Starożytny Egipt w podręcznikach do historii dla szkół ponadgimnazjalnych z punktu widzenia katechezy biblijnej (cz. 1)

Abstract

The present paper deals with a problem of interdisciplinar correlation in secondary schools. It focuses on the common elements in religion and history lessons concerning ancient Egypt. The history books permitted for school use have been discussed with regard to their usefulness in biblical catechesis. Biblical history is sometimes difficult to place in the course of general history. This particularly applies to the times of patriarchs. Determining times of their lives we speak of probability rather than of certainty. Nevertheless for correct understanding of the biblical texts one should try to read them in the proper historical and cultural context. It is one of basic principles of biblical hermeneutics with regard to the proper understanding of word sense of the Bible text. According to the basic principle of general education the history program assigns respectively much time for the ancient ages. School books contain large material concerning Ancient East civilizations, including also biblical countries: Palestine, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Persia, Assyria, Egypt, as well as ancient Greece and Rome. They contain illustrations and historical maps, and very often also chronological tables. From the biblical catechesis point of view there are following interesting periods in the Egyptian history: 19th – 18th centuries B.C. – times of Abraham and his journey to Egypt, 18th century B.C. – the Hyksoses' reign and the probable time of Hebrews' settling in Egypt, 13th century B.C. – the Hebrews' exodus led by Moses. Though in biblical catechesis ancient Egypt is most frequently associated with the times of Moses and the events described in the Book of Exodus, the relations between Hebrews and Egyptians do not expired afterwards. From the times of David till the downfall of Jerusalem in 587 BC Egyptians kept sending war expeditions to Syria and Palestina. Both regions kept in touch also in the following centuries either by the influence of Hellenic culture, or due to war waged by Ptolemies and Seleucid, or eventually on account of the connections with the Roman Empire. Therefore the following periods from Egyptian history are connected with the biblical history: the Middle Kingdom (2160-1785 B.C.), the Second Intermediate Period (1785-1580), the New Kingdom (1580-1085), the Late Period (1085-333), the times of Ptolemies reign (333-30), and the times of Roman Emperors (30 BC-313 AD). School history books which contain maps of ancient Egypt and chronological tables presenting the Egyptian history in the context of the general history, which use the generally agreed names of historical epochs and do not keep within limits of Old Egypt State only, are very helpful in biblical catechesis even if they do not touch themes relating directly to the Bible. The well-conducted history lesson which prepares a pupil to exploring source texts, introduces him simultaneously in reading the Bible, with its particular books arising in specified historical conditions and reflecting the climate of those times. Similarly, the well-conducted religion lesson strengthens and develops pupil's skills gained during history lessons by completing the knowledge of history of the biblical countries and developing the ability of interpreting ancient texts. Correlation between history and religion enriches both subjects. This is valid also for the lessons concerning the ancient Egypt.