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Unfortunately, no manual has been discovered that details the mechanics of how the pyramids were built or what they were meant to represent. Although that certainly presents some problems to the modern scholar, some conclusions can be drawn concerning the symbolism of the pyramids. Any discussion or examination of what the pyramids were meant to symbolize must begin with the ancient Egyptian concept of divine kingship and how that related to Egyptian religion.
The sun-god, in all of his manifestations, was among the most important of the deities in the Egyptian pantheon. After death, the king was associated with the sun-god, so Egyptologists have long argued the idea that pyramids are solar symbols has long been argued by Egyptologists. One of the most common solar interpretations is that pyramids represent the rays of the sun shining down on the mummy of the deceased king. <ref> Lehner, Mark. <i>The Complete Pyramids: Solving the Ancient Mysteries </i> (London: Thames and Hudson, 2001), p. 34</ref> It is also significant that the very tops of pyramids, known as “pyramidions,” were often gilded, giving a shiny appearance. Others have argued that pyramids, especially step pyramids, represent steps to the heavens that the deceased king will use on his journey in the afterlife. <ref> Shaw, Ian , and Paul Nicholson. <i>The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt.</i> (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995), p. 24</ref>
Another possible explanation for the shape of the pyramids is that they were meant to represent the sacred <i>benben</i> stone in Heliopolis. The benben stone was a pyramidion, which according to the Helipolitan creation myth was the primordial mound of creation. Because of that, many modern scholars theorize that the pyramids were meant to represent the primordial mound of creation through which life emerged. <ref> Kuhrt, Amélie. <i>The Ancient Near East: c. 3000-330 BC.</i> (London: Routledge, 2010), p. 140</ref>
The layout of pyramids also had symbolic significance. Since pyramids were tombs, they were always located on the west bank of the Nile River, which is where most tombs were located in ancient Egypt because the deceased needed to see the sun rise sunrise each morning. The layout of the Great Pyramids of Giza has particularly been a point of interest among scholars and laypeople alike. Noted scholars state that the three pyramids may indeed have pointed toward the city of Heliopolis, further proving the solar significance of the structures, but that they do not match Orion’s Belt as some fringe theories have claimed. <ref> Lehner, p. 106-7</ref>
===The Evolution of the Pyramids===
