Pharaoh << FAIR oh >> was a title of the later kings of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians did not call their ruler pharaoh until the Eighteenth Dynasty (about 1539-1292 B.C.). Even then, pharaoh was not one of the king’s most important titles. Writers of books in the Old Testament used the word pharaoh as a title for the king of Egypt.
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The word pharaoh comes from two Egyptian words that mean great house. At first, these words described the royal palace, not the king.
Egyptians considered the pharaoh a god and the son of a god. They thought he was the sky god Horus in human form, and the son of Re, the sun god. In theory, the pharaoh owned all the land and ruled the people. In reality, his power was sometimes limited by strong groups, including the priests and nobles. His actions were governed by rules of conduct that the Egyptians believed the gods had set down.
