Egyptian Civilization - Government - Pharaohs
Egyptian Civilization - Government - Pharaohs
Egyptian Civilization - Government - Pharaohs
BACK TO EXHIBITIONS
Pharaohs
The word "pharaoh" comes from the Bible. It was first used by
Joseph and Moses in the "Second Book of Kings" (ch.17).
Although we use this word without distinction, it is an
anachronism when used to refer to the Egyptian kings prior to
the eighteenth dynasty.
The pharaohs began ruling Egypt in 3000 B.C., when Upper and
Lower Egypt were united. During the Old Kingdom (2575-2134
B.C.), they considered themselves to be living gods who ruled
with absolute power. They built pyramids as testimony of their
greatness but left no official records of their achievements.
In the fourth century B.C., a high priest and scribe of the sacred
shrines of Egypt named Manetho compiled the first
comprehensive list of the pharaohs. He grouped their reigns into
dynastic divisions that to a large degree are still considered
accurate today. The dynasties are grouped into several periods,
starting with the Early Period (3000-2575 B.C.) and ending with
the Graeco-Roman Period (332 B.C.- A.D. 395). The first
dynasty began with the legendary King Menes (who is believed
to have been King Narmer), and the last one ended in 343 B.C.
when Egypt fell to the Persians. Nectanebo II was the last
Egyptian-born pharaoh to rule the country.
Not all the pharaohs were men, nor were they all Egyptian.
Before the Graeco-Roman Period, at least three women
ascended the throne, the most important being Queen
Hatshepsut. Over several periods, Egypt was dominated by
foreign powers that appointed a king from their own ranks.
Exactly how successive pharaohs were chosen is not entirely
clear. Sometimes a son of the pharaoh, or a powerful vizier
(head priest) or feudal lord assumed the leadership, or an
entirely new line of pharaohs arose following the collapse of the
former monarchy.