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Pyramids
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Below is one of our free research papers on Pyramids. If the term paper below is not exactly what you're looking for, you can search our essay database for other topics.
Pyramids
The Egyptians believed that their kings were gods. Even after they had died, the rulers continued to affect daily life through their supernatural powers. In his new life in the underworld, the king would need everything he needed while alive, and he needed his home to last for eternity. While alive, Egyptian kings lived in palace of mud-brick, wore linen roves, and slept in wooden beds. In their gentle climate, more substantial comforts were not needed. But eternity last a whole lot longer than life. So the tombs of the kings needed to be durable and well-supplied. The tombs also needed to protect the body and its supplies and gifts from thieves. They also were the focus of the Egyptian religion and so needed to be extremely visible. The massive stone pyramid met all these criteria. However, there was still the problem of supplying the king with essentials. Since entombing a never-ending supply of food and servants was not very practical, the Egyptians decided on the principal of "substitution by means of a representation." Since the dead king now existed in spirit, rather than physical form, he was not bound by physical limitations. A picture or word could feed him as well as a real slab of meat. Servants did not have to be killed and laid around his tomb; statues could take their place. Because the king was a god to his people, they needed to be able to come and worship him. But if his body were accessible to the whole nation, the king and his tr...
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