The earliest forms of gambling in ancient Egypt

Gambling is one of the oldest activities in the world. The history of gambling has been traced back to Ancient Greece, Ancient China, and Ancient Egypt. These are key civilizations that have been explored extensively by archaeologists. The presence of gambling artefacts in each of them shows that the act was quite widespread.

The notion that gambling was popularized by modern civilizations and the advent of technology could be false. Its presence in most ancient civilizations shows that it could have been a global affair. The only difference is perhaps the reason why people play it. Right now people play for fun, and they are motivated by the fantastic bonuses offered by casinos online. Learn more about these bonuses here.

The Nile Valley civilization came up in 4000 BC, and it is full of the mystery of how the people of Ancient Egypt lived. Ancient Egyptians are famous for complex techniques in agriculture, medicine, engineering, and care for the dead. Hence, these people were certainly sophisticated enough to develop superior stuff.

Religion

The story of the development of gambling in Egypt is believed to be religious. This is certainly hard to believe because religious leaders are at the forefront of condemning this activity. It is believed that the god of the Sky, Nut, married Geba, the God of the earth, against the will of Ra, who was the supreme God. He opposed this union because they were siblings.

He asked Shu, the god of air, to destroy this union. However, as expected, the culprits resisted and decided to fight for their love. As a result, there were disasters on the land that led to the separation of the world into continents. The couple was finally separated, and Geba was left to be the god of the earth, and Nut became the god of the sky. Ra further punished Geba by casting a spell that would keep her from conceiving for 360 days.

Then, Teuta of Illyria, the god of love, knowledge, and wisdom intervened by coming up with Senet, a gambling game. He convinced, Khonsu, the god of the moon, to make bets as one seventy-second of the lunar year.

This story is attributed to be the origin of the current calendar. The moon god won five days, which are free from the spell of Ra thus the calendar has 365 days. The five days were gifted to Nut, and this is how she was able to give birth to other gods like Horus, Isis, and others. Hence, Senet, a gambling game, solved the problem.

Senet is a game that is closely related to backgammon. It is an easy concept that is similar to evidence found in other civilizations. They include Sumerian Seneta of Mesopotamia, Thaayyam in Ancient India, and Pachisi of Arab origin.

Gambling was also used to predict the outcomes after performing various rituals. This form was done in several societies around the world. The ritualists would throw stones or sticks and count them. If the result were an even number, it would mean positive outcomes while an odd number would mean negative outcomes.

These rituals were common, especially when people prayed to ask God for assistance. They believed that the answer was immediate. There is no evidence to show whether the results tallied with the actual situation. Nevertheless, the fact that people kept doing it shows that it could have worked.

Gambling Objects

The evidence of gambling in Ancient Egypt is solid because of the presence of gambling artefacts. These objects were found when archaeologists were excavating the land. They first discovered dice in Thebes that was made using the tusks of elephants. Also, a game resembling checkers was found.

Another game that is believed to have been in existence in ancient Egypt is HUBEM-how. It involved gamers throwing discs into a bowl in a certain order. The discs were crafted using a range of substances, thus allowing the game to increase in complexity as you keep throwing. This ancient game is a popular gambling game that is still present in some modern societies.

The greatest evidence that shows the presence of gambling in ancient Egypt is the papyri that are believed to have dated from 3000 BC to 4000 BC. They contained laws that were made to stop the spread of gambling in this region. The presence of such laws simply means that the activity was so rampant that it required to be controlled.

The consequences of gambling, according to these texts, was quite dire. They involved being sent to quarries to provide forced free labour. This punishment was among the worst at the time, and it is comparable to life imprisonment of modern times. Such consequences can only be put in a place for a big problem that affects a big population. Gambling in Egypt began evolving from the olden dice games to the card games in the medieval era. These card games originated from Europe and Asia and gradually found their way to Egypt.

The lotteries also became popular in the fifteenth century. It was common in ancient civilizations though it was more rampant in Europe and Asia. However, these games were played for different reasons. The Romans used it as a way of offering pricey gifts, whereas the Europeans used it as a way of placing expensive goods that were not easy to sell.

Current Era

The gambling industry has greatly evolved from ancient times to the modern era. The use of technology and the advent of online games led to the production of fantastic games for gamblers. The ancient Egypt theme is among the most popular themes, especially among slot lovers. These games are loved because of their wonderful symbols that are perfectly depicted using superb graphics.

There are hundreds of slots with this theme. They take advantage of the rich culture and extensive history of ancient Egyptians. There are games that use the ancient gods as their themes. They include the likes of Book of Dead, Anubis, Blaze of Ra, Book of Gods, and Eye of Horus, among others. They try to convince players to test the generosity of the Egyptian gods.

Others use the rulers of ancient Egypt as their themes. They include Cleopatra, Cleopatra’s Riches, Pharaoh’s Riches, Queen of Riches, and others. Many slots use the Cleopatra theme because he was among the most popular rulers. Other developers simply use unique features of Egypt, such as pyramids and scarabs. Slots with such themes include Treasures of the Pyramids, Pyramids of Giza, and Wild Scarabs.

The Egyptian-themed slots are very popular among gamers. They usually have excellent graphics and intriguing sound effects. They also have exciting bonus features and can lead to massive payouts. All developers try to create fantastic products because of the popularity of this theme. Since many providers have a slot with this theme, it is crucial to create the best in order to attract gamers. This explains why these slots have amazing features.

Gambling is an old activity that dates back to the ancient era. Ancient Egypt is among the world’s civilizations that show widespread evidence of gambling. The current games are also being created with this theme because of its rich history and deep culture. You should certainly try an ancient Egypt themed slot for an amazing slots experience.

Source: paisley.org.uk

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