Ancient Egypt From Belief Systems to a Civilization

Culture is the basis of any society present on our earth today and therefore of any ancient civilization we have historically come to know. Culture may simply be defined as a â€Å"way of life† but in essence, that can be disembodied into a collection of belief systems based on religion, economy, politics, family, and so on. As with construction companies, schools, or government systems, all people who choose to follow a specific philosophy of life must function as one undivided group- a society. A prime example of vast belief systems coming together as one culture could be found around 4000 years ago, during the times of the Ancient Egyptians. As historian Paul Johnson said, â€Å"In the Egypt of antiquity, State, religion and culture formed an†¦show more content†¦Everyday, under the Pharaoh’s procedure, rituals and religious festivals would be held to honor the gods in the idea of maintaining the divine order of daily life. The Egyptian’s strong beli ef in the afterlife and final judgement of the soul led them to consider every action they carried out during their human life on earth. The goal of every non-noble Egyptian was to become an akh- a spirit that is prepared for a life after death. In order to achieve this prepared stage, one must not only build a sturdy tomb and store up treasure, but must also live a truthful and moral life so when their heart is weighed at judgement, it will be balanced. An Egyptian could additionally devote his life to reciting a complicated system of prayers, spells, and other incantations to guarantee a successful trial. The god of the underworld, Osiris, was said to be the most favored god because he used to be a human king, who experienced death, and therefore made sure his followers had an eternal life. Likewise, when a deceased passed judgment, he or she became one with Osiris and was then mummified under the guidance of Anubis. Mummies led to another major staple of Egyptian society: pyramid s. The Egyptians were one of the oldest advanced civilizations and part of this is because their architectural mastery. Around 2,650 BC Imhotep built the first ever Step Pyramid for King Djoser, which has become the oldest large stone building in the world, not only influencing other culturesShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Ancient Egypt1181 Words   |  5 PagesThe first ever civilization in Africa was in Egypt along the river Nile. This civilization later spread to the other parts of Africa. The emergence of civilization in Africa provided a framework for most of developments in African history. There were different setups cultural and political aspects when civilization was emerging. The Egyptian civilization was the earliest and it was one of the catalysts in the development of civilization in other parts of Africa. 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