Frequently Asked Questions:
Why did the Egyptians build the pyramids?
Why did the Egyptains mummify their pharaohs?
Why did the Egyptians build the pyramids?
One reason archaeologists feel the pyramids were built was for the
pharaoh's ascent to heaven. The
angles of the pyramid faced the cardinal directions (North, South, East, and
West). This was done to
aid the pharaoh's spirit to heaven. The Great Pyramid at Giza is great
example to use because at its
completion. Its angles faced N, S, E, and W and did not slant like the
earlier pyramids which ancient
Egyptians hestitated one's spirit to heaven.
Why did the Egyptains mummify their pharaohs?
Mummies
The people of ancient Egypt believed that upon death, a person�s soul split
into several parts, and
continued to live on in an afterlife. Three of the more well-known forms of
the spirit were the ba, the
akh, and the ka.
The ba was the personality. It was shown as a bird with a human head- in
particular, the head of the
person to which it belonged.
The akh was represented by a type of bird called a crested ibis. At the moment
of death, the akh left
the body and flew to the stars to spend eternity in the heavens.
The ka was the life force, like our modern definition of a soul, and it looked
exactly like its person.
The ka lived in the tomb for the rest of eternity. Personal possessions, such
as furniture, weapons,
and clothing, would be used by the ka in the afterlife, so these items were
placed in the tomb with
the mummy. Food and drink were also provided for the ka.
But the most important thing the ka needed was a body to inhabit. If the body
rotted away, there
would be no chance of an afterlife. It was therefore absolutely necessary to
preserve the body as a
mummy, since the ka still needed it. This is why the Egyptians made mummies
for thousands of
years. A mummy was the guarantee of eternal life.
