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Why is the reputation of Pharaonic Egypt so bad?

Looking at the media and the general public perceptions of Ancient Egyptian culture, there seems to be a lot of negative stereotypes about Pharaonic Egypt, i.e. myths about huge armies of slaves, human sacrifice, conspiracy theories, curses and the view that the Egyptians were just in some vague way "evil" or "uncivilised". However these same negative connotations are only rarely applied to other cultures in the region, either contemporaries such as the Sumerians, Mittanians, Hittites, or those who developed in the Classical age such as Greece and Rome. Further questions: Why has modern research into Egyptian culture, that has shown most of these myths to be false not been absorbed into public awareness? Is it just the Bible tales? Rome and other cultures are also attacked in the Bible, but their reputation has not been blackened in the same way as Egypt's has. Why do you think this is? Is it just because Egypt is "different"? A writing system that appears odd and incomprehensible to the general public, architecture that (unlike classical architecture, which we have copied) is different and unfamiliar? Names that are unfamiliar? Is the age, endurance or impression of power considered un-nerving or threatening? ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: What can be done to combat these stereotypes and myths? Replies so far mention the Bible as important in perpetuating these myths, but why are the ones concerning Egypt so potent and treated as "history", when those concerning other cultures such as the Babylonians and Romans are mostly regarded as essentially unimportant, or as folk-tales? @ ADAM: Yes, Adam, Egypt did conquer foreign lands that were important economically or for security against invasion, and this was in the Middle as well as New Kingdom. However, with the exception of Nubia (which adopted Egyptian customs by assimilation and integration rather than by forced conversion), Egypt did not impose it's religion or culture upon foreigners. Compare this approach with that of later Empires, including the Greeks who attempted to Hellenise many aspects of Egyptian culture and society, and now revered as the fathers of civilisation. There is no archaeological evidence of the "Exodus", nor of forced religious conversion in Egypt at all during the Pharaonic period. The Pharaoh worshipped "idols" because that was an integral part of Egyptian religion. The Greeks and Romans worshipped "idols" too. The known sculptural artists from Egypt were all free born Egyptian professionals, living at the height of the Empire, when foreigners were widely available.

Public Comments

1. My friend, what you are talking about is because of one thing. Jewish propaganda. They were slaves some 3000 years ago and they're still can't let it go.Yes there was slavery at that time, but not armies of slaves as you say it. Egypt never tried to form an empire like the romans or persians did. They were mostly agricultural society with a very religious background, hence all the myths. There are as many entertaining legends and stories about ancient Egypt as there is in ancient Greece. The only reason Greece is more famous about them is it was in Europe and that is what all what the western civilization was based on. Egypt had dark skinned rulers, you can see from the statues of rulers from upper Egypt. Now the "states of the free world" just had its first dark ruler some 5000 years after. Most wars Egypt fought were wars of liberation, independence or civil wars. Egypt has the most stunning architecture and art if you ask me. I am amazed of the sheer volume of structures, the rocks, the planning, the concept behind the buildings and everything if you study them enough you'll see they were people who believed in the after life so they feared of doing bad deeds. I don't think anyone can say that Egypt was uncivilized, in fact it was the most advanced civilization at the time. They were building pyramids to live thousands of years based on stars position while people in Europe were still climbing trees. We have proved a lot of times that the pyramids aren't built by "slaves" or aliens or whatever other people are claiming them to be. I hope you look into our civilization to discover the beauty of it not base your theory about a civilization of thousands of years on merely a couple of hundred. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On your additional thoughts, I would say I never had the impression of what you're talking about. I know that christians think badly of the roman empire because they believe that christ was crossified, and it was the jews who turned him in. And the jews think badly of Egypt because of the incident me and zoser both mentioned. Most people I meet though, all show affection of ancient Egyptian civilization and always talk to me in wonder about Egypt, happy that they met someone from their bloodline. Nice answers from zoser and wise heart.
2. I have never heard about those rumors, actually it is completely the opposite in reality, The Egyptians did not conquer To Occupy any one ,,simply because they did need that, The Egyptian was laying down in a good weather, the food was around, and he stretched his hand without the need to stand up to drink from the nile,,,that is why Egypt prospered that much , that time,,, The only event when the Egyptians slaved people when The sons of Israel came to Egypt-to its land- because they were starving in their own land,, it is logic that they had to work for their food,,, (the problem there, that the Pharaoh did not believe in Abraham God and he was punished by God for that,, and when the jews themselves gave up believing, they themselves were punished by God and were lost in the desert..) Now during The Greeco- Roman period, The Egyptians used to feed the Roman empire...and Cleopatra was much (powerful and famous than Caesar himself) There were no human sacrifices, because the Egyptians valued the souls of the others... Why do you think that reputation was propagated .. search for an ex-enemy(and still the enemy) who wanted to eat free,,without working and were slaved once by the Egyptians...they control the media..(Now..lol)..To prove my point, there was a rumor that Ham and his children were cursed by Noah, and God was/ is punishing them...(a silly story,, not the place to mention it here)... and that was used by the white man (sons of Japheth=the Europeans ) to slave the Africans,,, see how much ridiculous some humans are ,, and how much you can add in the books to justify a crime...(What is envy- greed,and black heart... what is.....? ----------edit hahaha You need to read the following to laugh out loud: The so-called Hamitic Myth was used as a justification for European colonial policy in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as the slave trade in earlier times,The Curse of Ham (also called the curse of Canaan) refers to the curse that Ham's father Noah placed upon Ham's son Canaan, after Ham "saw his father's nakedness" because of drunkenness in Noah's tent. It is related in the Book of Genesis 9:20-27. Some Biblical scholars see the "curse of Ham" story as an early Hebrew rationalization for Israel's conquest and enslavement of the Canaanites, who were presumed to descend from Canaan. The "curse of Ham" had been used by some members of Abrahamic religions to justify racism and the enslavement of people of Black African ancestry, who were believed to be descendants of Ham. In the Hebrew Bible 20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. ---Rashi, the main commentator on Torah, explains the harshness of the curse: "Some say Cham saw his father naked and either sodomized or castrated him. His thought was "Perhaps my father's drunkenness will lead to intercourse with our mother & I will have to share the inheritance of the world with another brother! I will prevent this by taking his manhood from him! When Noah awoke, & he realized what Cham had done, he said, "Because you prevented me from having a 4th son, your 4th son, Canaan, shall forever be a slave to his brothers, who showed respect to me!" See how redicouls people can put in books just for political reasons and propagate it , to justify criminal greed?? Why should anyone believes those (whatever), and the aim is very well known??? __________ @Adam : The Egyptians never occupied and settled in a foreign land,, simply because they thought the heaven after death is again in Egypt...that is it..Now for the slaves< They came to Egypt by their own well to eat, In the Quraan , God punished Egypt , because they did not believe in Him ,, not because they slaved the sons of Israel... Slavery is not even prohibited in Islam...it is encouraged to free the slaves but it was not prohibited in Islam or any other Abraham religions...The difference was that our slaves came to us to be fed,, we did not kidnap them ( I can prove what I am saying easily),, The Israeli rushed to re-worshiped Ibis when Moses lift them,, by their own well .. that was the reason that they were lost for 40years,,, (they were not that believers anyway)
3. I will not to repeat what's mentioned in the above good answers, I will just add simple words. If you live among rumors, lies and propaganda, it doesn't mean that all the world are the same. One more thing, if there is something great and most people respect it. Then someone came showed his disrespect or made a book full of lies ... here is the question; who will be the losing party .. the great thing or the pretender !! Same like someone wanted to removed a strong building by hitting his head on the building.