Power of the Pharaohs. the word pharaoh comes from words that meant great house in Egyptian. The Egyptians did not call their ruler pharaoh until the Eighteenth Dynasty (1554-1304 B.C.). Egyptians considered the pharaoh a god and the son of a god. They believe he was the sky god hours in human form, and the son of Re, the sun god. This belief helped strengthen the authority of the kings.

Pharaohs made Egypt a rich and powerful nation, admired throughout the ancient world. They also order the building of great temples for their gods and elaborate tombs for themselves. In theory, the pharaoh owned all the land and ruled the people. In reality, his power was sometimes limited by string groups, including the priests and nobles. The pharaoh��s actions were governed by rules of conduct that the Egyptians believed the gods had set down.

Pharaoh�� wives were also important, but few women ever ruled the country. Teams of workers crafted beautiful objects for the pharaohs and their families. They used materials such as semi-precious stones and gold from the desert mines. The royal couple often displayed their riches in public. Processions, receptions for foreign visitors and visits to the temples were opportunities to show the power of the pharaohs.