Ancient Egypt (pt. 5)

The pyramids were built to protect the bodies of the pharaohs.  They contained a burial chamber and then numerous false tunnels, false doors, and even a false burial chamber to throw off grave robbers.  Several light shafts, lining up with star positions in the sky, were also made.  Now, all of this had to do with the very strict and superstitious religious system of the Ancient Egyptians; they believed this life was not nearly as important as the next life; that when you died, your soul (called the "Ba") would leave your body, but after a while, both the Ba and Ka (your soul and "essence") would return to live in your body in the afterlife.  For this reason, the Ancient Egyptians believed that the body had to be kept perfectly intact after death.  So, they created an elaborate process of embalming to preserve the bodies of the pharaohs (among other people buried with them): mummification.  Here's how it works:

First the internal organs are taken out and mummified individually.  Because Egyptians believed the soul came from the heart, the brain was not necessary for the afterlife.  It was removed through the nose.  These organs are then put into Canopic jars to accompany the body.  The jars (naturally) were decorated and even carved to resemble the figures of some of the different gods.  The baboon-headed Hapy guarded the lungs; the human-headed Imsety, the liver; the jackal-headed Duamutef, the stomach and upper intestines; the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef, the lower intestines; …and so on.  These jars were believed to be necessary for the soul's rebirth ('cause you need organs, and that's just how it is).  An opening of the mouth ceremony is performed on the mummy so that the Ka had a place to enter the body.  (The pharaoh's body would provide a home for the Ka in the afterlife).  Then the body is anointed with oil and wrapped in strip bandages.  It is placed in a Sarcophagus (a stone coffin) and then all sealed up.  The stone coffins were often carved in the deceased's likeness—in case the body was damaged, the Ka would have somewhere else to live.

Treasures and other provisions (including food and water) were buried with the mummy for it to have in the afterlife.  Honey (a natural preservative) that was found in Ancient Egyptian burial sites was still good.  In addition to being buried with inanimate provisions, the pharaohs were frequently buried with their wives, servants, slaves, and even pets.  It was not uncommon that the pharaoh's wife was either put to death or else buried alive with her husband—and the same with the royal servants and attendants.  They had to be kept in the burial chamber for the soul's reawakening, to accompany the pharaoh in the afterlife.  Eventually, shabtis, or ushebtis, took their place as the Egyptians came to believe that an image could represent the object.  Ushebtis were small figurines to represent the pharaoh's wife, slaves, etc., and they could accompany the mummy in the tomb, rather than the real people.  This explains why there are so many images carved and painted on the walls of tombs.  Yes, that's right: the Ancient Egyptians believed that inanimate objects would could come to life and serve the pharaoh in the tomb.

Ancient Egypt (pt. 4)

Before pyramids, Ancient Egyptian tombs were small mounds made of mud-brick, called Mastabas, which were then stacked on top of each other to form stepped pyramids, resembling the basic structure of a Sumerian ziggurat.

The kind of Ancient Egyptian pyramids with which we are most familiar were built on stable square bases and covered with polished, white limestone.  The three greatest pyramids are those of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.  The largest pyramid of them all, built for the pharaoh Khufu, covers thirteen acres, and the five largest cathedrals in the world could fit inside it.

…And the great Sphinx was built in Khafre's likeness (the head—not the lion body).

Ancient Egypt (pt. 3)

At around 1,630B.C., Egypt was overrun by a population of Asiatic people called the Hyksos, who had been settled in northern Egypt for some time.  The Hyksos easily conquered the grand empire with horses and chariots as well as a handful of other advanced weapons and military techniques.  For over a hundred years the Hyksos ruled Egypt until the Egyptians caught on to the new inventions, made their own chariots, and took back their land, in addition to some neighboring areas in c. 1,570B.C., marking the beginning of the New Kingdom.

It was Amenhotep III who helped Egypt rise to its peak.  Thebes became the capital of Ancient Egypt and was said to be the most magnificent city in the whole world.  This illustrious empire lasted until 332B.C., when Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered the land, and in 30B.C., Egypt became a Roman province.

That is an overview of the history; now for a better look into the art, architecture, and culture…

Ancient Egypt (pt. 2)

            Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions: Upper and Lower Egypt.

Notice something unusual about the names of the regions?  …Yeah, that's not because the Ancient Egyptian cartographers were having an opposites day.  The Nile River—which, as you know, was the center of pretty much all provisions for the Ancient Egyptian culture—flows northward, making the southernmost end of the Nile upriver; hence, the Upper Egyptian region is south on a map.

For 3,000 years a pharaoh ruled over Egypt.  During that time, the nation saw three kingdoms: the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms.  These were divided into dynasties, or a period during which a single family provided a succession of rulers.  And these dynasties were so mindful of keeping the family bloodline "pure" that royalty could not marry outside of the immediate family.  (That's right: incest).

The first pharaoh of a long line of 31 dynasties that ruled both Upper and Lower Egypt was Menes.  The Palette of Narmer (Menes) depicts the pharaoh defeating his enemies.  Yet again we see hierarchic scaling being used to show the pharaoh's absolute authority and importance.

The Old Kingdom crumbled after 500 years when the country was split up into states.  The Middle Kingdom takes place around 2,050 to 1,800B.C.—a 250-year period of law, order, and prosperity.  During this time the nobility in Thebes gained control and unified both Upper and Lower regions of the country.

Ancient Egypt (pt. 1)

            Somewhere around 5,000B.C., prehistoric hunters settled in the fertile valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  These people changed from food gatherers to food producers; instead of having to hunt for their food, they raised their own animals.  Instead of using caves for shelter, these people made more permanent residences of mud, bricks, or reeds; and as settlements became permanent, they also became more populated.  Villages became towns which then took over other neighboring villages and became cities that eventually formed into kingdoms.  Welcome to Ancient Egypt.

Ancient Middle Eastern art (pt. 3)

The Neo-Babylonian Empire followed the Assyrians in the seventh century B.C. in modern-day Iraq and Syria.  The most famous art to come out of this time period is the Ishtar Gate, a gargantuan wall of blue glazed bricks, decorated with murals of animals.  Ishtar was the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of love and fertility.  The word Easter is actually a derivative of the name for this pagan deity (hence Christian pastors pushing the agenda of a name change to Resurrection Sunday).

The Persian Empire follows the Neo-Babylonian, c. 539-331B.C. in modern-day Iran, and led by such kings as Darius and Xerxes (familiar names to Old Testament readers).  Again, many relief carvings and architecture displaying the king's authority.  No wonder Israel complained for a king; all other cultures at that time were deifying kings in their art.

Ancient Middle Eastern art (pt. 2)

Circa 900-800B.C. we have the Assyrian empire, the art of which also frequently employed hierarchic scaling to assert political or spiritual authority in their culture.  Triumphant battle scenes and overly-romanticized representations of military victories could be considered the first propaganda stunts in art history.  If one word could summarize the idea which the Assyrians were relating through their artwork—the one concept being promoted and glorified by all the massive brick and stone carvings, and the one characteristic these people were priding themselves on having attained much of already and were seeking constantly to grow in—the word is: predominance.

A common symbol of the Assyrian empire is the guardian deity, the lamassu, which was a being with the body of a bull, the wings of an eagle, and the head of a human.

Such a mythic creature still makes frequent appearances in pop culture today.  In the Disney movie Aladdin, we see an enormous gold lamassu in the Cave in the Wonders.

In Star Wars, Lama Su is the prime minister of the planet Kamino.

…And so on.