Although the pyramids are never mentioned in the Biblical Text, they are important symbols of the ancient Egyptian way of life. They were burial tombs for the Pharaohs, but they were also monuments to his power and might. The most famous and largest pyramids are the Pyramids of Giza. There have been almost 100 pyramids found in Egypt of varying sizes and states of completion.

The Giza Pyramids were constructed between 2550 and 2490 BC during the greatest period in Egyptian history. The Great Pyramid, Cheops (Kufu), is the tallest at 481 feet tall. It is made of an estimated 2.3 million stacked stones (some new research suggests closer to 1.3 million) – each stone weighing anywhere from 2-15 tons. It was built in less than 20 years. Even though the middle pyramid looks taller, the pyramid on the left is actually the tallest – the middle pyramid is built on a slightly higher part of the plateau.

It is staggering to think that when Abraham came to Egypt in Genesis 12:10 these pyramids were already 500 years old. What would a bedouin have thought of such structures?

Interestingly, these are one of the only man-made structures in the Biblical world that could have been seen by both Abraham and Jesus (Matthew 2:13-14).