The oldest known example of Egyptian hieroglyphics can be found on several memorial palettes, which were created to eulogize and memorialize the dead. These palettes have been dated back to 3400 BCE. Historians have been able to trace the development of hieroglyphic writing from this starting date and have discovered that hieroglyphics remained in continual use until around the eleventh century CE. This lifespan of over four thousand years makes Egyptian hieroglyphics the longest-utilized language in known history.

In ancient Egyptian cosmology, Nu was the name given to the primordial, infinite ocean of creation that existed before the creation of the world. The Egyptians believed that Atum, the God of creation, had lived inside Nu for countless eons before he created the world from nothingness. The concept of “Nu” was an essential component of the Hermopolis interpretation of Egyptian theology.

Amenemhat I became ruler of Egypt, along with his wife Neferitatjenen, in 1991 BCE and ruled until he was assassinated in 1962 BCE.

Literacy was extremely uncommon in ancient Egyptian society. The only people who were educated to read and write were the wealthy sons of scribes who were themselves expected to train for and enter into government service.

The Hyksos were an asiatic people who conquered Lower Egypt (and very briefly all of Egypt) setting up the 15th Dynasty. The indigenous Egyptians viewed them as barbaric interlopers, and another dynasty was centered at Thebes and ruled Upper Egypt. It took multiple campaigns to finally unseat the Hyksos and reunify Egypt. Seqenenre Tao was the first Theban Pharaoh to attempt to drive out the Hyksos, and his son Kamose further decreased their territory. However, it was not until his successor Ahmose I, the first king of the 18th Dynasty, took the throne that the Hyksos were fully driven out of Egypt.

Thutmose III is one of the most famous rulers of Egypt during the New Kingdom. He ruled with his mother, Hatshepsut, for two decades before ruling by himself for another thirty years. He was one of the most successful military commanders in Egyptian history and established an extensive empire, stretching from Nubia in the south, all the way to Syria and Canaan in the east. He was not, however, buried at the Great Pyramids of Giza. Instead, like the other Pharaohs of the New Kingdom, he was buried in the Valley of the Kings.

One of the four varieties of Egyptian writing scripts, Coptic initially emerged during the first century CE. It quickly rose in popularity due to its inclusion of Greek letters and its display of vowels, both of which made Coptic much more user-friendly than past scripts. Although it eventually fell out of use sometime between 1100 and 1500 CE, it is still used today in Christian churches throughout Egypt (this particular faith is otherwise known as Coptic Christianity).

The Pyramid Texts (Old Kingdom), Coffin Texts (Middle Kingdom), and the Egyptian Book of the Dead (New Kingdom) were all important aspects of Egyptian funerary literature. The Egyptians believed that the afterlife was incredibly complex and dangerous, and that any individual who died with an insufficient understanding of the underworld would not be able to proceed to heaven. The Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, and the Book of the Dead were all designed to educate Egyptians about the afterlife and provide protection on their journey through the underworld.

The Satire of the Trades was written during the Middle Kingdom period. Its primary purpose was to teach scribes to venerate their own profession above all others. This is achieved by describing all the various failings and frailties of other professions in ancient Egyptian society.

The Hyksos were an asiatic people who conquered Lower Egypt (and very briefly all of Egypt) setting up the 15th Dynasty. The indigenous Egyptians viewed them as barbaric interlopers, and another dynasty was centered at Thebes and ruled Upper Egypt. It took multiple campaigns to finally unseat the Hyksos and reunify Egypt. Seqenenre Tao was the first Theban Pharaoh to attempt to drive out the Hyksos, and his son Kamose further decreased their territory. However, it was not until his successor Ahmose I, the first king of the 18th Dynasty, took the throne that the Hyksos were fully driven out of Egypt.