The opening chapter is an assessment of the geographical and natural resources of ancient Egypt, in which the author concludes, in the true spirit of Herodotus, that Egypt was the "gift of the Nile." The rich Egyptian culture was the product of a land that was equally rich in natural resources. The land, the river and the climate combined to produce a cornucopia of all that was needed, materially, for a great civilization. Precious commodities were available in such quantities that even in her infancy, Egypt enjoyed a life of surplus.
