|
Religious Traditions and Egyptian Mythology
The religion of the Ancient Egyptians consisted of festivals in the temples. Statues were constructed in the likeness of the numerous gods that the Egyptians worshipped. The King provided for the gods and cared for their images. Egyptians believed that in return, the gods lived in the images and showed their favor to the King and to the people. The gods were the center of Egyptian religion and were often depicted in art and in writing. Egyptians believed in many types of religious objects that protected the wearer. There were special objects and amulets surrounding childbirth, magical cures for illnesses, lucky and unlucky days of the calendar, love, and protection against dead relatives who would hold a grudge against the living.
Animals were also respected and worshipped. Many of the gods were depicted as having the head or likeness of certain animals. Hathor the goddess of love, birth, and death was shown to have the horns of a cow. Thoth, the god of writing, counting and wisdom, had the head of an Ibis, and Anubis, the god of mummification resembled the jackal. Many animals were mummified and buried with the mummy of the esteemed dead. They believed in life after death and that their heart would be weighed against a feather to see if they were without sin. "The Eater" would consume the soul who failed the "test". This scene is depicted on the inside of many tombs. Mythology was a large part of the ancient Egyptian religion. These myths explained things in nature that they could not. There were myths or stories for everything from why the sun rose each day to why the Nile River flooded each year.
In Egypt today, Islam is the faith of more than 80 percent of the Egyptian population. Many Muslims can be seen praying five times each day and the Koran (sacred writings) can be heard in the city streets over public address systems, on television, and on the radio especially during the holy month of Ramadan. There are various Christian sects also, but they are the minority.
Standards of Learning
8.2
The students will compare selected ancient river civilizations, including Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and Shang China, and other ancient civilizations (such as Hebrew and Phoenician kingdoms and the Persian Empire) in terms of,
- Location in time and place;
- The development of social, political, and economic patterns;
- The development of religious traditions;and
- The development of language and writing.
8.4
The students will describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of ancient Rome from about 700 B.C. to 500 A.D., in terms of its impact on Western civilization, with emphasis on
- The influence of geography on Roman economic, social, and political development;
- Roman mythology and religion;
- The social structure, significance of citizenship, and the development of democratic features in the government of the Roman Republic;
- Roman military domination of the Mediterranean basin and Western Europe and the spread of Roman culture in these areas;
- The roles of Julius and Augustus Caesar and the impact of military conquests on the army, economy, and social structure of Rome;
- And collapse of the Republic and the rise of imperial monarchs;
- The economic, social, and political impact of the Pax Romana;
- The origin, traditions, customs, beliefs, and spread of Christianity;
- The origin, traditions, customs, beliefs, and spread of Judaism;
- The development and significance of the Catholic Church in the late Roman Empire;
- Contributions in art and architecture, technology, and science, literature and history, language, religious institutions, and law; and
- The reasons for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
8.5
The student will analyze the conflict between the Muslim world and Christendom from the 7th to the 11th century A.D., in terms of its impact on Western civilization, with emphasis on
- The origin, traditions, customs, beliefs, and spread of Islam;
- Theological differences between Islam and Christianity;
- Cultural differences between Muslims and Christians;
- Religious; political, and economic competition in the Mediterranean region; and
- Historical turning points that affected the spread and influence of both religious cultures.
9.1
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the state of the world about 1000 A.D. by summarizing
- The institution of feudalism in Europe and the rise of towns and commerce;
- The location and leadership of major Western European kingdoms;
- The location and culture of the Byzantine and Muslim empires;
- The location and culture of empires in India, China, Japan, sub-Saharan Africa; and Central America;
- The role of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe; and
- The conflict between Christian and Muslim cultures.
9.6
The student will compare Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, in terms of
- Major leaders and events;
- Sacred writings;
- Traditions, customs, and beliefs;
- Monotheistic versus polytheistic views;
- Geographic distribution at different times;
- Political, social, and economic influences of each; and
- Long-standing religious conflicts and recent manifestations (e.g., Ireland; Middle East conflict, Bosnia, etc.).
10.4
The student will analyze how certain cultural characteristics can link or divide regions, in terms of language, ethnic heritage, religion, political philosophy, social and economic systems, and shared history.
Technical Skills English/Writing
1.12
The student will write to communicate ideas.
2.9
- The student will write stories, letters, and simple explanations.
- The student will write descriptive paragraphs.
- The student will write stories, letters, simple explanations, and short reports across all content areas.
- The student will write effective narratives and explanations.
- The student will use information resources to research a topic.
- The student will write for a variety of purposes to describe, to inform, to entertain, and to explain.
- The student will write narratives, descriptions, and explanations.
- The student will use writing as a tool for learning in all subjects.
- The student will develop narrative, expository, persuasive, and technical writings.
- The student will apply knowledge of resources in preparing written and oral presentations.
- The student will write in a variety of forms, including narrative, expository, and persuasive writings.
- The student will read and analyze a variety of print materials.
9.6
- The student will develop narrative, literary, expository, and technical writings to inform, explain, analyze, or entertain.
- The student will develop a variety of writings with an emphasis on exposition.
- The student will critique professional and peer writings.
- The student will use writing to interpret, analyze, and evaluate ideas.
- The student will read a variety of print material
- The student will write in a variety of forms with an emphasis on persuasion.
- The student will analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and organize information from a variety of sources into a documented paper dealing with a question, problem, or issue.
- The student will write documented research papers.
Other Links
The following are the six best and easy to use websites regarding ancient Egyptian religion and mythology! The easiest way to find valuable information on Egyptian mythology and religion is to type ancient Egyptian mythology into the search box.
|