Changes

Egypt's complex, picture-based language probably hindered its growth.  The picture-based language was not as easy to use as the alphabet-based Phoenician language later adopted by the Greeks and Romans.  How would one express Christian concepts like salvation, faith, hope and redemption in hieroglyphics?  It seems impossible.

Egypt's complex, picture-based language probably hindered its growth.  The picture-based language was not as easy to use as the alphabet-based Phoenician language later adopted by the Greeks and Romans.  How would one express Christian concepts like salvation, faith, hope and redemption in hieroglyphics?  It seems impossible.

   

   

''Science'':  A magnificent city named "Alexandria" was created by Alexander the Great in Egypt in 334 B.C., and it became a cultural center for many centuries.  Eventually it grew to be second only to Rome in size and wealth, but declined over a thousand years later after Islamic conquerors established Cairo as the capital of Egypt.  Alexandria was best known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Alexandria is also known for the Library of Alexandria, which was the largest in the world at that time and reflected the cultural leadership of the city.

''Science'':  A magnificent city named "Alexandria" was created by Alexander the Great in Egypt in 334 B.C., and it became a cultural center for many centuries.  Eventually it grew to be second only to Rome in size and wealth, but declined over a thousand years later after Islamic conquerors established Cairo as the capital of Egypt.  Alexandria was best known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Alexandria is also known for the Library of Alexandria, then the largest in the world.

   

   

In A.D. 100, while Alexandria was still a great city, Ptolemy (pronounced "tah-luh-mee") was born there and was named after the long line of Egyptian kings.  He wrote magnificent works on astronomy, optics, geography, mechanics and geometry.  He is best known for his complex theory that placed planet Earth at the center of universe, since all things appeared to fall towards Earth and thus towards the center.  The Ptolemaic system was the prevailing view until Copernicus proposed the sun as the center of the solar system over 1000 years later.

In A.D. 100, while Alexandria was still a great city, Ptolemy (pronounced "tah-luh-mee") was born there and was named after the long line of Egyptian kings.  He wrote magnificent works on astronomy, optics, geography, mechanics and geometry.  He is best known for his complex theory that placed planet Earth at the center of universe, since all things appeared to fall towards Earth and thus towards the center.  The Ptolemaic system was the prevailing view until Copernicus proposed the sun as the center of the solar system over 1000 years later.

''Culture'': Egypt used slaves as most ancient cultures did.  Women in Egypt were very powerful, holding the right to own property, divorce their husbands, manage businesses and even become priestesses.  It was possible for poor people to rise to the upper class through talent and hard work.  Taxes were a burden.  The government claimed ownership of one-fifth of all produce (Genesis 47:24).  The society had some ethical principles, such as the royal advice that "more acceptable is the character of one upright of heart than the ox of the evildoer."  Feeding the poor, taking care of the disadvantaged, and avoid bribes in administering justice were respected.  The Egyptians learned to travel up and down the Nile River by using the current in one direction, and the Etesian winds to propel sailboats upstream into the other direction.  Egyptian architecture was the pyramid and colonnaded temples like the one Karnak, using a style later copied by the Greeks.  

''Culture'': Egypt used slaves as most ancient cultures did.  Women in Egypt were powerful, holding the right to own property, divorce their husbands, manage businesses and even become priestesses.  It was possible for poor people to rise to the upper class through talent and hard work.  Taxes were a burden.  The government claimed ownership of one-fifth of all produce (Genesis 47:24).  The society had some ethical principles, such as the royal advice that "more acceptable is the character of one upright of heart than the ox of the evildoer."  Feeding the poor, taking care of the disadvantaged, and avoid bribes in administering justice were respected.  Egyptians traveled the Nile River by using the currents dowstream and the Etesian winds to propel sailboats upstream.  Egyptian architecture was the pyramid and colonnaded temples like the one Karnak, using a style later copied by the Greeks.  

''Trade'' and ''Inventions'':  Egypt was not as advanced as Mesopotamia in trade and inventions.  Egypt's trade did improve during the New Kingdom and some commerce with Sumer was established then.  Egyptians invented our 365-day solar calendar, based on 12 months of about 30 days each.  But we owe our "base 60" system for our clock (60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour) to Mesopotamia.  Egyptians lacked money, and relied on primitive barter (selling a good in exchange for a different good in return).  The Egyptian Old Kingdom lacked the wheel; the pyramids were built without use of the wheel!

''Trade'' and ''Inventions'':  Egypt was not as advanced as Mesopotamia in trade and inventions.  Egypt's trade did improve during the New Kingdom and some commerce with Sumer was established then.  Egyptians invented our 365-day solar calendar, based on 12 months of about 30 days each.  But we owe our "base 60" system for our clock (60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour) to Mesopotamia.  Egyptians lacked money, and relied on primitive barter (selling a good in exchange for a different good in return).  The Egyptian Old Kingdom lacked the wheel; the pyramids were built without use of the wheel!