Egypt: Vocabulary

Akh-the part of the soul that was transferred to light in the afterlife; symbolized the spirit of the sun god

Akhet-the first season of the Egyptian calendar; the time of the flooding of the Nile

Amulet-in Egyptian religion, a charm that is worn to ward off evil or bring good luck

Ankh-an amulet that was worn by the ancient Egyptians as a symbol of life

Anubis-in Egyptian religion, the god of the dead that accompanied dead pharaohs to the after-world

Atum-in Egyptian religion, the Egyptian sun god that was the main god; also know as Re

Ba-the part of the soul that was believed to leave the body at death

Battalions-the name of the main unit of the Egyptian army from the time of the Old Kingdom up until the New Kingdom

Conscripts-men who are drafted into the army

Djed-an amulet worn by the Egyptians that symbolized strength

Divine Ennead-in Egyptian religion, the group of the main nine deities of the Egyptians that consisted of the gods Re, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys

Duat-the after-world or the kingdom of Osiris in Egyptian religion

Geb-in Egyptian religion, the god of the earth

Governor-a lower official in the Egyptian government that ruled a specific region of Egypt

Heliopolitan Origin Myth-the Egyptian myth that tells the story of how the world was created

Hemutiu-Egyptian craftsmen

Horus-the Egyptian child god

Hyskos-a group of people that invaded and ruled Egypt during the second intermediate period

Imakhu-the family and friends of the pharaoh that were appointed high offices in the government

Isis-in Egyptian religion, the protective goddess of women

Ka-in Egyptian religion, the part of the soul that was the life force or the spiritual double of the person

Khonsu-in Egyptian religion, the Egyptian moon god

Ma'at-in Egyptian religion, the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice

Mastabas-tombs built for the pharaohs during the pre-dynastic period

Master Of Largesse-an official in the Egyptian government that was in charge of the livestock

Merkhet-an instrument that was similar to an astrolabe that was used by the Egyptians to determine the positions of stars in the night sky

Mosaic Glassware-an ancient Egyptian type of glassware made by fusing together pieces of differently colored glass

Mummification-the process of preserving a body after death that was practiced by the Egyptians

Mummy-the body that would be preserved by the process of mummification

Mut-the Egyptian goddess that was the wife of Amun, the god of the Egyptian capital, Thebes

Natron-a special salt used in the process of mummification

Neolithic-pertaining to the last period of the Stone Age

Nephthys-the Egyptian goddess that protects and befriends the dead

Nile-the longest river in the world, that flows north from Lake Victoria in Uganda to the Mediterranean; Egyptian civilization grew from the Nile and it was highly important in the Egyptian economy

Nomarchs-local barons that controlled small districts in Ancient Egypt and were directly in charge of general order

Nomes-independent city states that were controlled by independent chieftains; the nomes later merged to form Upper and Lower Egypt

Nubia-an ancient North African kingdom extending form the Nile to the Red Sea

Nun-the watery chaos from which the world started in the Heliopolitan Origin Myth

Nut-in Egyptian religion, the Egyptian goddess of air

Osiris-in Egyptian religion, the Egyptian god of the afterlife that judged pharaohs in the afterlife

Peret-the second season of the Egyptian calendar that was the season of sowing

Pharaoh-the supreme ruler of ancient Egypt that was believed to be the divinely appointed representative of the gods.

Polytheism- the belief in multiple gods and goddesses

Ptah-the Egyptian god of craftsmen and also the official god of the Memphis region

Pyramids-four sided structures that served as tombs for the pharaohs; the pharaohs were mummified and then buried there along with many treasures, things they would need for the afterlife, including servants. The pyramids symbolized the sacred mountains that the sun god Re or Atum first rose out of at the creation of the world

Re-the Egyptian sun god and the main god in Egyptian religion; also known as Atum

Scimitar-the sickle sword that was invented in Ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom

Seth-in Egyptian religion, the god of evil

Shemu-the third season of the Egyptian calendar that marked harvest time

Shu-in Egyptian religion, the god of air

Sirius-a star that along with the star Orion rise just ahead of the sun at dawn on the summer solstice. The kingdom of Osiris or Duat (the afterworld) was believed to be located in this region.

Sphinx-a statue with a body of a lion and the head of a human. The Great Sphinx at Giza has the face of the pharaoh Chephren.

Tefnut-the Egyptian goddess of moisture

Tet-an amulet worn by the ancient Egyptians that was believed to protect the limbs

Theocracy-a type of government in which the church is the government. The Egyptian government was a theocracy because the pharaoh was a representative of the gods and the people worshipped him as part of their religion

Thoth-in Egyptian religion, the god of writing and the sun god's messenger

Vizier-the official that was second to the pharaoh in the Egyptian government. He was the prime minister, the head priest, and the supreme judge.

Wedjat-also known as the eye of Horus. It was put in the tomb with the mummy and was believed to heal the mummy in the afterlife