Pharaoh

Pharaoh was the title of the king of Egypt during the Dynastic Period. The pharaoh's rule was an absolute monarchy, though, as with many Near Eastern rulers, numerous advisors had influence on his decisions.

In later periods the pharaoh of Egypt declared himself a god and demanded worship alongside the established deities of Egypt. This practice, a method of declaring divine sanction for a king's rule, is not unique to Egypt but occurred widely throughout the Near East.