt from the papyris plant.  Although some believe that paper originated in Egypt, there are those that believe it originated in Greece; however, the papyris plant is readily available in Egypt versus Greece.  It is believed to have been produced as early as 3000 B.C. in Egypt.  Whether the use of the papyris plant was first used for writing in Egypt which is debated, it definitely was used for trade.

[3]

Of course, there is also oil and natural gas which is a big part of their economy today.  “The petroleum industry accounts for approximately 40% of export earnings.”[4] In the 1990s the government controlled much of the economy.  Moving into 2005 the private sector began to branch out from manufacturing into land; however, the government still remained in control.  The decline of crude oil production has resulted in an increase of natural gas.  The “energy development in Egypt rests upon the ability of the private sector to generate the required capital, while helping to open new markets for natural gas exports.”[5]  The government controls the exporting, but the private sector is responsible for developing the market.

Bibliography:

Jourdan, Francesca. "THE PAPYRUS AND ITS ORIGINS." The Bibliography of Ancient Egypt. N.P., 1999. http://www.ptahhotep.com/articles/Papyrus.html.

Algarhi, Amr Saber. Oil and Natural Gas in Egypt. The American University in Cairo Department of Economics. December 2005, p. 19. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/literature/papyrus.htm.

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[1] ElectarL, PeterX, RyanW, SandraS. Mechanism of Hydroelectric Power

[2] http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/literature/papyrus.htm

[3] http://www.nawpublishing.com/images/loose/clip_image044_000.jpg

[4] "Egypt." Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (July 24, 2015).http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2586700094.html.

[5] Algarhi, Amr Saber. Oil and Natural Gas in Egypt. The American University in Cairo Department of Economics. December 2005, p. 19. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/literature/papyrus.htm.

Ancient Religion To Modern Islam

Ancient Religion:
In ancient Egypt when a sculpture or picture was made of a person, plant or animal, it was believed that their spirit had the ability to inhabit that item.  Writing to them came from the gods and was to be revered and carefully used.  Once something was written, it took on the spirit of who the writing was about. 

A lot is known about the priest of Egypt.  “for example, the funerary cult of Neferirkare (Dynasty 5) had between two hundred and fifty and three hundred individuals associate with it.”[1]  Priest were everywhere within the culture of Egypt.  The priest of Egypt were part-time, many of them had a trade as well as being the priest in the area. 

The Wall at Karnak as pictured within this blog, shows the great detail taken to represent the realm of the gods.  Egyptians believed that the gods could literally jump from one image to the next.  Therefore, you could at any moment be in the presence of the gods.  The gods were believed to be as humans and needed to be fed and glorified.  Thus the temples were constantly being filled with food to appease the gods. 

It is interesting to note that one of the pictures shows them carrying the god.  This would make the belief that the Jews carrying the Arch of God through the wilderness as common, especially, since they would have been exposed to this in Egypt.  Where we see this as maybe strange in our day and age, this would have been something the Egyptian did with their gods; therefore, for the Jews to do it with their God would have not seemed strange to them.

Oracles were a huge part of Egyptian society. These oracles would speak for the gods in making decisions and providing answers to legal matters. The Egyptians were a very religious group of people and that is still evident in all the temples which are all over the country.

Modern Religion:

The Muslim world in Egypt was more than likely started by people who would pass through on their way to Mecca.  However, the Muslim army would enter and conquer Alexandria between 639 A.D. and 640 A.D. Amr was one of Mohammed's favored leaders. He led the battle into Egypt and conquered Egypt. With the Romans defeated, Muslims moved into Egypt and conquered the cities and built Mosques.  Amr built the first one in Egypt in 642 A.D.  He was actually welcomed by the Copts were glad to be rid of the Roman heathens and welcomed the Muslim army into their country.  Now Islam is the religion of Egypt, with Coptic Orthodox Church having a small percentage of followers to date.  This group considered themselves to be descended from John Mark of the book of Mark and was established in A.D. 1 or 2.  Egypt is considered on paper to allow religions; however, they have continued to have persecution between the Muslims and Christians since the Muslims are the ones in the power to make the laws.

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[1] Teeter, Emily. Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt. West Nyack, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2011. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 16 July 2015.

Ark carried in an Egyptian procession.

Wall of Karnak

The Mosque of Amr

Bibliography:

Alfred J., Butler. The Arab Conquest of Egypt and the Last Thirty Years of Roman Dominion. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1978.

Teeter, Emily. Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt. West Nyack, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2011. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 16 July 2015.

Pictures:

http://www.bible-history.com/ibh/Egyptian+Stone+Reliefs/Processions/Ark+Carried+on+Poles+by+Egyptians+in+Procession

http://www.britannica.com/topic/hieroglyphic-writing/images-videos/Hieroglyphics-on-a-temple-wall-at-Karnak-Egypt/162627

http://www.ask-aladdin.com/Egypt-Sites/islamic_monuments/amromosque.html

Music in Ancient Egypt

Music in Ancient Egypt

Although music existed in prehistoric Egypt, the evidence for it becomes secure only in the historical (or "dynastic" or "pharaonic") period--after 3100 BCE. Music formed an important part of Egyptian life, and musicians occupied a variety of positions in Egyptian society. Music found its way into many contexts in Egypt: temples, palaces, workshops, farms, battlefields and the tomb. Music was an integral part of religious worship in ancient Egypt, so it is not surprising that there were gods specifically associated with music, such as Hathor and Bes (both were also associated with dance, fertility and childbirth).

