In ancient Egypt, the rulers, called pharaohs, created the laws of the land and enforced them. As will be discovered, the pharaohs had strict laws and at times, some very harsh punishments to maintain control over the people.

First of all, the Egyptians had harsh punishments for breaking the law. The laws were based on a common sense view of right and wrong. It depended on which crime the criminal did to figure out which punishment they would receive. Not only would it disgrace them, but it would disgrace their whole family.

Next, there were many laws in Egypt, as there were many punishments for breaking a law. On of the punishments were one hundred strokes of a cane, and if the crime was worse, five bleeding cuts were added. Other punishments included branding, exile, mutilation, drowning, beheading, and burning alive. The worst crime was tomb raiding because the treasures in the tomb were sacred. A lot of punishments were fatal, such as drowning, beheading, and burning alive. The pharaoh usually decided what would happen to the criminal.

After that, the Egyptians had law officials that served the pharaoh by catching criminals. The officials were like the police today. They would wear a golden Ma’at pendant as their official badge. Ma’at was the goddess of truth, order, justice, and balance in the universe. When the officials caught a criminal, they took them to the pharaoh, who would decide the punishment in court.

Now, some punishments were fatal. A few of them were drowning, beheading, and burning alive. Only if the crime was really bad did the criminal die. For example, the punishment for tomb raiding was death because it was the worst crime.

Finally, there were about eight books that had the Egyptian legal code. The pharaoh made all the laws. Everyone had to obey the pharaoh’s laws. There was no limit to his power.

As you can see, the pharaoh made the laws to enforce a powerful and under control country.

Works Cited

Andrews, Mark. “Law and the Legal System in Ancient Egypt”.

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/law.htm http://www.touregypt.net

Grant, Neil. The Egyptians. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996

Hannah, 6LB. “Ancient Egypt Law and Order”

http://www.elismorrowsch.com/classroomnews/166lawor.htm

http:elisabethmorrow.org/home.php

Hart, George, Dr. Ancient Egypt. Australia: Weldon Owen Pty. Limited, 1995

Jordan, Shirley. Ancient Egypt. Logan: Perfection Learning Corporation, 2000

Malam, John. Indiana Jones Explores Ancient Egypt. New York: Publishing, 1992

Morley, Jacqueline. How Would You Survive as an Ancient Egyptian?. Belgium:

Grolier Publishing, 1995

Pipe, Jim. Mystery History of a Pharaoh’s Tomb. U.S.: Copper Beach Books, 1997

Steele, Christy. Ancient Civilizations: Egypt. Austin: Steck-Vaughn Company, 2001

Thomson, Ruth. Footsteps in Time: The Egyptians. Chicago: Children’s Press, 1995