"It seemed that a new and warlike tribe had come out of an unknown land to the east of Syria, carrying all before them. Nobody knew much about these warrior people, except that they seemed to have developed a form of warfare that had never been seen before. They could cross vast distances very swiftly, and no army could stand against them" 
River God

The Egyptians believed that it was important to preserve the body after death as somewhere for the soul, or 'ka', to live in the afterlife.  

Papyrus is a reed that grows to a height of about fifteen feet in the freshwater marshes of the Nile. It is best known for its use as a writing material and the English word 'paper' derives its etymology from the word ‘papyrus’. The Egyptians were the first people to write, and found they needed something other than stone to write on.

In Ancient Egypt the Cobra was the symbol of Lower Egypt. It was always portrayed rearing up as a symbol of protection, its hood flared and ready to spit venom at anyone who threatened the pharaoh or his tomb.