Religion Was an Essential for the Ancient Egyptians - Assignment Example

The Egyptian history was written by priest Manetho, in the 1st Century. He classified the Pharaohs into 30 Dynasties. The Pharaonic Period is divided into five periods, which include the Early, Middle, New, and Late Kingdoms, the three Intermediate Periods, and the Persian Period (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1). These periods are significant in Egyptian history because they represent a break in Pharaonic History via the decay or invasion of intermediate periods (the central power). The mentioning of Dynasties gives readers a bigger picture of the events that occurred, during specific periods, in Pharaonic History, which is believed to be more than 3000 years old (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1).

Question # 3
One of the most common features of Egyptian religious belief is the idea of life after death. They believed that their dead bodies had to be preserved, in the tombs, to provide a place for their spirits to reside in after life. The preservation of bodies is known as mummification. According to the Ancient Egyptians, cremating bodies was a sign of destroying an individual’s soul. They believed that souls had to interact with bodies, even after death. Preservation of bodies was enhanced by Egypt’s geographical location and climate (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1). Dry air and sand preserved bodies that were laid in shallow pits. In Pharaonic History, over 70 million mummies have been prepared in the past 3000 years (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1). Pharaohs, who were both political leaders and gods, were buried in large pyramids, in the Old Kingdom.

Question # 4
The Ancient Egyptians used the Rosetta stone to enhance the development of modern understanding of hieroglyphic writing (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1). This stone is believed to have been created during the Ptolemaic era stele, in the 196BC. Its surface is covered with scribbled texts, which are translated into three languages: one in classical Greek and two in Egyptian language scripts (Demotic and Hieroglyphic) (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1). This text is a decree from Ptolemy V, indicating the various instructions and taxes required to set up statues, in the temples (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1). Nobody was capable of reading and translating this text until a few centuries ago when language experts realized that the writings on the stone had the same message. They then compared the writing with Greek writing and discovered how to translate the ancient symbols (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1).

Question # 5
While visiting the museum, I found Sokari Douglas Camp’s sculptures so compelling. These sculptures present two traditionally dressed African women armed with AK-47 rifles. These women apparently symbolize Nigerian Youths, who wear violent accessories such as bazookas, chine guns, and rounds of ammunition, in their attempt to take control of oil fields (Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium 1). These sculptures are protesting the negative effects of oil economies, on the local communities. The oil-rich Niger Delta region has been characterized by a series of conflicts and violence since the 1970s, and people who are adversely affected are women and children. The women try to reach out for each other’s hands, which never meet. This is a symbol of the failure to make concrete agreements, in the oil fields. Read More