Question
By what names was Egypt known?
Answer
The Hebrew name of the country is Mitzrayim (meaning something like “two domains”); the “dual” form of the word reflects the ancient division of the country into “upper” and “lower” parts. “Egypt” (Aigyptos) is the name given to the country by the Greeks; the “ptos” is name of the god Ptah. The Egyptians themselves called their country “Tavi” or “Adboi”, “the two lands” or “the two banks of the river”, or sometimes “Khmet” (“black”, in reference to the darkness of fertile soil in contrast with desert sand).