The Comparison of Modern and Ancient Egypt
What are the differences and similarities of Modern and Ancient Egypt?
Egypt is famous today for the great monuments which celebrated the triumphs of its rulers and honored the gods of the land. Egyptian culture is often misunderstood as having been obsessed with death but, if it had been, it is unlikely it would have made the significant impression it did on other ancient cultures such as Greece and Rome. The Egyptian culture was, in fact, life affirming, as the scholar Salima Ikram writes:
Judging by the numbers of tombs and mummies that the ancient Egyptians left behind, one can be forgiven for thinking that they were obsessed by death. However, this is not so. The Egyptians were obsessed by life and its continuation rather than by a morbid fascination with death. The tombs, mortuary temples and mummies that they produced were a celebration of life and a means of continuing it for eternity…For the Egyptians, as for other cultures, death was part of the journey of life, with death marking a transition or transformation after which life continued in another form, the spiritual rather than the corporeal. (Lloyd, James. "Ancient Egyptian Culture." Ancient History Encyclopedia. James Lloyd, 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2016.)
This passion for life inspired in the ancient Egyptians a great love for their land as it was thought that there could be no better place on earth in which to enjoy their existence. While the lower classes in Egypt, as elsewhere, survived on much less than the rich, they still seem to have appreciated life in the same way as the wealthier citizens. This is demonstrated in the concept of gratitude and the ritual known as The Five Gifts of Hathor in which the poor labourers were encouraged to regard the fingers of their left hand (the hand they reached with daily to harvest field crops) and to consider the five things they were most grateful for in their lives. Ingratitude was considered a `gateway sin’ as it led to all other types of negative thinking and bad behaviour. Once one felt ungrateful, it was observed, one then was apt to indulge oneself further in bad behaviour. The Cult of Hathor was very popular in Egypt, among all classes, and epitomizes the prime importance of gratitude in Egyptian culture.
The Old Kingdom
Based on Egyptian legend, in the beginning the Egyptians' land was comprised of many populated areas were governed by tribal “chieftains.” Early during the first Dynastic Period, Upper and Lower Egypt were united by King Menes around 3100 B.C.E. Menes wore a “Double Crown” to signify the White Crown of Upper Egypt and the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. The Nile brought Upper and Lower Egypt together physically and Menes brought them together politically.
The Old Kingdom lasted from 2686 to 2181 B.C.E, which included the third through sixth dynasties. The capital of the Old Kingdom was located in Memphis. With the Old Kingdom came prosperity and glory as shown through the massive creation of the greatest and largest pyramids in Egyptian history.
During this time, the Egyptian kings were referred to as gods. Despite the infinite amount of power Egyptian kings possessed, it was their job to uphold fundamental order and harmony. The kings were supposed to rule based on principles such as truth, justice, order and harmony.
In daily life, the Egyptians seem little different from other ancient cultures. Like the people of Mesopotamia, India,China, and Greece, they lived, mostly, in modest homes, raised families, and enjoyed their leisure time. A significant difference between Egyptian culture and that of other lands, however, was that the Egyptians believed the land was Personally tied to their personal salvation and they had a deep fear of dying beyond the borders of Egypt. Those who served their country in the army, or those who travelled for their living, made provision for their bodies to be returned to Egypt should they be killed. It was thought that the fertile, dark earth of the Nile River Delta was the only area sanctified by the gods for the rebirth of the soul in the afterlife and to be buried anywhere else was to be condemned to nonexistence.
Further, within the confines of the country people did not travel far from their places of birth and most, except for times of war, famine or other upheaval, lived their lives and died in the same locale. As it was believed that one’s afterlife would be a continuation of one’s present (only better in that there was no sickness, disappointment or, of course, death), the place in which one spends one’s life would constitute one’s eternal landscape. The yard and tree and stream one saw every day outside one’s window would be replicated in the afterlife exactly. This being so, Egyptians were encouraged to rejoice in and deeply appreciate their immediate surroundings and to live gratefully within their means. The concept of Ma’at (harmony) governed Egyptian culture and, whether of upper or lower class, Egyptians endeavoured to live in peace with their surroundings and with each other.
