Ancient Egypt
How culture and religion effected human behavior
How religion effected human behavior
Religion and priests were central to everyday life in ancient Egypt. The long history of the priesthood meant that it played a crucial part in maintaining religious institutions, old traditions and the social structure. Three thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians observed the same natural phenomena but could not explain them. They could see that day followed night, that tides came and went and that crops grew or failed. But they didn't know why. This made the world confusing and frightening. So it was logical for them to use religion to explain these mysteries. The actions of the gods provided convincing explanations. The gods caused night and day, harvest and failure, light and dark, because if they didn't, what or who did?Religion helped Egyptians go about their lives without worrying too much. If they honored the right gods in the right way at the right time, all would be well.
Egyptian gods and goddesses
How culture effected human behavior
Workers had a higher status than slaves, servants and peasants, but they were not as important as educated professionals such as scribes, doctors and accountants. In fact, workers were not all the same – some were more important than others. For instance, tombs for the pharaoh and his family were built and decorated by Egypt’s best craftsmen who were carefully chosen by government officials. These craftsmen were highly skilled workers who lived with their families in the village of Deir el-Medineh, which still exists today. Their work was secret. Pharaohs and their families were buried with huge amounts of gold and other treasures, and tomb-robbing was a major problem.
The village was heavily guarded and the craftsmen themselves were watched to make sure they didn't steal anything.
The village was heavily guarded and the craftsmen themselves were watched to make sure they didn't steal anything.
Ancient Egypt - National Geographic