All the major categories of musical instruments (percussion, wind, stringed) were represented in pharaonic Egypt. Percussion instruments included hand-held drums, rattles, castanets, bells, and the sistrum--a highly important rattle used in religious worship. Hand clapping too was used as a rhythmic accompaniment. Wind instruments included flutes (double and single, with reeds and without) and trumpets. Stringed instruments included harps, lyres, and lutes--plucked rather than bowed. Instruments were frequently inscribed with the name of the owner and decorated with representations of the goddess (Hathor) or god (Bes) of music. Both male and female voices were also frequently used in Egyptian music.

Professional musicians existed on a number of social levels in ancient Egypt. Perhaps the highest status belonged to temple musicians; the office of "musician" (shemayet) to a particular god or goddess was a position of high status frequently held by women. Musicians connected with the royal household were held in high esteem, as were certain gifted singers and harp players. Somewhat lower on the social scale were musicians who acted as entertainers for parties and festivals, frequently accompanied by dancers. Informal singing is suggested by scenes of workers in action; captions to many of these pictures have been interpreted as words of songs. Otherwise there is little evidence for the amateur musician in pharaonic Egypt, and it is unlikely that musical achievement was seen as a desirable goal for individuals who were not professionals.

The ancient Egyptians did not notate their music before the Graeco-Roman period, so attempts to reconstruct pharaonic music remain speculative. Representational evidence can give a general idea of the sound of Egyptian music. Ritual temple music was largely a matter of the rattling of the sistrum, accompanied by voice, sometimes with harp and/or percussion. Party/festival scenes show ensembles of instruments (lyres, lutes, double and single reed flutes, clappers, drums) and the presence (or absence) of singers in a variety of situations.

The three images are from:

Adolf Erman's Life in Ancient Egypt

Published by Macmillan and Co., London 1894

Once again, I have used The Kelsey Museum Exhibit.  While there are a lot of different sites on the web that will give you these pictures and the information, this location is a central place to go for information on Archaeology of Egypt.  If you get an opportunity to check out the website, it will give you vast knowledge on how much information has been found over the years from Adolf Erman's Life in Ancient Egypt to Mary Upjohn's travels in Africa in 1937.

Roman Influence

WOMAN PLAYING TYMPANUM (DRUM)

Terracotta

Roman Period (2nd-4th centuries CE)

Fayum, Egypt

Askren Purchase, 1925

KM 3229

and

WOMAN PLAYING TYMPANUM (DRUM)

Terracotta (2nd-4th centuries CE)

Roman Period

Fayum?, Egypt

Gift of P. Ruthven, 1935

KM 6588

Stela of Shemsu, made by his siter Ny

Limestone; Egypt; Middle Kingdom (1991-1783 BCE); 26 cm h., 21.75 cm w., 5.0 cm thickness; Source: Bay View, 1971; Kelsey Museum 71.2.190

Translation: An offering that the king gives [to] Osiris, Lord of Abydos, that he may give invocation-offerings of bread, beer, oxen, fowl, and every good and pure thing upon which a god lives to the spirit of the follower of the Lord of the Two Lands Shemsu. It is his sister who makes his name live: Ny.

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/kelsey. Accessed 7/9/15.

I found that the University of Michigan: The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology was indispensable in Egyptian wordless history.  Their site listed above has had several different exhibits on Egypt alone.  The piece at the top is from the Roman era which I am sure all of us know quite a bit about Roman history; however, the next picture is the one I found most fascinating.  First in the fact of how old it is estimated to be.  For believers in the Bible, as I am, this means this piece is from right around the time of Abraham lifetime.  It is very possible that Abraham would have heard this story or even known Ny.  Putting this artifact in that light, gives a little light on what surrounded Sarah and Abraham when they went to Egypt.

Geography

Egypt is probably one of the most talked about areas in Africa. The history of Egypt can be found in the background of many different countries.  It was the world’s first organized society.  It is surrounded by the Gaza Strip, Israel, Libya and Sudan.  The size of Egypt is approximately three times the size of New Mexico.  Their national day is July 23^rd.  The largest cities in Egypt are Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, subra al-Haymah, and Port Said.  Cairo the capital city is located at 30° 2' N, 31° 14' E, and Alexandria: 31° 12' N, 29° 55' E.  The Nile is where the majority of the people live as it is the only fresh water available.  In the beginning the people learned of life and death on the rise and fall of the Nile.  Many infectious diseases as in polio, influenza and small pox are considered to have originated in Egypt.  This is evidenced by the hieroglyphics and mummies throughout Egypt.  The idea is that if you entered the pyramid you would die and this would happen.  What was actually happening was the toxins in these pyramids would cause those who entered to be infected and then those they were around would become infected causing the disease of that time.  This would then be passed down through the ages.

http://www.uic.edu/classes/osci/osci590/6_2Mummies%20Mummies%20and%20Disease%20in%20Egypt.htm. Accessed in 7/4/15.

Flag of Egypt 2015

horizontally striped red-white-black national flag with a central coat of arms in the form of a gold eagle. The flag has a width-to-length ratio of 2 to 3.

Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "flag of Egypt", accessed July 04, 2015,http://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Egypt.

Topography

This is a topographical map of Egypt showing the changes in geography throughout the country.