eory states that the Pyramid
represents the truths of the universe hidden in its design and that its primary function is to teach these truths. Scholars have also suggested that the pyramids became a stabilizing and unifying source in ancient Egypt. Although many scientists and scholars insist on a single purpose for the Great Pyramid, the Egyptians most likely built it to further a combination of purposes.
To discuss this topic fairly, we must explore some of the major theories regarding the Pyramid's purpose. A good starting point is the tomb theory, for it is the oldest and simplest attempt to account for the Pyramid's purpose. The tomb theory considers the Pyramids to be nothing but elaborate tombs (Fakhre 2).
According to Kurt Mendelssohn, a prominent Egyptologist,
early Egyptians put their "own trust for survival after death in the continued existence of the divine king. The Pharaoh's tomb,
its grandeur and splendor, as well as the ritual and sacrifices attending it therefore became the concern of everyone"(22). In addition, some archeologists argue that research has proven "... that the Great Pyramid is nothing more or less than a tomb for King Khufu. Its features represent simply a development of earlier Egyptian architecture" (Fakhre 124). In this view, many of the Great Pyramid's elaborate interior features and astonishing dimen-sions are nothing more than technological and cultural refine-ments on the original pharaonic tomb.
The architectural history of the pyramid supports this claim.
At first, from about 3500 BCE, the Egyptians buried their pharaohs in mastabas, simple funerary monuments, similar to a courtyard with the grave-site inside. Eventually, by around 2850 BCE, an Egyptian architect named Imhotep designed a step pyramid by stack-ing progressively smaller mastabas on top of each other. After a few generations of Pharaohs had utilized this step pyramid design, King Sneferu attempted to build a t...