Egyptian Empire (Grand Union)

The Avƿeale Ægiπtiςc (Ephilzsuhi'ar Enzuhsu in Coptic, الإمبراطورية المصرية in Arabic, אימפריה מצרית in Hebrew) is a transcontinental nation, spanning the Ifran continent west from the tip of Carthage bordering Wagadu, east to the central Levant, south to the border of Mutapa, and even holding land in South-Eastern Suyo.

Bronze Age
In very early Egypt, the Pharaoh was considered the ancient equivalent of the Sun God, and therefore had absolute power over its subjects. The head of the legal system was this Pharaoh, who had the power to draft laws and keep the people in line. This legal code became known as the Ma'at, which was basically dictated by the morals and whims of the Pharaoh.

Egyptian law was based on a natural sense of right and wrong, and had people create agreements and compromises instead of basing law strictly on a set of codes. In the more serious cases, however, the court system worked very similar to today. A judge (known as the Grand Kenbet) appointed by the Pharaoh would take testimonials from a Plaintiff and a Defendant. Both parties took an oath, forcing them to tell the truth. Religion also played a large role in the Egyptian court system. Oracles would ask a god a yes or no question regarding the crime in question, after which a group of priests would place down the answer they received from said god.

Punishment for petty crimes weren't too terrible at times. If an extremely small crime was carried out, the criminal would be sentenced to a quite large fine. If the crimes were larger, you could be sentenced to beatings or facial mutilation. Exile was also an option used by criminals that the state didn't want to deal with. If a truly outrageous crime was done, such as murder or tomb robbing, the criminal would be sentenced to a gruesome execution at the stake. These atrocities, if bad enough, would be extended to the criminal's family as well.

Daily Life
Most ancient Egyptians were farmers tied to the land. Their dwellings were restricted to immediate family members, and were constructed of mud-brick designed to remain cool in the heat of the day. Each home had a kitchen with an open roof, which contained a grindstone for milling grain and a small oven for baking the bread. Walls were painted white and could be covered with dyed linen wall hangings. Floors were covered with reed mats, while wooden stools, beds raised from the floor and individual tables comprised the furniture.

Class System
Today most Egyptians are still divided amongst the classical class system that has always played a predominate role in Egyptian culture. The slave system being a class that had been completely removed from the class system, however many classes have either shifted or have merged together into one. Citizens and families of the Empire can actually move in and out of class systems; if a farmer joined the military and was accepted, he and his immediate family would be put into the military class. The farmer class has expanded to also include the common worker, such as those who work in manufacturing or in common workplace jobs, the farmer class officially being renamed into the "Cannarr", or commons class. Artisans and merchants have been shifted into one class known as the "Tsi'auhrus", or the trained class, as most of the cast consists of many educated or specifically trained workers amongst the class. Parallel to the Tsu'auhrus class is the "Tui'asuhrph", or the teaching class exclusive to teachers, professors, or specific educators. Above the Tsu'auhrus and Tui'asuhrph class is the "Muhsuhsi'asil", or the military class, specified and reserved only for military members; from high ranking officers to the common soldiers and their immediate family. The second highest class is the "Gausruhrph ", or Governing class, reserved for government officials and nobles. Finally and the highest ranking class is the "Raili'as", or Royal class, meant for a few high ranking nobles and their immediate family, the royal family, and the Pharaoh.

Cuisine
Egyptian cuisine remained remarkably stable over time; indeed, the cuisine of modern Egypt retains some striking similarities to the cuisine of the ancients. The staple diet consisted of bread and beer, supplemented with vegetables such as onions and garlic, and fruit such as dates and figs. Wine and meat were enjoyed by all on feast days while the upper classes indulged on a more regular basis. Fish, meat, and fowl could be salted or dried, and could be cooked in stews or roasted on a grill.

