Today’s Agenda

• Ch. 2/3 Guided Reading• http//guardians.net/egypt/kids/index.htm#features• http://www.leicestermuseums.ac.uk/discoveryzone/

egypt_explorer/mask.htm• http://www.akrondesign.com/foundation/images/items/

Pharaohmask.jpg• http://www.touregypt.net• http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/05/12/

mummy-mask.html• www.papiermache.co.uk/i/gallery/items/

13_egyptian_m.jpg

Main Idea

Two Empires along the Nile, Egypt and Nubia, forged commercial, cultural, and political connections.

Why It Matters NowNeighboring civilizations today participate in cultural exchange as well as conflict.

Terms & Names

1. Thebes 8. Tribute

2. Ahmose 9. Incense

3. Hatshepsut

4. Thutmose III

5. Akhenaton

6. Tutankhamen

7. Ramses II

The Middle Kingdom

• About 2300 BC, the pharaohs lost control of Egypt as nobles battled one another for power.

• Almost 200 years of confusion followed.

• Finally, a new dynasty of pharaohs came to power and moved their capital to the city of Thebes.

• They restored order and stability during this period known as the Middle Kingdom.

Golden Age

• The Middle Kingdom lasted from about 2050 to 1670 BC.

• During this time, Egyptians enjoyed a golden age of stability, prosperity, and achievement.

The Drive for More Land

• During the Middle Kingdom, Egypt took control of new lands.

• Soldiers captured Nubia to the south and attacked what is now Syria.

• The conquered peoples sent tribute, or forced payments, to the Egyptian pharaoh, enriching the kingdom.

Infrastructure

• Egyptian pharaohs added more waterways and dams.

• They increased the amount of land being farmed and built a canal between the Nile River and the Red Sea.

The Arts Blossom• During the Middle Kingdom, arts,

literature, and architecture thrived.• Painters covered the walls of tombs and

temples with colorful scenes of the deities and daily life.

• Sculptors created large wall carvings and statues of the pharaohs, showing them as ordinary people rather than godlike figures.

• Poets wrote love songs and tributes to the pharaohs.

Valley of the Kings

• A new form of architecture was also created.

• Instead of building pyramids, pharaohs had their tombs cut into cliffs west of the Nile River.

• This area became known as the Valley of the Kings.

The Valley of the Kings

• Like the rulers of the Old Kingdom, who built the towering pyramids, rulers of the New Kingdom erected grand buildings.

• In search of security in the afterlife—and protection form grave robbers—they hid their splendid tombs beneath desert cliffs.

• They chose a remote site near the city of Thebes called the Valley of the Kings.

The Valley of the Kings

The Hyksos

• The Middle Kingdom came to an end in 1670 BC.

• Nobles were again plotting to take power from the pharaohs.

• Egypt also faced a serious threat from outside.

• A people known as the Hyksos, from western Asia, attacked Asia.

Weapons Advantage

• The Hyksos were mighty warriors.

• They crossed the desert in horse-drawn chariots and used weapons made of bronze and iron.

• Egyptians had always fought on foot with copper and stone weapons which were no match for the invaders.

Hyksos

Ahmose

• The Hyksos ruled Egypt for about 150 years until around 1550 BC.

• An Egyptian prince named Ahmose led an uprising that drove the Hyksos out of Egypt.

The Hyksos• The Hyksos ruled

Egypt from about 1640-1550 BC.

• The Hyksos invasion shook the Egyptians’ confidence in the desert barriers that had protected their kingdom.

Hebrews Migrate to Egypt

• During the Hyksos rule, some historians believe that another Asiatic group, the Hebrews, settled in Egypt.

• According to the Bible, Abraham and his family first crossed the Euphrates River and came to Canaan around 1800 BC.

• Then around 1650 BC, the descendants of Abraham moved again—this time to Egypt.

Hebrews in Egypt

• Some historians believe that the Hyksos encouraged the Hebrews to settle there because the two groups were racially similar.

• The Egyptians resented the presence of the Hyksos in their land but were power-less to remove them.

The Fall of the Hyksos

• The next Pharaoh, Kamose, won a great victory over the hated Hyksos. His successor drove the Hyksos completely out of Egypt and pursued them across the Sinai Peninsula into Palestine.

• According to some biblical scholars, the Hebrews remained in Egypt and were enslaved and forced into hard labor. They would not leave Egypt until sometime between 1500-1200 BC.

Hatshepsut’s Prosperous Rule• Among the rulers of the New Kingdom,

Hatshepsut, who declared herself pharaoh around 1480 BC, was unique.

• She took over because her nephew, the male heir to the throne, was a child at the time.

• Unlike other New Kingdom rulers, Hatshepsut spent most of her time encouraging trade rather than just waging war.

Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut

• The trading expedition Hatshepsut ordered to the Land of Punt, near present-day Somalia, was particularly successful.

