ABSTRACT
The focus in this chapter will be Ancient Egypt. After describing Predynastic Egypt, the rise of the pharaonic age is presented. Major Egyptian deities are profiled and the building of the earliest pyramids and theories regarding their purpose are reviewed. The lives of the pyramid builders are also discussed in the chapter. The chapter then focuses on the Egyptian death stages, from the embalming process to entombment. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is described, and its importance in the process is highlighted. The importance of the environment, how religion reflects culture, and religion as a method of social control will be important themes included in the chapter.