Egyptian cuisine is notably conducive to vegetarian diets, as it relies heavily on vegetable dishes. Though food in Alexandria, the coasts of Egypt, and their holdings in Suyo tends to use a great deal of fish and other seafood, for the most part Egyptian cuisine is based on foods that grow out of the ground. Meat has been very expensive for most Egyptians throughout history, so a great number of vegetarian dishes have been developed.

Some consider koshari (a mixture of rice, lentils, and macaroni) to be the national dish. Fried onions can be also added to koshari. In addition, ful medames (mashed fava beans) is one of the most popular dishes. Fava bean is also used in making ta'meyya, which may have originated in Egypt and spread to other parts of the Levant. Garlic fried with coriander is added to mulukhiyya, a popular green soup made from finely chopped jute leaves, sometimes with chicken or rabbit.

Burial Ceremonies
The ancient Egyptians maintained an elaborate set of burial customs that they believed were necessary to ensure immortality after death. These customs involved preserving the body by mummification, performing burial ceremonies, and interring with the body goods the deceased would use in the afterlife. Before the Old Kingdom, bodies buried in desert pits were naturally preserved by desiccation. The arid, desert conditions were a boon throughout the history of ancient Egypt for burials of the poor, who could not afford the elaborate burial preparations available to the elite. Wealthier Egyptians began to bury their dead in stone tombs and use artificial mummification, which involved removing the internal organs, wrapping the body in linen, and burying it in a rectangular stone sarcophagus or wooden coffin. Beginning in the Second Dynasty, some parts were preserved separately in canopic jars.

By the Empire, the ancient Egyptians had perfected the art of mummification; the best technique took 70 days and involved removing the internal organs, removing the brain through the nose, and desiccating the body in a mixture of salts called natron. The body was then wrapped in linen with protective amulets inserted between layers and placed in a decorated anthropoid coffin. Mummies of the Late Period were also placed in painted cartonnage mummy cases. Actual preservation practices declined during the Ptolemaic and Macedonian eras, while greater emphasis was placed on the outer appearance of the mummy, which was decorated.

Wealthy Egyptians were buried with larger quantities of luxury items, but all burials, regardless of social status, included goods for the deceased. Beginning in the Empire, books of the dead were included in the grave, along with shabti statues that were believed to perform manual labor for them in the afterlife. Rituals in which the deceased was magically re-animated accompanied burials. After burial, living relatives were expected to occasionally bring food to the tomb and recite prayers on behalf of the deceased.

Although mummification has become a rare ceremony, practiced mainly by Pharaohs and the noble families, common Egyptian families still bury many of the deceased's most prized possession and luck charms, to help them pass over into the next life.

Literature
The ancient Egyptians wrote works on papyrus as well as walls, tombs, pyramids, obelisks and more. Perhaps the best known example of ancient Jehiel literature is the Story of Sinuhe; other well known works include the Westcar Papyrus and the Ebers papyrus, as well as the famous Book of the Dead. While most literature in ancient Egypt was so-called "Wisdom literature" (that is, literature meant for instruction rather than entertainment), there also existed myths, stories and biographies solely for entertainment purposes. The autobiography has been called the oldest form of Egyptian literature.

The Nile had a strong influence on the writings of the ancient Egyptians, as did Macedonian-Cogotas poets who came to Alexandria to be supported by the many patrons of the arts who lived there, and to make use of the resources of the Library of Alexandria. Many great thinkers from around the ancient world came to the city, including Callimachus of Libya and Theocritus of Syracuse. Not all of the great writers of the period came from outside of Egypt, however; one notable Egyptian poet was 'Apollonius of Rhodes.

Egyptian literature traces its beginnings to ancient Egypt and is some of the earliest known literature. Indeed, the Egyptians were the first culture to develop literature as we know it today, that is, the book. It is an important cultural element in the life of Egypt. Egyptian novelists and poets were among the first to experiment with modern styles of Coptic literature, and the forms they developed have been widely imitated throughout Ifran and the Levant. The first modern Egyptian novel Zi'ailri'a by Hiri'ailr Hi'ailhi'as was published in 1913 in all of the various languages spoken in the Egyptian Empire.