Cats were famously well-regarded in ancient Egypt‚ but what about dogs? Dogs in ancient Egypt held much the same status as dogs today. Some were working dogs‚ and many were beloved pets.  Some strays haunted graveyards and cowered on the fringes of society. Some were status symbols‚ decked out in precious metals and embalmed to join their owners in the afterlife.  Many others were simply the loyal companions that we know and love today.  Dog engraving found in the tomb of Mereruka. The Nile Magazine Over Thirty Thousand Years of Companionship Domesticated dogs existed in Egypt and throughout the world‚ even in prehistoric times. Genetically‚ dogs diverged from wolves over thirty thousand years ago. This reaches back to before the last ice age and even predates agriculture. They were the first animals to be domesticated‚ back when all humans lived in small groups of hunter-gatherers. Historians believe that dog collars and leashes were first developed by the Sumerians. They occupied Mesopotamia between the sixth and fifth millennium BC.  There is evidence of leashed dogs in prehistoric Egypt as well. An early Egyptian tomb painting created nearly six thousand years ago depicts a man walking his dog on a leash.  By the Early Dynastic Period‚ Egyptians had also domesticated goats‚ cattle‚ sheep‚ pigs‚ donkeys‚ and various birds. Tomb paintings from that time depict dogs that looked similar to modern-day Basenjis‚ Greyhounds‚ and Salukis.  They were often painted wearing collars tied with a large bow. Later tomb paintings created for pharaohs show them riding in their chariots with their hunting dogs running alongside.  Ancient Egyptian Dog Breeds Scholars have identified several distinct breeds or types of dogs in ancient Egypt.  Basenjis are commonly depicted in ancient Egyptian art. This ancient breed originated in the Congo and arrived in Egypt by way of Nubia. Basenjis are intelligent‚ energetic‚ loyal dogs.  Their uniquely-shaped throats produce howls‚ but not the barking sound that most dogs make. The ancient Egyptian word for Basenji translates to “dog of the villagers” because they were such common multi-purpose family dogs.  A modern-day Basenji Sighthounds‚ similar to modern-day Greyhounds‚ and Salukis were also common. They were kept as pets and used for hunting.  They’re also featured in various battle scenes made to celebrate the triumphs of pharaohs. Small sighthounds similar to whippets were one variation. Molossian dogs came to Egypt from ancient Greece. These large dogs were similar to modern Mastiffs. They were often used as guard dogs and police dogs in Egypt.  Hounds similar to Ibizan and Pharaoh Hounds were perhaps the most common.  Modern Pharaoh hounds were bred to chase rabbits at night. Ibizan Hounds are historically used for rabbit hunting as well.  A modern-day Saluki In addition to hunting with this type of hound‚ ancient Egyptians sacrificed them to the god Anubis. The demand was so great that puppies were bred for the sole purpose of being sacrificed to the dog god.  There were also strays and mutts‚ often referred to as pariah dogs. Scholars have speculated that the prevalence of these animals led to the ancient practice of creating tombs to protect the remains of the dead. Dogs in Ancient Egypt Many Egyptian dog collars have been found with the dogs’ names inscribed on the leather. Translations include Reliable‚ Brave One‚ Good Herdsman‚ North-Wind‚ and Lion of the Battlefield.  These collars were sometimes decorated with bronze and copper studs. Some members of the upper class even inscribed collars of gold and silver for their beloved pets.  The Egyptians used dogs to help herd cattle‚ which were a primary source of wealth and an important status symbol at that time. There were also hunting dogs‚ guard dogs‚ military dogs‚ and simple household pets led by leashes made of papyrus rope or leather.  Some pharaohs entombed their dogs with all the care that upper-class humans received.  One funeral stele reads: “The dog which was the guard of His Majesty. Abuwtiyuw was his name. His Majesty ordered that he be buried ceremonially‚ that he be given a coffin from the royal treasury‚ fine linen in great quantity‚ and incense. His Majesty also gave perfumed ointment and ordered that a tomb be built for him by the gangs of masons. His Majesty did this for him in order that he might be honored before the great god‚ Anubis.” Aside from dogs killed for ceremonial religious purposes‚ it was illegal to kill dogs in ancient Egypt. This was such a serious crime that killing a dog with a collar – that is‚ a dog that clearly had an owner – was a capital offense.  When a beloved dog died‚ their family grieved publically in the same way that they would for a human family member‚ including shaving off their eyebrows.  Anubis Anubis is one of Egypt’s oldest and most enduring gods. He is depicted as a black dog or as a man with the head of a black dog. Like the dark soil of the Nile‚ the color black represented regeneration and rebirth.  Anubis presided over mummification‚ guarded tombs‚ and guided souls to the afterlife. In Egyptian myths‚ he protected both the living and the dead from evil. The modern term Anubis comes from the Greek form of the Egyptian word Anpu‚ which meant ‘decay’. Ancient Egyptians called him by many epithets‚ including “First of the Westerners”‚ “He Who is Upon his Sacred Mountain”‚ “The Dog Who Swallows Millions”‚ “Master of Secrets” and “Lord of the Sacred Land”. The earliest images of Anubis have been found in royal tombs from the First Dynasty of Egypt‚ which spanned from 3150 to 2890 BCE. Scholars believe that this dog-headed god is related to the wild dogs that these tombs protected against.  Anubis‚ the Jackal-headed God of the Dead He is often shown in depictions of the Weighing of the Heart‚ the test that recently departed souls must pass in order to move on to paradise. His daughter Qebhet was present to comfort them and offer them cool water to drink. Ancient Egyptians believed that their beloved companions awaited them in the Field of Reeds that awaited them after their death. There‚ in a land beyond pain‚ they would be together forever. The post The Role and Significance of Dogs in Ancient Egypt first appeared on History Defined.

