The
uniting of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms by Menes (c. 3050 BC) was hence
forth called the "First Time", a similar term applied to the creation of
the world in Egyptian mythology. He did more than unite the dual kingdoms.
Menes also established city that would become the Royal center of Egypt
for the next 3000 years. The founding of the city seems to match (intentionally
or unintentionally) the creation story of Egypt. In it, the world was covered
in vast and deep waters known as the "Chaos". Then out of the waters rose
a mound which contained evreything the world needed to grow and live. So
likewise, the new Royal city was built on land recaptured from the
Nile flood waters and sothe mound of the city named "Memphis" seemed to
rise from the Chaos waters of creation. Made with limestone,
it aquired a nickname of sorts......"The White
Walls of Memphis". Thereafter, Memphis
became the home to Egypt's kings and pharoahs. It was the place for coronation
and the place of a king's Jubilee Celebration, where he had to run the
circuit of the White Walls each Jubliation year.
The god of the new city of Memphis was named Ptah. He was the one who uttered the words to cause the primordial mound to rise from the Chaos waters. In him was the never before seen ability to simply utter a word and have that thing come into being. He had the appearance of being a man and so seemed more accessable to the everyday person. Ptah was a late comer to the Egyptian pantheon around 3000 BC and worship of him was almost purely confined to that of Memphis. In later Ramessidian times, a cult of Ptah-of-Menes gained some popularity but was more for political reasons as opposed to a religious reawakening.
The remaining kings of the First Dynasty appear to have engaged in various campaignes against various Lybian and Asiatic peoples though not for terrioty gain, but rather just for material booty.
The Second Dynasty
(c. 2813 - 2663 BC) left behind only scanty monuments and there is some
evidence of a hostility towards the tombs of the First Dynasty. However
the first king of the Second Dynasty was named Hotepsekhemwy, or translated
as "The Two Powers are at Peace".
While appearing to begin in peace, the second part of the Dynasty appears
to be torn in conflict as King Peribsen seemed to publicly favor the god
Seth over Horus. As peace was being restored, his actions prepared the
way for the founding of the Third Dynasty.
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