<P> Some have suggested that the Egyptians had some form of understanding electric phenomena from observing lightning and interacting with electric fish (such as Malapterurus electricus) or other animals (such as electric eels). The comment about lightning appears to come from a misunderstanding of a text referring to "high poles covered with copper plates" to argue this but Dr. Bolko Stern has written in detail explaining why the copper covered tops of poles (which were lower than the associated pylons) do not relate to electricity or lightning, pointing out that no evidence of anything used to manipulate electricity had been found in Egypt and that this was a magical and not a technical installation . </P> <P> Those exploring fringe theories of ancient technology have suggested that there were electric lights used in Ancient Egypt . Engineers have constructed a working model based on their interpretation of a relief found in the Hathor temple at the Dendera Temple complex . Authors (such as Peter Krassa and Reinhard Habeck) have produced a basic theory of the device's operation . The standard explanation, however, for the Dendera light, which comprises three stone reliefs (one single and a double representation) is that the depicted image represents a lotus leaf and flower from which a sacred snake is spawned in accordance with Egyptian mythological beliefs . This sacred snake sometimes is identified as the Milky Way (the snake) in the night sky (the leaf, lotus, or "bulb") that became identified with Hathor because of her similar association in creation . </P> <P> Under Hellenistic rule, Egypt was one of the most prosperous regions of the Hellenistic civilization . The ancient Egyptian city of Rhakotis was renovated as Alexandria, which became the largest city around the Mediterranean Basin . Under Roman rule, Egypt was one of the most prosperous regions of the Roman Empire, with Alexandria being second only to ancient Rome in size . </P> <P> Recent scholarship suggests that the water wheel originates from Ptolemaic Egypt, where it appeared by the 3rd century BC . This is seen as an evolution of the paddle - driven water - lifting wheels that had been known in Egypt a century earlier . According to John Peter Oleson, both the compartmented wheel and the hydraulic Noria may have been invented in Egypt by the 4th century BC, with the Sakia being invented there a century later . This is supported by archeological finds at Faiyum, Egypt, where the oldest archeological evidence of a water - wheel has been found, in the form of a Sakia dating back to the 3rd century BC . A papyrus dating to the 2nd century BC also found in Faiyum mentions a water wheel used for irrigation, a 2nd - century BC fresco found at Alexandria depicts a compartmented Sakia, and the writings of Callixenus of Rhodes mention the use of a Sakia in Ptolemaic Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy IV in the late 3rd century BC . </P>

What technology did they have in ancient egypt