The book is called “Gift of the Nile: A journey through ancient Egypt” by Robert Stephan
Module 2 Readings & Response
One of the paradoxes of the Old Kingdom is that the most complete texts we have from this period date not to its height during the 4th dynasty (the age of the Pyramids of Giza) but rather to its waning years of the 5th and 6th dynasty, centuries later. Most Egyptologists see the 5th and 6th dynasties as a time when royal pharaonic power was declining, at compared to the previous 3rd and 4th dynasties of the Old Kingdom. In this reading response, I want you to dive into some of the Old Kingdom’s most famous texts – the Pyramid Texts . These texts are TOUGH to understand (moreso than the Greek and Roman sources from module 1). Go slowly, do your best, and remember that I’m not looking for a perfectly ‘correct’ answer here. Just one that’s well supported.
For the first part of this response, I would like you to discuss what you think the main priorities of the pharaoh were during the Old Kingdom. What were pharaohs concerned with? What did they focus on? How do we know that? For the second part of the response, I’d like you to write about what we can learn about Egyptian religion and the gods from the Pyramid Texts. Make sure to support your answers with at least 3 citations from the ancient texts.
What to Read
Spotlight on the Ancient Texts
In this module’s readings, you’ll be reading some of the Egyptian pharaohs’ oldest inscriptions…The Pyramid Texts. These are a collection of ancient Egyptian religious spells inscribed on the walls of pyramids, dating back to the 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (24th century BC). These texts were designed to protect the pharaohs in the afterlife, ensuring their safe journey to the afterworld and eternal life among the gods. They represent some of the oldest known religious writings, providing profound insights into ancient Egyptian beliefs and practices surrounding death and the afterlife.
What to Write
Prompt: For the first part of this response, I would like you to discuss what you think the main priorities of the pharaoh were during the Old Kingdom. What were pharaohs concerned with? What did they focus on? How do we know that? For the second part of the response, I’d like you to write about what we can learn about Egyptian religion and the gods from the Pyramid Texts. Make sure to support your answers with at least 3 citations from the ancient texts.
Grading Criteria
Overview: For this assignment, you will be graded on four different criteria: the quality of your response, the quantity of your response, your use of sources to support your response, and the overall formatting of your response. Let’s take a look at each of these individually. The grading rubric is then provided below.
Quality of Response. The best responses have strong and nuanced arguments. These arguments are both clear and creative, and they are well supported using your own logical reasoning and using evidence from the text. Moreover, the strongest responses convey their ideas using formal, academic prose, varied sentence structure, and powerful rhetorical strategies to persuade the reader of their argument.
Quantity of Response. The reading responses for this course are expected to be at least 300 words.
Use of Sources. You are expected to use the ancient source as evidence for your argument. In order to receive full credit, you need to cite the ancient source at least three times using in-text, parenthetical citations. You also need to provide a full bibliographic reference for the ancient source at the end of your response. Cited references to the text can either be direct quotes or paraphrases from the text. Make sure to choose your evidence thoughtfully, as you’ll be graded as much on the effectiveness of your source use as on the mere presence of sources. For in-text parenthetical citations go with this format (Ancient Author, Ancient Text Title, Page or Line #). For the end-of-response full bibliographic entry, you can check out the example below. It should go Ancient Author. Ancient Title of Text. Translated in Gift of the Nile: A Journey through Ancient Egypt, Argos Publishing, 2024.
In-Line Citation Example: (The Pyramid Texts, 217.5-10)
Bibliographic Entry Example: The Pyramid Texts. Translated in Gift of the Nile: A Journey through Ancient Egypt, Argos Publishing, 2024.
