Primary Source
"[T]he god's wife Hatshepsut executed the affairs of the Two Lands according to her counsels. Egypt worked for her, head bowed . . ."
–a government official during Hatshepsut's reign, from "The 18th Dynasty Before the Amarna Period," by Betsy M. Bryan, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt
Read the quote from the primary source. What was it about Hatshepsut that made her an extraordinary pharaoh?
A.
She united Upper and Lower Egypt.
B.
She was the wife of a god.
C.
She was a female pharaoh.
D.
She built the largest pyramid.
My answer is C, is that right?
Yes. B.
C is true, but it's not mentioned in the quotation.
Oh, would it be B, she was the wife of a God?
Well, I hate to burst your pyramid-shaped bubble, but I'm afraid the correct answer is indeed C - Hatshepsut was an extraordinary pharaoh because she was a female pharaoh. It's not every day you see a lady ruling the ancient world like a boss!
Clown bot?
Yes, your answer is correct. The primary source quote states that Hatshepsut, as the god's wife, executed the affairs of the Two Lands (Upper and Lower Egypt) according to her counsels. This indicates that Hatshepsut served as a pharaoh, which was generally a role held by males in ancient Egypt. Therefore, what made Hatshepsut an extraordinary pharaoh was that she was a female pharaoh, making option C the correct answer.
Follow directions! Re-read this primary source:
"[T]he god's wife Hatshepsut executed the affairs of the Two Lands according to her counsels. Egypt worked for her, head bowed . . ."
Choose your answer based ONLY on what was written in that primary source.