Among the lower classes, homes were built of mud bricks baked in the sun. The more affluent a citizen, the thicker the home; wealthier people had homes constructed of a double layer, or more, of brick while poorer people’s houses were only one brick wide. Wood was scarce and was only used for doorways and window sills (again, in wealthier homes) and the roof was considered another room in the house where gatherings were routinely held as the interior of the homes were often dimly lighted. Clothing was simple linen, un-dyed, with the men wearing a knee-length skirt (or loincloth) and the women in light, ankle-length dresses or robes which concealed or exposed their breasts depending on the fashion at a particular time.
Marriages were not arranged among the lower classes and there seems to have been no formal marriage ceremony. A man would carry gifts to the house of his intended bride and, if the gifts were accepted, she would take up residence with him. The average age of a bride was 13 and that of a groom 18-21. A contract would be drawn up portioning a man’s assets to his wife and children and this allotment could not be rescinded except on grounds of adultery. Egyptian women could own land, homes, run businesses, and manage over temples and could even be pharaohs.
The New Kingdom
The class structure in Egypt was extremely stiff. Everyone knew where they stood in society and most accepted their position. At the top was the pharaoh, an almost god like figure who stayed distant from his people. Underneath him were Egypt's social elite, the nobles, who effectively governed Egypt for the pharaoh.
Lower down were the educated professional classes, such as scribes, accountants and doctors. Beneath them were the workers and craftsmen, like soldiers and builders. At the very bottom were the slaves and servants, as well as farmers who worked on land owned by the pharaoh and the social elite.
Before the New Kingdom era, your status was decided by that of your father and ancestors. Movement between social classes was almost impossible. But as the empire grew, Egypt needed more educated men to run it properly. There was a massive increase in the professional, educated classes and this enabled bright young Egyptians to move up the social ladder.
The empire provided new opportunities for many. The need to conquer and then control new countries put new responsibilities onto the army. Professional soldiers became more respected and better paid.
The vast amounts of money pouring into Egypt also led to a huge increase in the number of temples, which gave priests much more power. This money was also used to build magnificent new tombs and temples.
Although the empire did bring some social change, much stayed the same. Peasants and servants remained at the bottom of the heap. And although women were highly respected and enjoyed many legal rights, they were still largely confined to the home, tending to children and housework. Egypt was changing, but it wasn't changing that much.
Modern Egypt
About 90 percent of the Egyptian population are Sunni Muslims, 8 percent are Coptic Christians and the remaining 2 percent are Jewish or of other Christian denominations. About 99% of all Egyptians live along the Nile and the Suez Canal. The rest of the countries people live in the deserts or mountains east and west of the Nile. Most Egyptians consider themselves Arab or Nubian(do to the fact, egypt has been invaded by numerous parties like Romans, Persians, and etc.). The Lifestyle of Egyptians basicly the same as most countries: city life and country life(although more than half the population is country).
Arabic is the official language of Egypt. Classical Arabic is the written language. It is used for conducting official business. Informal Arabic is the spoken language of the street. Both forms are used by the media, for business transactions, and in schools. Colloquial Arabic is widely used on television, which is very popular, and in the film industry. It is also used in songs and folk literature and popular poetry.
The Coptic language developed from ancient Egyptian. It was spoken in Egypt until the 1100's but is now used only in ceremonies of the Coptic Church. Nubian is spoken by the Egyptians who live south of Aswan. Beja is the language of the nomads who live along the Egyptian-Sudanese border east of the Nile. Berber is spoken by the people of Siwa, an oasis of the Libyan Desert.
The Nile Valley is one of the most intensively cultivated and productive farming regions in the world. Agriculture contributes less than 20 percent to GDP(Gross domestic product). But it employs about 30 percent of Egypt's workers. Cotton is the major export crop. Egypt is also an important producer of rice, wheat, corn, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Livestock raising includes cattle, water buffalo, sheep, and goats.Historically, Egyptian farmers depended on the yearly flooding of the Nile Valley. This provided water for their crops. The Aswan High Dam and its reservoir, High Dam Lake (formerly Lake Nasser), provide a more regular source of water for irrigation. But at the same time, Egypt is losing agricultural land to its growing cities and to the sands of the desert. Egypt depends on imports for much of the food needed to feed its growing population.
Egypt is a developing country with a number of economical problems. For example, Egypt must import much of its food supply to feed its growing population. At the same time, its petroleum exports have been reduced because of increased demand within the country. Thus, Egypt face a foreign debt, as the cost of its income from exports.
Intro
Era