• Hatshepsut sent a fleet of five ships down the Red Sea to Punt in search of Myrrh, frankincense, and fragrant ointments used for religious ceremonies and in cosmetics.

• The fleet also brought back gold, ivory, and unusual plants and animal skins.

Expedition to Punt

Hatshepsut’s Reign

• Hatshepsut was an excellent ruler of out-standing achievement who made Egypt more prosperous.

• Some of this wealth was used to build monuments.

• She planned a tomb for herself in the Valley of the Kings.

• Carved reliefs on the walls of the temple reveal the glories of her reign.

Hatshepsut’s Temple

Thutmose the Empire Builder• Hatshepsut’s nephew, Thutmose III,

proved to be a much more warlike ruler.• In his eagerness to ascend to the throne,

Thutmose III may have murdered Hatshepsut.

• He led a number of victorious invasions into Palestine and Syria.

• His armies also pushed farther south into Nubia. Egypt had traded with Nubia and influenced the region since the time of the Middle Kingdom.

Egyptian Empire

• Thutmose’s empire grew rich from trade and tribute.

• Conquered peoples were forced to send gold, copper, ivory, and other valuables along with enslaved people.

• These captives were put to work rebuilding Thebes.

• They filled the city with beautiful palaces, temples, and monuments.

Slavery

• Slavery had not been widespread in Egypt before.

• During the New Kingdom it became more common.

• Enslaved people did have the right to own property, marry, and eventually be granted their freedom.

Amenhotep IV

• About 1370 BC, Amenhotep IV came to the throne.

• With the help of his wife, Nefertiti, Amenhotep tried to lead Egypt in a new direction.

• He realized that Egypt’s priests were gaining power at the expense of the pharaohs.

Religious Reform

• In an attempt to maintain his own power, Amenhotep introduced a new religion that swept away the old gods and goddesses.

• Instead, only one god, called Aton, was to be worshipped.

• When Egypt’s priests resisted these changes, Amenhotep removed many from their positions, seized their lands, and closed temples.

Akhenaton

• He changed his name to Akhenaton, which means “Spirit of Aton.”

• Akhenaton also moved the capital.

• To most Egyptians, Akhenaton’s attacks on the gods seemed to be an attack on Egypt.

• They refused to accept Aton as the only god.

Rebel King

• Akhenaton became so devoted to his new religion that he neglected his duties as pharaoh.

• The administrators he appointed were not as experienced as the priests they replaced, and Akhenaton took no action when enemies from what is now Turkey, the Hittites, attacked Egypt.

The Boy King

• When Akhenaton died, his son-in-law inherited the throne.

• The new pharaoh, Tutankhamen, was a boy about 10 years old.

• He relied on palace officials and priests, who convinced him to restore the old religion.

• After ruling for only 9 years, Tutankhamen died unexpectedly.

King Tut’s Legacy

• Whether he was murdered or suffered from a fall is not clear.

• King Tut played only a small role in Egypt’s history.

• He is one of the best known pharaohs in Egypt’s history because his tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.

• The tomb contained the king’s mummy and incredible treasures.

The End of the New Kingdom• During the 1200’s BC, pharaohs worked to

make Egypt great again.

• The most effective of these pharaohs was Ramses II.

• He reigned for 66 years, from 1279 to 1213 BC.

• During this time, Egyptian armies regained lands in western Asia and rebuilt the empire.

The Age of Builders

• The pharaohs of this period built royal tombs, great palaces, and magnificent temples.

• The Royal title pharaoh means “great house” and comes from this time period.

• Ramses II stood out among the great builders of the New Kingdom.

• Many new temples were built by enslaved prisoners of war.

Temples

• Egyptian temples did not hold regular services.

• Most Egyptians prayed at home and considered temples to be houses for the gods and goddesses.

• Priests and priestesses performed daily temple rituals, washing statues of the deities and bringing them food.

Luxor Karnak

• The temples also served as banks.

• Egyptians used them to store valuable items, such as gold jewelry, sweet-smelling oils, and finely woven cloth.

Karnak and Luxor

• At Karnak, he added to a monumental temple to Amon-Re, Egypt’s chief god.

• Ramses also ordered a temple to be carved into the red sandstone cliffs above the Nile River at Abu Simbel.

• He had these temples decorated with enormous statues of himself. The ears of these statues alone measured more that three feet.

Abu Simbel

The New Kingdom

The Egyptians and the Hittites

• The Egyptians’ conquest of parts of Syria and Palestine around 1400 BC, brought them into conflict with the Hittites.

• The Hittites had moved into Asia Minor around 1900 BC, and later expanded south into Palestine.

• After several smaller battles, the Egyptians and Hittites clashed at Kadesh around 1285 BC.

The Battle of Kadesh

• The pharaoh, Ramses II, and a Hittite king later made a treaty that promised “peace and brotherhood between us forever.”

