The History of Ancient Egypt
The History of Ancient Egypt
Seasons
July 20, 2023
This last lecture crowns the course by briefly summarizing 3,000 years of Egyptian history; outlining Egypt's legacy to us; surveying images of Egypt in film and literature; and listing ways you can pursue your interest in this remarkable civilization. Your learning needn't stop here!
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 48 Now
July 20, 2023
Although Cleopatra is one of the most famous women who ever lived, she remains an enigma - we don't even know her mother's name. History is written by the victors, and Cleopatra lost.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 47 Now
July 20, 2023
For a Ptolemy, dodging assassination by one's own kin was often the hardest part of ruling. Learn how Cleopatra's father managed this task, and trace the course of Egypt's growing - and ultimately fatal - interaction with the rising power of Rome.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 46 Now
July 20, 2023
The Ptolemies had a fascination with mummies, especially animal mummies. We will take an in-depth look at the practice of animal mummification, which became a major industry during the Ptolemaic period.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 45 Now
July 20, 2023
With few exceptions, the members of this dysfunctional dynasty were violent, debauched, and generally neglectful of the country they ruled. The Egyptians hated them and frequently rebelled, forcing some to flee for their lives.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 44 Now
July 20, 2023
The Greek kings known as the Ptolemies ran Egypt like a business. Taxes were heavy; government was oppressive.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 43 Now
July 20, 2023
Alexander the Great began 300 years of Greek control of Egypt. We will trace his extraordinary career as a young general, as pharaoh, and as legendary conqueror.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 42 Now
July 20, 2023
Four very brief dynasties ruled in succession. When the last native-born ruler, Nectanebo II, was forced to flee into Nubia, Egypt's glory was over.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 41 Now
July 20, 2023
The Greek traveler Herodotus gives three different reasons Persia invaded Egypt. How do his accounts compare with Egyptian records?
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 40 Now
July 20, 2023
Egypt fell under and then escaped Assyrian control only to face a new menace in the form of Babylon. As if they knew it was the last gasp, the pharaohs of Dynasty XXVI looked back to the Old Kingdom for inspiration.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 39 Now
July 20, 2023
Nubians had been permitted to grow independent, with their leaders taking the title of pharaoh. They were also devoted to Amun, so in a sense, Egypt was their spiritual home.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 38 Now
July 20, 2023
Libyans ruled from the Delta city of Bubastis for 200 years and fought to restore Egypt's greatness. During this time, Egypt became involved with the biblical kingdoms of Judah and Israel.
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July 20, 2023
Egypt's long slide continued as rival dynasties ruled from Thebes and the Delta. Egyptian history had become "a tale of two cities.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 36 Now
July 20, 2023
Magic was a central concern of the ancient Egyptians. What were its basic elements and practices?
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 35 Now
July 20, 2023
After Ramses III's brief attempt to restore Egypt's stability, the downward slide continued. Who were the mysterious Sea Peoples?
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 34 Now
July 20, 2023
Short reigns and a lack of major building projects betray the beginnings of Egypt's long slide from greatness.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 33 Now
July 20, 2023
The Book of Exodus, so fundamental to the history of the Jewish people, is the section of the Old Testament most closely tied to Egypt. What light can Egyptology shed on the biblical account?
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 32 Now
July 20, 2023
There is a bit of a mystery about Ramses's reign. Its last 40 years were rather sedentary. In considering what might have happened, you will see how a pharaoh with the resources of Ramses prepared himself and his family for the next world.
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July 20, 2023
Ramses the Great ruled for 67 years and was considered one of Egypt's greatest pharaohs. The pillars of his reputation were classic: warfare and building.
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July 20, 2023
After three childless pharaohs in a row, Egypt desperately needed stability. Thus, the first pharaoh of Dynasty XIX may have been selected not for his ability, but because of his heirs!
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 29 Now
July 20, 2023
Here you'll learn how Professor Brier mummified a human cadaver in the ancient Egyptian manner to determine how the Egyptian embalmers did it. The purpose of the project was not to make a mummy, but to gain knowledge of the instruments, substances, and surgical procedures used during the process.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 28 Now
July 20, 2023
The primary source for figuring out how the Egyptians mummified their dead is the mummies themselves. What distinguishes mummies from the Old Kingdom, the New Kingdom, and the Late Period, respectively?
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July 20, 2023
Mummification was a trade secret. The Egyptians left no records of how they did it. Detective work is needed, and fortunately, there are four papyri that offer some clues.
