(1) Why did Ancient Egyptians Build Pyramids? (2) Why not Giant Rectangles or Some Other Shape? (3) Egyptologists assume they represent primeval hills, the hills that on the day of creation (RISE) ________ out of the flood.

(4) This idea certainly comes from the natural state of Egypt in former times. (5) The land (FLOOD) ________ by the Nile, and when the flood retreated, islands appeared which (CONSIDER) ________ to be symbols of the day of creation. (6) So a pyramid could represent such a hill. (7) But one could ask: why was it not just a rounded hill, why did it have edges (LEAD) ________ to a top?

(8) Another idea is that kings used pyramids (CLIMB) ________ up to their heaven. (9) But these are all speculations. (10) A final theory is that in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (the centre of the sun cult in Egypt) there was a monument (CALL) ________ a benben stone.

(11) It could be that this sacred stone had the shape of a pyramid, and that the people who (BUILD) ________ the pyramids were trying to recreate that, because the top piece of a pyramid is called a benben.