• Their alliance lasted for the rest of the century.

The Empire Declines

• The empire that Thutmose III had built and Ramses II had ruled slowly came apart after 1200 BC as other strong civilizations rose to challenge Egypt’s power.

• Shortly after Ramses died, the entire eastern Mediterranean suffered a wave of invasions.

Invasion By Sea

• Both the Egyptian empire and the Hittite kingdom were attacked by invaders called the “Sea Peoples” in Egyptian texts.

• These invaders may have included the Philistines, who are often mentioned in the Bible. Whom ever they were, they caused great destruction.

Invasion By Land

• The Egyptians faced other attacks. In the east, the tribes of Palestine often rebelled against their Egyptian overlords.

• In the west, the vast desert no longer served as a barrier against Libyan raids on Egyptian villages.

Egypt’s Empire Fades

• After these invasions, Egypt never recovered its previous power.

• The Egyptian empire broke apart into regional units, and numerous small kingdoms arose. Each was eager to protect its independence.

• Almost powerless, Egypt soon fell to its neighbors’ invasions.

Libyan Invasion

• Libyans crossed the desert to the Nile Delta. There they established independent dynasties.

• From around 950 to 730 BC, Libyan pharaohs ruled Egypt and erected cities. But instead of imposing their own culture, the Libyans adopted the Egyptian way of life.

• When the Nubians came north to seize power, they too adopted Egyptian culture.

The Kushites Conquer Egypt• For centuries Egypt dominated Nubia and the

Nubian kingdom of Kush, which lasted for about a thousand years, between 2000 and 1000 BC.

• During this time, Egyptian armies raided and even occupied Kush for a brief period. But as Egypt fell into decline during the Hyksos period, Kush began to emerge as a regional power.

• Nubia now established its own Kushite dynasty on the throne of Egypt.

Kingdom of Kush

The People of Nubia

• Nubia lay south of Egypt between the first cataract of the Nile, an area of churning rapids, and the division of the river into the Blue Nile and the White Nile.

• Despite several cataracts around which boats had to carried, the Nile provided the best north-south trade route.

• Several Nubian kingdoms, including Kush, served as a trade corridor.

The People of Nubia

• The Nubian kingdoms linked Egypt and the Mediterranean world to the interior of Africa and to the Red Sea.

• Goods and ideas flowed back and forth along the river for centuries.

• The first Nubian kingdom, Kerma, arose shortly after 2000 BC.

The Interaction of Egypt and Nubia

• With Egypt’s revival during the New Kingdom, pharaohs forced Egyptian rule on Kush.

• Egyptian governors, priests, soldiers, and artists strongly influenced the Nubians.

• Kush’s capital, Napata, became the center for the spread of Egyptian culture to Kush’s other African trading partners.

Kushite Education

• Kushite princes went to Egypt. They learned the Egyptian language and worshipped Egyptian gods. They adopted the customs and clothing styles of the Egyptian upper class.

• When they returned home, the Kushite nobles brought back royal rituals and hierogylphic writing.

Egypt’s Decline

• With Egypt’s decline, beginning about 1200 BC, Kush regained its independence.

• The Kushites viewed themselves as more suitable guardians of Egyptian values than the Libyans. They sought to guard these values by conquering Egypt and ousting its Libyan rulers.

Piankhi Captures the Egypt

• In 751 BC, A Kushite king named Piankhi overthrew the Libyan dynasty that had ruled Egypt for over 200 years.

• He united the entire Nile River Valley from the delta in the north to Napata in the south.

• Piankhi and his descendants became Egypt’s 25th Dynasty. After his victory, Piankhi erected a monument in his homeland of Kush with an inscription that celebrated his victory.

The Assyrians

• Piankhi’s dynasty was short-lived. In 671 BC, the Assyrians, a war-like people from southwest Asia, conquered Egypt.

• The Kushites fought bravely, but they were forced to retreat south along the Nile.

• There the Kushites would experience a golden age, despite their loss of Egypt.

The Golden Age of Meroë

• After their defeat by the Assyrians, the Kushite royal family eventually moved south to Meroë.

• Meroë lay closer lay closer to the Red Sea than Napta did, and so became active in the flourishing trade among Africa, Arabia, and India.

Ruins of Meroë

The Wealth of Kush

• Kush used the natural resources around Meroë and thrived for several hundred years.

• Unlike the Egyptian cities along the Nile, Meroë enjoyed significant rainfall. And, unlike Egypt, Meroë boasted a major center for the manufacturing of iron weapons and tools.

The Decline of Meroë

• After four centuries of prosperity, from about 250 BC, to 150 AD, Meroë began to decline.

• Aksum contributed to Meroë’s fall. With a seaport on the Red Sea, Aksum came to dominate North African trade.

• Aksum defeated Meroë around 350 AD.

Aksum