They’re bound to sell out again. READ MORE...

Conner Smith might have just written the perfect wedding song for himself with "Meanwhile in Carolina." Continue reading…

Plus the results from the December 2023 Rate Country Music poll. Continue reading…

A large percentage of Americans don’t know or outright disagree that marriage builds stronger families and is linked to better well-being for children‚ according to the annual American Family Survey. This is despite the fact that such benefits have been proven time and again. These attitudes may be due in part to nearly half of all U.S. children today spending at least part of their childhood in a non-intact family. Overall‚ the majority of U.S. adults have a positive view of marriage‚ agreeing it has benefits for individuals and society. Still‚ a significant portion of respondents seem unclear about the value of marriage. For example‚ 54% of people didn’t agree that society is better off when more people are married‚ with 19% disagreeing and 35% being unsure. As to the questions about family stability‚ 48% didn’t agree that marriage is needed to create stronger families and 46% didn’t agree that marriage makes families and children better off financially. The ninth annual survey was conducted by Brigham Young University‚ the Wheatley Institute‚ YouGov‚ and Deseret News and released in December. In most cases‚ about half of participants agreed at least somewhat with each of the statements about the benefits of marriage. On most of the questions‚ though‚ nearly half of survey participants were unsure what they thought about the benefits of marriage. Researchers have well established that marriage is associated with numerous positive outcomes for both adults and children. Marriage is the factor most strongly associated with human happiness‚ and it is also linked with greater financial well-being and better health. Marriage provides the best environment for children to grow and develop into thriving adults. Children raised by their married parents are much less likely to be poor; have a far lower risk of being abused; and are more likely to graduate from high school‚ attend college‚ and to experience social mobility. The share of married parents in a community is one of the greatest factors predicting social mobility for children. Marriage is also significantly more stable than cohabiting relationships. Children born to married parents are much less likely to experience parental breakup compared to children whose parents are only living together.  Despite the numerous proven benefits of marriage‚ it makes sense that quite a few Americans are agnostic regarding its value. Marriage rates in the U.S. have declined precipitously during the last several decades. Unwed childbearing is the norm in many communities‚ and nearly half of all children in the U.S. spend at least a part of their childhood in a non-intact family. Thus‚ fewer Americans have been raised in homes and communities where they see examples of strong marriages. Family instability is particularly common among Americans with less than a college education. While‚ in general‚ Americans with more education and from stable families themselves tend to reinforce traditional norms around marriage for their own children (getting married and having children within marriage)‚ norms surrounding marriage have dwindled in many other communities. Many Americans’ increasing sense of non-judgmentalism surrounding sexual relationships has led to widespread silence on the benefits of marriage. Our culture needs more messages about the importance of marriage. Leaders in private organizations‚ like churches‚ schools‚ and the media‚ as well as policymakers‚ should help people understand why marriage matters and assist them in building the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve healthy marriage relationships. Some private organizations and policymakers are working to build and strengthen marriages in their communities using a variety of creative tools. For example‚ Utah just celebrated the 25th anniversary of its statewide effort to promote healthier marriages‚ primarily through relationship education. A handful of states have a “premarital education promotion policy” that incentivizes premarital education for engaged couples by offering a discount or waiver of the marriage license fee. A program called Communio helps churches establish and operate marriage and relationship education courses for their congregants and surrounding communities. More work like this is needed to help rebuild a culture of marriage in America. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post The Growing Ignorance of the Benefits of Marriage—and Why It’s Dangerous appeared first on The Daily Signal.