In my opinion, the most important part of Egyptian history is to study it in light of the Bible. This is the history Moses would have learned in Pharaoh’s household. This is the belief system that God’s people were surrounded by during the years of their enslavement. This is the belief system that pharaoh’s daughter would have brought to her marriage with Solomon. Hagar was an egyptian. A pharaoh took Sarai from Abram. It is essential that our kids understand that the Bible is real history about real people. We need to help them make those connections.
I find it’s easier to keep track of “periods” in Egyptian history. And maybe one or two pharaohs from that time period really stand out. I wouldn’t necessarily push that on my kids, but it is good for me. It helps me keep everything straight. Well, as straight as one can keep Egypt’s history. 🙂 The egyptian timelines are still not agreed upon by all scholars so don’t worry too much about dates. Just try to get a general outline in your head about when they were powerful and when they were overtaken. Keep some personalities in mind, some of the more interesting characters in the narrative of Egyptian history.