At one time scholars believed that the civilization of Ancient Egypt was the first in the history of the world and the progenitor of all others. We now know this to be untrue, but the Ancient Egyptians retain one unique distinction: they were the first people on earth to create a nation state … [This state] served as the framework of a culture of extraordinary strength, assurance, and durability which lasted for 3,000 years and retained almost to the end its own unmistakable purity of style. Paul Johnson, from The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, 1999.a Writing b Religion c Cities d Government