Lesson 10: Sections Introduction, One, and Two

Introduction: (Part 1) 

Each year, when the Nile River flooded its banks, all of Egypt celebrated the Opet Festival. Work in the fields stopped while people at all levels of Egyptian society joined in a great festival honoring the pharaoh and his patron, the god Amon-Re (AH-muhn-RAY).

Almost everyone in Egyptian society participated in the Opet Festival. Priests decorated the god's statue with jewelry. They put the statue in a shrine and placed it on a ceremonial boat called a barque. The beautifully decorated boat was made by artisans, or craftspeople. High-ranking government officials competed for the honor of carrying the barque on poles through town. Members at the lower levels of society, such as farmers, lined the streets to watch the procession. Scribes made a written record of the celebration.

Introduction: (Part 2)

The Opet Festival brought all these groups together. But in everyday life, they belonged to very different social classes. These classes made up a social pyramid, with the pharaoh at the top and peasants at the bottom. In between were government officials, priests, scribes, and artisans. The daily lives of the Egyptian people were distinct for each class.
In this lesson, you will learn about the various classes that made up the social pyramid in Egypt's New Kingdom (about 1600 to 1100 B.C.E.). Then you'll explore how social rank determined advantages and disadvantages, work responsibilities, and the quality of daily life for the members in each class. Though it took place long ago, there are a number of similarities between modern society and Egypt.

Section 1: Ancient Egypt's Social Pyramid (Part 1)

Egypt's society was structured like a pyramid and was based on an Egyptian principle called ma'at, which stressed the importance of truth, order, and balance. At the very top of this social pyramid was the pharaoh, Egypt's supreme ruler. Egyptian religion strengthened the pharaoh's authority. Because pharaohs were believed to be gods, their word was law.

Next in importance were several layers of social classes. The classes near the top of the pyramid had fewer people and enjoyed higher status, while those nearer the bottom had greater numbers of people but lower status.

Section 1: Ancient Egypt's Social Pyramid (Part 2)

Egypt's Social Classes Below the pharaoh were the next two highest classes in the social pyramid—government officials and priests. They were the most powerful groups in Egypt.

Government officials carried out the orders of the pharaoh. Most officials came from noble families. They were powerful and wealthy, and they enjoyed a high quality of life.

Priests were also a powerful group because religion touched every part of people's daily lives. Priests were responsible for the temples and religious rituals, as well as the elaborate ceremonies surrounding death and burial. The power of women in the priesthood shrank over time, but women were always important in the everyday religious activities of regular people.

Section 1: Ancient Egypt's Social Pyramid (Part 3)

Next on the social pyramid were scribes. Scribes held a respected position in society because they recorded information for government and religious leaders. It took many years of schooling to become a scribe.

Artisans occupied the next layer of the social pyramid. This group included craftspeople like carpenters, metalworkers, painters, sculptors, and stone carvers. Artisans were highly skilled but had low social status.

At the bottom of the social pyramid were the peasants, the largest social class. Peasants worked the land, providing the Egyptians with a steady food supply. When not farming, peasants worked on the pharaoh's massive building projects. They also made music, drank beer, gave small offerings to the gods, and kept household shrines.

Section 2: Government Officials (Part 1)

Government officials belonged to the highest class on Egypt's social pyramid, after the pharaoh. Their job was to assist the pharaoh in his or her role as supreme ruler of Egypt.

Government officials were often members of the pharaoh's family or other upper-class families. Most of them inherited their positions from family members. However, trusted servants from the royal court sometimes rose to power.

Section 2: Government Officials (Part 3)

Lives of Luxury High government officials led lives of luxury. Most were nobles who had a lot of wealth, comfortable homes, and plenty of time to socialize. The lavish banquets enjoyed by these wealthy Egyptians illustrated their lifestyle. Hosts took pride in these meals. Cooks might roast duck, goose, pigeon, quail, antelope, sheep, and goat. Dishes were piled high with special delicacies that might include figs, dates, grapes, and coconuts. A variety of breads, cakes, and honey completed the feast.

Guests at banquets dressed in fine linen clothing. Both men and women wore perfume, and women often wore ropes of beads as jewelry, painted their nails, lined their eyes with makeup, and used lipstick.

At the start of a banquet, it was customary for guests to offer the host lengthy blessings, such as wealth, great happiness, a long life, and good health. The host often responded simply with "Welcome, welcome," or "Bread and beer," as a way of saying, "Come and eat!"

The feast began with men and women taking their seats on opposite sides of the room. Important guests were given chairs with high backs, while everyone else sat on stools or cushions. Servants, mostly women, waited on the guests. There were no utensils, so people ate with their fingers.

While the guests enjoyed their meals, musicians, dancers, and acrobats provided entertainment. Musicians, usually women, played flutes, harps, rattles, and lutes (guitarlike instruments). Guests often clapped along with the music, making these banquets very loud and joyous occasions.