Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rabelais" data-source="post: 1831399" data-attributes="member: 2969">In additionYes, Egypt was a theocracy, but more to the point the Pharaoh was himself a god.  If you really want to add some spice, give your Pharaohs divine ranks.The concept of the divinity of the Egyptian rulers began early in the development of the Old Kingdom.  The rulers Scorpion and Narmer, approximately 3050-3000B.C.E,  were depicted in inscriptions as larger than those around them, suggesting that they were gods among men.  Myths supported the divinity of the “Good King” and his responsibility for maintaining order.  Osiris had been the rightful ruler of Egypt, his wicked brother Seth slew him, and dismembered his body.  His son Horus, sought revenge against Seth for the murder of his father.  Horus defeated Seth, and became the rightful king.  “Thus every king of Egypt was the earthly embodiment of Horus.  He overcame Seth (evil, disorder, and chaos) and preserved ma’at. (Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture William H. Stiebing jr. p. 116)”The concept of Ma’at is the justification for political stability in Egypt. Ma’at represents the cardinal virtues of stable rulership, truth, order, balance, harmony, wisdom and justice  (Stiebing, p114).  The king ruled through this concept, and in counterbalance, the concept is maintained through him in return. The divine kings (Nisut Bity, or “King of Upper and Lower Egypt”) were the personification of Ma’at and in that capacity maintained a sort of “common law” approach to their decrees.  On page 116, Stiebing states that  “He was expected to uphold ma’at. His legal decisions followed traditional concepts of personal rights, fairness and justice designed to maintain the status quo.”  The king maintained the natural order, and kept the forces of chaos at bay (Stiebing p.117).There's more, but the rest of my paper has to do with the Akkadians and the rulers of the Third Dynasty of Ur.</blockquote>

Verification