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Sunday, February 12, 2017

Nubia

Introduction
Nubia (land of gold) was the region below Kemet.  It was Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan.  There were several peoples and civilizations.  They had their own religions and languages.  Nubia had a big impact on Kemet and visa versa.
Peoples
A-Group: They had a sophisticated culture.  They lived in Nubia from 3800-3100.  They exported incense, ebony & ivory with Kemet.  They imported olive oil and other products.  The buried the dead with their goods.  The A-Group civilization was destroyed by the Kemetians.  I think the A-Group became Kemetians after their civilization was destroyed.

C-Group: They may have originated in the Sahara.  They were herders and farmers.  It seems like they were peaceful, like the Igbo.  They help create Kerma.  There were C-Group people in Eritrea.  

Medjay: Today they are known as Beja.  Some of them were in the police force and military of Kemet.
Civilizations
Yam: It trade wood, incense, ebony, leopard, boomerangs and ivory with Kemet.  A pygmy from Yam was brought to Kemet and danced for the pharaoh.  
Kerma: It started around 2450 BCE to 1450 BCE.  People sustained themselves by farming, herding, hunting, gathering, and fishing.  Karma had great archers in the military.  They protected the kingdom from raids.  It traded gold, precious stones, ivory, animal hides, cattle, and ebony.  This trade caused Kerma to become rich.  The kingdom fell after it was occupied by Kemet.
Napata: This city was created by Thutmose III.  Kemet ruled Napata until 1075 BCE. Once Napata became free, it created Kush.  Napata traded a lot of gold.                
Meroe: It became the capital of Kush in 800 BCE.  Iron tools were made and traded in Meroe.  Meroe traded with India and China.  Jewelry, textiles, and animals were exported.  Meroe was ruled by a king and a queen mother.  The government consisted of seal bears, scribes, and treasurers.  A lot of pyramids were made in Meroe. Legend has it that Moses helped Ketmetians conquer the Meroe.
Languages
A-Group: I assume they spoke a Nilo-Saharan language.


C-Group: They spoke a Berber language.

Medjay: They spoke a Cushite language.

Kerma: Cushite language/s was spoken here.

Meroe: The language spoken here is called Meroitic.  There was a cursive and hieroglyphic versions of this language.  The hieroglyphic version was used for religious and royal documents.  The cursive version is used for everything  else.  It seems like this language was is a member of Afro-Asian language family.

Religion
They worshiped many deities.  Some of them were Nubian and some were Kemetian.

Amen: Nubian creator god.  Became popular in Kemet.

Apedemak:  Lion god.  It was associated with royalty.

Mehit: A lion goddess.  She is the wife of Onuris.  In Kemet she was the eye of Ra.  Kemetians saw her as a version of Sekhmet.

Onuris: A war and hunting god.  He reminds me of Ogun.

Sebiumeker: Sex god.  He was merged with Atum.

Many Kemetic deities was worshiped here.

If you want to learn about about Kemetic religion click here.

They became Christians over 1500 years ago!  Now they are Muslims.
Nubian influence on Kemet
The seed of Kemet is in Nubia.  The idea of pharaoh was created by Nubians.  The white crown comes from Nubia.  Various deities worshiped in Kemet were of Nubian origin.  A Greek historian named Diodorus Siculus said Kemet was a colony of Ethiopia (Nubia).  It was founded by Ausar.      

Nubians were great soldiers in the Kemetic military.  Dedu was a Nubian general that lead Medjay troops. They fought the Hyksos to free Kemet from their rule.  He also crushed a rebellion in Syria. Dedu became a sheriff and royal envoy to tribes in the Western deserts.  He was buried in Thebes.    

The Nubians conquered Kemet in 8th century BCE.  They created the 25th dynasty.   They created the last golden age of Kemet.  They made Kemet more like it was during the Middle Kingdom. They lost control to the Assyrians.  This was because they attacked Assyria to save Judah.  They broke a 13 year treaty with Assyria by saving Judah.  Necho I was a puppet king in lower Egypt.  He worked for Assyrians.  Necho I got killed by Tantamani when he reconquered Kemet.  Tantamani was the last pharaoh of the 25th dynasty. He lost control of Kemet to the Assyrians.
Kemetic influence on Nubia
Kemet ruled Nubia at different periods in time.  Nubians embraced Kemetic culture in large degree; or it could have been culture imperialism.  Kemet got a lot of gold and slaves from Nubia.  When Nubia was a colony of Kemet it was ruled by a viceroy.

Conclusion
The Nubians are great people!  They had sweet civilizations, languages, and religions.  They made a lot iron tools.  They had big impact on Kemet and visa versa.  I give the Nubia an A+++.


References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubia
https://oi.uchicago.edu/museum-exhibits/history-ancient-nubia
https://www.britannica.com/place/Nubia
http://www.touregypt.net/historicalessays/nubia.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-Group_culture
http://www.kerma.ch/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&lang=en&id=3
http://www.crystalinks.com/nubia.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kush
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mero%C3%AB
http://www.ducksters.com/history/africa/kingdom_of_kush.php
http://www.ancient.eu/Meroe/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubian_languages
http://i-cias.com/e.o/nubia_rl_gods.htm
http://www.ancientsudan.org/history_04_egyptconnub.htm
Nubian influence on Kemet
Black History
Nubia
25th Dynasty
Dr. Ben on Nubia
Nubian Pyrimids

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