The nation of Egypt, which arose in the midst of the North African desert, depended on the flooding of the Nile for its agricultural success. That is why the Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt “the gift of the [Nile] river” (Histories 2.5). The country was divided into two parts, Lower Egypt in the north and Upper Egypt in the south. The Nile flows from the higher ground in the south to the lower ground in the north (the Delta), where it branches out into the Mediterranean Sea.

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The extreme longevity of Egypt’s ancient history makes its study a daunting task. In Aegyptiaca, the priest Manetho (third century B.C.) divided nearly three thousands years of pharaohs into thirty dynasties; a few more were added after his time. Scholars have separated Egyptian history into various periods: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. Each of these is respectively followed by an Intermediate Period, and the whole history is concluded by the Late Period. The power of the pharaohs and the prominence of polytheism are evident from the pyramids, the tombs, and the temples that dot the country’s landscape.