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1 The term pharaoh was not originally used by the Egyptians to describe their kings. In fact it was the Ancient Greeks and Hebrews in the Old Testament Bible who first used this term. It was coined based on the Egyptian word for Great House, Per-aa. It wasn t until about 1450 B.C. that Egyptians called their leaders pharaohs in the kingdom of Kemet (the Egyptian word for Egypt). According to Egyptian legend, some of Egypt s early kings were also famous gods. This may cause confusion when studying Egyptian history, but nonetheless, the king was considered a god or the child of one. By most accounts, he (or she, in a few cases) was believed to be the human form of the god Horus, the falcon. The Egyptian god-kings were very powerful! Each served as head of the government, leader of the armies, and chief priest of the kingdom. The pharaoh had a great deal of responsibility for the well-being of his people. He had to keep order and protect the kingdom and, perhaps most importantly, please the gods so they would cause the Nile River to flood at the right time and bless Egypt with a rich harvest. Failure at this task could greatly weaken the pharaoh and even bring about the fall of his dynasty. After the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt were unified, the Egyptian monarchy lasted for over three thousand years. Though some changes occurred, rule remained basically the same. Power was usually passed to the oldest son, often proclaimed during the father's lifetime. This practice has also confused scholars, because in some cases a new king might begin to rule after his father s death, while in others he began when the father was still alive. Since the Egyptian dating system was based on years of the king's rule, it is easy to understand the confusion. Which definition of the word coin BEST FITS its use in the first paragraph? A. any form of metal money C. a cornerstone in building B. to devise something new D. to make pieces of money Which conclusion could be drawn about Egyptian pharaohs based on the reading? A. Egyptians never had kings until the Greeks named them. B. Most pharaohs were actually children of the god Horus. C. Egyptians respected and worshipped the pharaohs as gods. D. The kingdom of Egypt fell because the Nile didn t flood. According to the passage, studying Ancient Egypt can be difficult because A. the Egyptian kings were so powerful. B. Greeks and Hebrews wrote their history. C. they kept time very differently than we do. D. no records were kept about Ancient Egypt. 22 InspirEd Educators, Inc.

2 ( B.C.) I am King Menes, the first pharaoh of Egypt and founder of the 1 st Dynasty. I am said to be the one who united Upper and Lower Egypt to form one kingdom. I also founded the beautiful city of Memphis. I selected its location on an island in the Nile because it was easy to defend. I lived to the age of sixty-three. The cause of my death remains a mystery but stories say I was attacked by wild dogs and a crocodile, or possibly a hippopotamus. ( B.C.) I am Khufu, also called Cheops of the 4 th Dynasty, known for my ability to organize workers to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. Construction of the 481- foot structure and the complex and tombs around it required an enormous number of workers. I built this giant monument to follow my father, King Sneferu, who began many years of pyramid building. An interesting fact about my pyramid is that the spot I chose was on fairly low ground, so while mine is the largest of the pyramids in Giza, it does not appear to be the tallest. ( B.C.) I am Khafre, younger son of King Khufu. My achievements, like those of my father, are mainly in construction. I am best known for building the pyramid called Khafre the Great next to my father s with the Great Sphinx with my face and the body of a lion guarding my pyramid. Though it is ten feet shorter than my father s, my pyramid is built on higher ground, so it appears larger. I had a great love of statues as well and had many built. Though not all have survived time and robbers, I included over one hundred in my pyramid complex. ( B.C.) I am Mentuhotep II, the first ruler of the Middle Kingdom period. I am important to the history of my beloved Kemet because I reunited the land after a time of confusion that is usually referred to as the First Intermediate Period. In fact, some call me the second King Menes for this reason. The army was a major focus of my attention, as one might expect. Great strength was needed to regain and maintain control of my kingdom. When all was stable, I ordered my troops to continue fighting to gain new lands in the south from Nubia. Like most pharaohs, I built temples and tombs, the most famous of which is in Thebes. 24 InspirEd Educators, Inc.

3 ( B.C.) I am Ahmose, founder of the 18 th Dynasty and first ruler of the period known as the New Kingdom. I was only a boy of ten when I took the throne and, though I did little in my early years as king, later I was able to help Egypt in many ways. I drove out the Hyksos with whom my land had been at war with for some time. Then I turned my attention to the south, and ordered my armies to extend our lands to the 2 nd cataract. I also wanted to take control of Palestine and so I gained territory as far east as the Euphrates River (in the country you now call Iraq). Like many other pharaohs, I too was a builder and am best-known for several projects at Abydos in Upper Egypt. ( B.C.) I am Hatshepsut, and though I am not the only female pharaoh, I am the most famous one. I inherited the throne from my father but, to do so, I had to marry my younger brother and serve as his regent. We ruled together for a time before I declared myself pharaoh. I did this by telling my countrymen that I was the wife of the god Amun. It was even told by the oracles that the Wife of Amun should rule Kemet, and so I took the throne wearing the headdress of a pharaoh and then behaved as a male king in many ways. As any pharaoh, I ordered temples and tombs to be built. However, when my brother Thutmose III seized the throne away from me, he had most of them destroyed. ( B.C.) I am Thutmose III, known in the history of my country as a great general and statesman. While I admit being rather harsh to my sister, in most other situations, I showed great calm and fair-mindedness. When I took the throne, I immediately faced invasions by armies from the east, so I quickly organized my armies and launched an attack. In all, I led sixteen campaigns in Palestine and Syria to the east, and Nubia to the south. I can say with pride that I always treated those I conquered with a fair hand. My military success brought a period of peace. I then turned my attention to other works, such as building projects at Karnak, including a number of obelisks. InspirEd Educators, Inc. 25

4 ( B.C.) I, Akhenaton, lived at a very important time in the history of Kemet. When I took the throne as a teenager, the empire was very wealthy and powerful. However, I made many changes during my reign. Certainly, the most notable was my effort to change the religion of Kemet. Rather than praying to many gods, I wanted my people to worship only the sun god. Since not all supported me, I removed power from the various temple priests and gave all power to the pharaoh. I also brought great beauty to the land. My lovely wife, Nefertiri, was the model for many beautiful works of art. ( B.C.) I am Amenhotep III. Some call my rule a high point in Kemet s history. The kingdom I inherited was large, stretching from the Euphrates River to Nubia, so I devoted much time and skill to keeping peace in the vast empire. I did this through meetings with local leaders and marriages. I wanted my people to feel their importance and took pains to keep them informed of events in the empire such as my trips, marriages, and building projects, which of course were many. My temple, the largest ever built, was marked by two colossal statues of Memnon and had canals built to connect it to the other great temples at Luxor and Karnak. I also sponsored many marvelous festivals for the people to enjoy. ( B.C.) I, Ramses II, ruled the land of Kemet for 67 years. I am known as both a skilled soldier and builder. I led armies as far east as Libya, and south to Nubia. I won many victories including ones in southern Canaan and Galilee, which many know from the Old Testament Bible. It was written that I enslaved the Israelites, yet I can tell you that I do not remember doing so and no records were kept in Kemet of such slaves. Despite my military success my greatest achievements, I would say, were my construction projects. My love of architecture led me to build more monuments than any other pharaoh. My favorite and best known are the two Abu Simbel temples, built into a sandstone cliff in Nubia. 26 InspirEd Educators, Inc.

5 DIRECTIONS: Considering all the rulers you have learned about in this lesson, decide which you think BEST FITS each description below. Then write a short paragraph explaining each selection, including at least two facts to support your choices. MOST INTERESTING MOST IMPORTANT TO EGYPT MOST LASTING IMPACT InspirEd Educators, Inc. 27