Long before the birth of Christ, a great nation arose on the banks of the Nile. For 3,000 years, Egypt stood at the forefront of human achievement, blending creativity and mysticism in a culture the likes of which had never been seen. And for all that time, the fate of the nation rested in the hands of its storied rulers: the pharaohs. The Great Pharaohs of Egypt uses expert interviews, computer re-creation, extensive location footage, and the latest archeological and scientific evidence to tell the story of these ancient kings. The Great Pharaohs of Egypt would be useful for classes on Ancient History, Egyptian History, Western Civilization, World Culture, Religion, and Anthropology. It is appropriate for middle school and high school.

Part 3

By 1353 B. C., Egypt again enjoyed remarkable stability, wealth and prosperity that mirrored the best of times of the Old Kingdom. But the ascension of the Pharaoh Akhenaten plunged the ancient empire into a new crisis. History branded Akhenaten as a heretic because of his radical but ultimately doomed attempts to transform Egypt's religion. He is also remarkable for the way he shared power with his legendary queen, Nefertiti.

• augment
• bureaucracy
• circumscribed
• epitome
• excavation
• grandiose
• heretic
• idols
• monotheism
• onerous
• pantheon
• perpetuate
• prerogative
• primordial
• unorthodox
• wield

1. Akhenaten was considered a heretic. What is a heretic? How can someone be a heretic for their beliefs in one culture, and not in another?

2. Why was Akhenaten considered to be a heretic?

3. Akhenaten's reign was different from the reign of any other pharaoh. What made his reign so unique? How did the people of Egypt, and history, react to his unusual reign?

4. Nefertiti, one of the most famous queens of Egypt, was the wife of Akhenaten. One of the characteristics of their reign is the role played by Nefertiti. How was her position as queen different from other Egyptian queens?

5. Akhenaten, unlike other pharaohs, insisted that his statues and drawings depict him realistically. These artifacts reveal that Akhenaten was a rather strange-looking man. Why has his strange appearance puzzled and fascinated historians and archeologists?

6. Prior to the discovery of his tomb in 1922, Tutankamun's reign was invisible. Why was Tutankamun "erased" from history by the ancient Egyptians?

7. How has modern forensic science suggested that Tutankamun may have been murdered?

8. How has the discovery of Tutankamun's tomb added to our knowledge of ancient Egyptian life and culture?

1. Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Write an editorial for your paper about Akhenaten's attempts to change the religion of Egypt.

2. A sarcophagus is an outer box encasing a mummy that is supposed to resemble the deceased. Choose any person in history who interests you, and design a sarcophagus for him/her. How would you ensure that the sarcophagus resembles that person? Would it be a strictly physical likeness, or would you try to convey that person's qualities as well?

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Air Dates

• January 07, 2004
• August 30, 2004