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July 20, 2023
The physicians of Egypt were famous throughout the ancient world. Probe the justification for this fame by examining medical papyri.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 24 Now
July 20, 2023
Was Tutankhamen the victim of foul play? Do his mummified remains hold clues? Who might have wanted him dead, and why? Sift the physical and circumstantial evidence for this intriguing hypothesis and form your own conclusion.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 23 Now
July 20, 2023
Unearthed by Howard Carter in 1922, the burial place of this young son of Akhenaten is the only royal tomb to have been found substantially intact. Follow the careful research and planning that led up to Carter's discovery, and learn the significance of the thousands of artifacts found.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 22 Now
July 20, 2023
The most enigmatic and controversial pharaoh in Egypt's history, Akhenaten rocked the pillars of Egyptian society. He may have been the first monotheist and the first "individual" in history.
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July 20, 2023
Witness this glorious dynasty continue through two superior pharaohs and then one great one, Amenhotep III, "The Sun King.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 20 Now
July 20, 2023
For 22 years, Tuthmosis III was second fiddle to his aunt Hatshepsut, who ruled as a king although she was a woman. When she died and he ruled by himself, he became one of the greatest military pharaohs Egypt had ever known.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 19 Now
July 20, 2023
Obelisks are a purely Egyptian invention. Quarrying, transporting, and erecting one is perhaps an even greater engineering feat than the building of a pyramid.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 18 Now
July 20, 2023
One of the greatest individuals in Egyptian history, Hatshepsut appears in no official Egyptian record. When she died, she was "King of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 17 Now
July 20, 2023
Practices we think of as defining ancient Egypt - including the use of a standing army to exact foreign tribute and the burial of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings - have their origins in this seminal period. We will also take a detailed look at what warfare was like in the ancient world.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 16 Now
July 20, 2023
The Bible describes a lengthy sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt. We examine the Joseph story in the Book of Genesis to see what light Egyptology might shed on its authenticity.
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July 20, 2023
Ancient Egypt is the only civilization in history to have been eclipsed twice and bounced back to prominence on both occasions. Dynasties XIII through XVII saw the Middle Kingdom's decline, the advent of foreign rule, and finally, the expulsion of the Hyksos by a heroic prince of Thebes and his two sons at the end of Dynasty XVII.
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July 20, 2023
The seven kings of Dynasty XII built pyramids, fostered great literature (often for political purposes), and consolidated power once again in the center.
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July 20, 2023
The Middle Kingdom is the story of Egypt's resurrection. Dynasty XI is the dynasty of reunification, slowly bringing Egypt back to unity and greatness.
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July 20, 2023
After centuries of power, pyramids, and prosperity, Egypt totally collapsed. Why? A look at this period also shows the methods that Egyptologists use to reconstruct history where the resources are scant.
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July 20, 2023
After the fantastic achievements of Dynasty IV, something - no one knows what - changed. Pharaohs stopped building pyramids and seem to have adopted sun worship.
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July 20, 2023
From leveling the foundation to setting the capstone, here are - as best as we can make out - the "nuts and bolts" of the Egyptians' most literally "monumental" feat: pyramid building. This lecture also discusses the 144-foot solar boat that was found in 1954, buried near the Great Pyramid.
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July 20, 2023
This lecture will present a portrait of the founder of the "Fabulous Fourth" Dynasty, Sneferu. Using trial and error, he figured out how to build a true pyramid.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 8 Now
July 20, 2023
As Egypt becomes a great nation led by a single all-powerful ruler, traditions arise that will last for millennia: a capital city, separate burial places (and eventually mighty pyramids) for the kings, solar boats for the trip to the next world, and more.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 7 Now
July 20, 2023
How did Egypt become history's first nation? Once King Narmer unified Upper and Lower Egypt, it took only a few hundred years to build a power that would dominate the Near East for millennia.
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 6 Now
July 20, 2023
The Rosetta Stone is a large granite stela, carved under Ptolemy V and unearthed by French troops in 1799. With inscriptions of the same text in Greek and Egyptian, it provided the key to deciphering the ancient Egyptian language.
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July 20, 2023
Why does modern Egyptology begin with Napoleon? How was Egypt studied before he and his army arrived with 150 scientists in tow in 1798?
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July 20, 2023
What distinguishes mythology, religion, and philosophy from one another? What role did each play in the lives of the ancient Egyptians?
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July 20, 2023
In this lesson, we will see just how old "old" is. The basic divisions of prehistory will be discussed, and each category will be defined and its specific characteristics delineated.
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July 20, 2023
What makes ancient Egypt so interesting? How do we know what we know about it? What can you, as a student, expect from these episodes?
Watch The History of Ancient Egypt Season 1 Episode 1 Now
The History of Ancient Egypt is a series categorized as a new series. Spanning 1 seasons with a total of 47 episodes, the show debuted on 2023. The series has earned no reviews from both critics and viewers.
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How can I watch The History of Ancient Egypt online? The History of Ancient Egypt is available on The Great Courses with seasons and full episodes. You can also watch The History of Ancient Egypt on demand at Prime, Apple TV Channels, The Roku Channel, Prime Video online.
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