The Old Kingdom pharaohs believed that death was the beginning of eternal life. They believed they would rise from their tombs to shimmer in the deep blue night as an un-setting star. To help them on their way they built pyramids; huge ramps or stairways charged with the most potent magic, leading directly to the sky. To understand the skills and beliefs of the earliest pyramid builders we must look backwards, to trace the pyramid society back to its roots. Then we can see how and why the Egyptians were able to build their pyramids, and how the pyramids helped to build Egypt herself.