administrators under the control of a pharaoh who ensured the cooperation and unity of the Egyptian people in the context of an elaborate system of religious beliefs. The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that facilitated the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques, the first known ships,Egyptian faience and glass technology, new forms of literature, and the earliest known peace treaty. Egypt left a lasting legacy. Its art and architecture were widely copied, and its antiquities carried off to far corners of the world as the numerous collections in the world’s museums testify. Its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travellers and writers for centuries.
Egypt also provides the backdrop for many Biblical events. Here are just some examples: Egypt is mentioned among the world’s initial 70 nations in the Table of Nations of Genesis 10, Misrayim was listed with the sons of Ham who settled Africa. Egyptian agricultural practices are also mentioned at a relatively early stage in the Bible e.g. Deuteronomy 11:10: “The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden.” The Bible also states that the Israelites lived in “Goshen” (Gn 45:10, etc.) and “the district of Rameses” (Gn 47:11, etc.) during the Sojourn. Archaeological evidence of a Semitic presence in the eastern delta, at the time the Bible says the Israelites lived in Egypt, indicates this is the site of Goshen and Rameses As