Egypt Vocabulary
Showing deep respect
What is Reverence?
Body actions that had multiple uses for Egyptian magic/religion (name all of them)
Spitting, blowing, licking, swallowing
The first known system of writing developed in Mesopotamia.
Cuneiform
The Nile River’s flooding was more __________ compared to Mesopotamia’s.
Predictable
What concept represented truth, balance, and cosmic order in Egyptian religion and politics?
Ma’at
Something that shines softly, like glow-in-the-dark paint?
What is Luminescent?
example of an image or intermediary used in ritual and its relevance.
Description: The wedjat eye was worn on the body or placed in tombs.
Relevance: It acted as an intermediary image of divine protection, channeling the mythic healing of Horus’s eye into the wearer or the deceased.
This can be something else, there's more than one answer
Name one Mesopotamian invention besides writing
astrology, 12 month calendar, the wheel, sexagesimal system
What geographic feature protected Egypt from invasions to the west?
The Sahara
How did differences in geography influence the worldview of Egyptians vs. Mesopotamians?
Egypt’s stable, predictable geography fostered optimism and trust in divine order, while Mesopotamia’s harsh, unpredictable environment led to a more pessimistic, volatile view of gods and life.
Two words that may describe coffin
What are sarcophagus and resplendent
What ways does Ritner suggest Egyptian medicine challenges our modern definitions?
It shows that “magic” and “medicine” were not opposites but parts of the same system.
How does Mesopotamian religion reflect their view of nature?
Gods were seen as unpredictable and harsh, mirroring floods and natural disasters.
In what ways did geography directly shape ancient worldviews and religious beliefs?
Egypt’s stability → optimistic gods/order; Mesopotamia’s unpredictability → harsh gods/chaotic view; Indus Valley’s cyclical monsoons → cyclical spiritual beliefs.
How did geographic isolation affect Egypt compared to Mesopotamia?
Egypt’s deserts and cataracts protected it from frequent invasions, while Mesopotamia’s openness left it vulnerable.
You’re an archaeologist and you find a tiny carved remnant of an ancient statue called
The way Egyptians see the combination of words + objects in rituals?
As activating and amplifying power, making the magic more effective.
Why were ziggurats often built at the center of city-states? ( 3 reasons)
religious centers for offers, social centers for trade and mediation, to show power to other city-states
Why was the Nile Delta considered Egypt’s “breadbasket”?
Its fertile soil produced abundant crops that fed the population.
Pharaohs claimed divine authority as the “sons” of which god?
Ra the sun god
Difference between deciphering and enshrining?
breaking down hidden meaning (like decoding emojis/texts). Enshrine = preserving something sacred (like a constitution or law).
Name 4 objects used in ritual besides papyrus.
Figurines, amulets, knives, plants, minerals, ink, magical water
Independent with its own king, government army, patron god and goddess
The Fertile Crescent stretched across which modern-day regions?
Parts of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.
In what way did Egypt’s geography encourage cultural continuity over thousands of years?
The consistent, life-giving Nile cycle created traditions and beliefs that stayed stable across dynasties.