While watching a documentary on the Pyramids of Egypt on the Discovery Channel this morning, I had to raise an eyebrow to a statement they made at the beginning: "The Pyramids were not built by slaves, the 'fact' is, contrary to popular 'myth', Egypt never had slaves, they didn't need them... they had the Nile River which provided them with enough water and resources that the communities flourished and provided them with enough free time to build the Pyramids without slaves"
Now I noticed the word "fact" being used and yet they didnt provide any information on the alleged "fact" other than Egypt has the Nile River. Does anyone know any other evidence since slavery in Egypt has very long writen histories?
2007-09-30 07:48:57 · 15 answers · asked by impossble_dream 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
First, everything on the Discovery Channel is biased. Ok there was this woman once who was claiming a mummy was Nefertiti and to anyone who isn't experienced in Egyptology would have believed that's who it was. But if you do know what's going on in Egyptology would know that the chances of that mummy being her were slim to none. I also don't enjoy watching Naked Archeology because he leans toward the biblical version of things too much without allowing anyone to dispute it.
Second, nothing about Egypt is fact. Everything is speculation built on speculation which is built on speculation. I've read several books on Egypt and it's funny every one has it's own theory and different dates that they claim are exact.
Third, they definitely had slaves. There was no country without slaves then. There is dispute as to whether the slaves built the pyramids. Popular consensus says they didn't but science is not built on popular consensus. That's the big problem with Global Warming. It's accepted by popular consensus but that's not science.
Fourth, there is no possible way the Hebrews could have built the pyramids. Abraham wasn't even born when they were built.
I doubt that the reason they didn't need slaves because of the Nile. There is always work to do and nobody wants to do it.
robin_ofthe_woods, they would not have had slaves to mix the morter because the Great Pyramids were built with stone. The mud bricks came later on.
2007-09-30 10:14:57 · answer #1 · answered by Ten Commandments 5 · 0⤊ 4⤋
The primary reason they don't think they did is that there is no evidence of it. Slavery requires restraints, cells, and so on. That isn't what the archeology has found. The Egyptians have lots of pictures around, and the labor never appears forced. Egypt tended not to be conquerers which rapidly becomes necessary in a slave driven economy like Rome.
The only evidence I have seen of slavery at all is other soldiers that were captured in battle. It just wasn't a big enterprise, but I don't think I would say not at all.
And the only long history I know of is the Exodus in the Bible. It just doesn't match the record on the other side. The best reason that it doesn't seem right is the art work on both sides doesn't show any serious contact. There is always influence both ways with tight contact.
2007-09-30 08:10:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I have never heard of that, that Egypt didn't have any slaves. Now, historical documents and archeology has shown that Egypt didn't have Hebrew slaves on the scale the Bible gives. (When they fled Egypt, it gives numbers of a million or more - some claim it's closer to 2 million - actually, Egypt's own historical writings show that many Hebrews who lived in Egypt were like "lords", owning property - as well as slaves of their own - engaging in politics, etc...). They don't believe the Pyramids were built by slaves alone, as such work would need to be done by skilled workers, not slaves taken from nomadic tribes (they wouldn't have had the knowledge for this type of task). Slaves most likely were used to mix the mortar under supervision, deliver the materials needed for the mortar, etc. And to wait on the people who were actually working. Egypt definitely had slaves - the Nile River was used to transport them - but the slaves themselves didn't build the Pyramids. The people they conquered and took as slaves wouldn't have had the skills to actually shape the rock, place the rock so that it would stand the test of time, etc... Egypts own historical references have shown that they hired skilled workers... hired them with the gold they took from people they made slaves of.
One book that I got some of this information from is called Biblical Archeology. Though I'm not sure which documentary you watched, the last one I watced on Discovery Channel pretty much said the same thing I just did.
2007-09-30 08:04:12 · answer #3 · answered by River 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The pyramids have been there long before the Hebrews have been slaves. particular they have been slaves for the period of the time they have been in Egypt. They weren't used to construct the pyramids as some human beings think of.
2016-10-10 01:33:33 · answer #4 · answered by crihfield 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All ancient cultures around the Mediterranean basin had slaves. HOWEVER, that being said, the Pyramids might not have NEEDED slave labor to build as many times slaves were not allowed to work on temple-building or temple-related crafts (UNLESS they were owned by the temple itself), but were rather used to work in industries to free up manpower for "sacred" tasks
2007-09-30 07:55:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anne Hatzakis 6 · 5⤊ 2⤋
haha im pretty sure they had slaves. or maybe it was a job, doing all that work. i mean it could be a possibility. i read this thing of how egypt would encourage foreign immigration to egypt so that they would have workers to do their work.. like you know how during the US industrial revolution, foreigners would be put to work in factories and labor work because they would take what work they got.
i mean you cant be a 100% sure of anything in history.
2007-09-30 08:06:52 · answer #6 · answered by dee 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'm sure that Egypt had slaves. They probably destroyed the evidence when they destroyed evidence about Moses.
2007-09-30 08:13:02 · answer #7 · answered by Brigid O' Somebody 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
well, first this goes in history category, and another...90% of ancient history is nothing but theories, and all their theories have empty spaces, if you really want to learn something using your brain i suggest you go check different theories and think which one sounds better for you including the empty spaces they might have
2014-01-27 17:54:10 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Egypt did have slaves. At one time, the Israelites were their slaves. I am sure there were others.
2007-09-30 08:12:01 · answer #9 · answered by Jesus Loves Connie 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
...that sounds exactly like the Discovery Channel to me. When you have studied on your own, their "facts" will often leave you wondering, but that's cable t.v. academia.
2007-09-30 07:55:52 · answer #10 · answered by ignoramus_the_great 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