Crime and Punishment in Ancient Egypt: The History and Legacy of the Egyptians' Concepts of Justice

In ancient Egypt, the underpinning concept in law, in theory, was that rich and poor citizens should be treated equally, but this was an aspiration that was rarely fulfilled in practice. At the same time, the types of treatment delivered to those deemed guilty could also be harsh - common punishments included confiscation of property, slavery, beatings, and mutilation. During both the Old Kingdom (c. 2700 BCE - 2200 BCE) and Middle Kingdom (c. 2030 BCE - 1650 BCE), crime was dealt with by ...