Pharaoh

ancient Egypt · kings · history

Egypt's top ruler. A pharaoh was the king of ancient Egypt, in charge of the whole land and its people.

The word's surprise. The word 'Pharaoh' first didn't mean the king himself, it originally referred to the royal palace and the king's administration!

A clue in a letter. One of the earliest times the word was used for an actual ruler was in a letter written to a king named Akhenaten.

Thousands of years. Scholars use 'pharaoh' for all of Egypt's rulers, from the very first dynasty all the way until Rome took over Egypt in 30 BCE.