The individuals who built the pyramids and other Egyptian monuments were Egyptians who were compensated for their work and, in many cases, were masters of their craft. These monuments were not erected in honour of death but in honour of life and the belief that one's life was important enough to be immortalised forever. Furthermore, the Egyptian belief that one's life was an eternal journey and death was merely a transition inspired people to try and make their lives worth living forever, and far from a culture fond of death, the daily life of the ancient Egyptians focused on enjoying the time spent as much as possible and trying to make others' lives memorable on
Sports, games, reading, celebrations and spending time with friends and family were as much a part of Egyptian life as toiling to cultivate the land or erecting monuments and temples. The world of the ancient Egyptians was saturated with magic. The god of magic (Haka) preceded the existence of some gods, in fact, he was the underlying force that allowed the gods to perform their duties.
The concept of Maat (harmony and balance) was the cornerstone of the Egyptians' understanding of life and the movement of the universe and it was the power of Haka that made the concept of Maat work. Through balance and harmony, people were encouraged to live in peace with others and contribute to societal happiness, the sage Ptah Htab (Minister of King Jed Ka-Ra Asis, 2414-2375 BC) preached, in lines from his sermons:
Let your face shine in your presence.
It is your kindness to us that we will remember.
In our years to come.
To let one's face ‘shine’ means to be happy, to have a good spirit, believing that this makes one's heart light up and illuminates the hearts of others, and although Egyptian society was a class society from a very early period (as early as Egypt's pre-dynastic era around 6000-3150 BC), this does not mean that Egyptian society was a class society. This does not mean that kings and the upper classes enjoyed their lives at the expense of the peasants, and the king and his court are always the best documented because people then, as now, cared more about celebrities than their neighbours, and the scribes who recorded the history of that period documented the history of the highest status such as the king.
However, reports from later Greek and Roman writers, as well as archaeological evidence and letters from different historical eras, show that Egyptians of all social classes valued life and enjoyed themselves as much as possible, just like us in modern times.
