لخّصلي

Ancient Egyptian civilization, born in the Nile Valley, was the first nation in history, unified under a single king, the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh's government protected the land, enforced laws, and maintained internal peace, fostering national pride and unity among the Egyptians. They believed their king was a living god, possessing magic control over the land and its prosperity, leading to the construction of pyramids as eternal dwelling places for the Pharaohs. This immense investment in tombs, however, eventually contributed to the decline of the Egyptian economy and civilization.

Ancient Egyptian civilization rose in the Nile Valley. As in Sumer, the need for an irrigation system first led farmers to join together and cooperate. But the bonding together of men developed much further in Egypt. Sumer remained a land of small city states whereas the people of Egypt became united under the rule of a single king. This made of Egypt the first nation in history. The Pharaoh's government did many important things. It protected the land and its inhabitants by organising defences to keep out the raiding war-bands which sometimes attacked the country from the desert. The preserving of internal peace was another of the Pharaoh's tasks. The people of a nation can only live together if the rulers make sure that the laws are obeyed. Many of the laws of the Egyptians were traditional, that is to say, they had grown up gradually, over the centuries.
But the Pharaoh could make new lavws, and did so, whenever he thought it necessary. In countless ways, then, the Egyptians derived great benefits from their system of national government. But this was only one reason why they stayed a united people throughout ancient times. Another reason was their national pride and strong sense of belonging together. The EgyptiansAncient Egyptian civilization rose in the Nile Valley. As in Sumer, the need for an irrigation system first led farmers to join together and cooperate. But the bonding together of men developed much further in Egypt. Sumer remained a land of small city states whereas the people of Egypt became united under the rule of a single king. This made of Egypt the first nation in history. The Pharaoh's government did many important things. It protected the land and its inhabitants by organising defences to keep out the raiding war-bands which sometimes attacked the country from the desert. The preserving of internal peace was another of the Pharaoh's tasks. The people of a nation can only live together if the rulers make sure that the laws are obeyed. Many of the laws of the Egyptians were traditional, that is to say, they had grown up gradually, over the centuries.
But the Pharaoh could make new lavws, and did so, whenever he thought it necessary. In countless ways, then, the Egyptians derived great benefits from their system of national government. But this was only one reason why they stayed a united people throughout ancient times. Another reason was their national pride and strong sense of belonging together. The Egyptians felt that they were privileged to have been born in Egypt. All other lands, they thought, were cold and dark, and the people who lived in them more akin to animals than to human beings. ($3) It was the Ancient Egyptians' feelings and beliefs about the Pharaoh that provided the strongest unifying force of all.
In Sumer, the king of each city was thought to be the chief servant of the city's god. The Egyptian idea of kingship went further than this. They thought that their king was himsel a living god, a divine ruler who had magic control over the weather and the Nile, and who alone brought safety.
prosperity and happiness to the nation. The Pharaoh was revered to such a degree that his people dared not mention him by name. They only spoke of the palace in which he lived. That is why they called him Pharaoh, which means *great house'. When we realize how much the Pharaoh meant to the Egyptians, it is easier to understand how the pyramids came to be built. Since he was a god, he could not be allowed to die.
It was believed that his spirit would survive only if his body were preserved, together with everything that was needed for its future well-being. The pyramids, therefore, were designed as eternal dwelling places for the god-kings from where the- dead Pharaohs would continue their magic work for their beloved land'. The effort and resources needed to build pyramids were So great that from the 25 th century B.C onwards, they had perforce to become smaller and smaller. The later Pharaohs were buried, not in pyramids, but in rock tombs. Yet the contents of the tombs remained as extravagant as before.
When Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 it proved to contain the most incredible burial treasure ever found. With all this treasure going into the ground instead of being invested, it was no surprise that eventually the Pharaohs proved to bc the major cause behind the decline and fall of ancient Egyptian ceconomy, and therefore of its civilization.