Pharaoh (/ˈfeɪ.roʊ/, /fɛr.oʊ/ or /fær.oʊ/) is the common title of the monarchs of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BCE) until the Macedonian conquest in 305 BCE, although the actual term "Pharaoh" was not used contemporaneously for a ruler until circa 1200 BCE. According to Egypt's imperial cult, the Pharaohs were believed to be direct descendants of the sky god Hor.
Etymology[]
The word Pharaoh evolved from the Egyptian pronoun pr ꜥꜣ, */ˌpaɾuwˈʕaʀ/ "great house", during the New Kingdom the Pharaoh becomes into a person like a king, this is confirmed in registrations of the eighteenth dynasty during the reign of Akhenaten.
Mythology[]
Curse[]
- Main article: Curse of the Pharaohs
Several stories tells us how disturbing tampering a grave does, causing a series of misfortunes to the individual, this is known as the Curse of the Pharaohs, in where the tomb of the Egyptian ruler does all kinds of bad things to him, from something simple like a disease to even the death.
Deification[]
The figure of Pharaoh becomes later apotheosized into a divine figure, due to mainly their popular status, in where it begins a new vision, being a god who had descended to the mortal world.
Abrahamic Religions[]
In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Pharaoh figure is both an enigmatic and important figure, in the story of Joseph, he was invited by the Pharaoh with the purpose to explain his dreams, hence Joseph explained his dreams to the Pharaoh, thus Joseph becomes a vizier to the new Pharaoh, meanwhile in the story of Moses had as his main enemy the Pharaoh. Both the Pharaohs that were contemporary with Joseph and Moses are their respective names are unknown.
List of notable Pharaohs[]
- Akhenaten - the founder of Atennism and venerated in the Druze faith.
- Pharaoh of Exodus - an enigmatic antagonist seen in the 3 main Abrahamic religions and identified with:
- Thutmose II - A warlord who fought against the Nubians.
- Ramses I and Ramses II - in the Bible it is mentioned a place called Ramses.
- Joseph - A Hebrew slave becomes into a Pharaoh.
- Tutankhamun - A kid Pharaoh famous by his curse.
- Cyrus the Great - A Persian king self-proclaimed as Pharaoh.
- Alexander the Great - Founder of Macedonian Empire and proclaimed Pharaoh.
- Cleopatra VII - The most famous pharaoh and the last.