"Sadly, perhaps no group is more gullible to these sorts of claims than evangelical Christians." ~Todd Bolen
The unfortunate thing is he could be talking about a wide variety of claims. In this specific case he is talking about the claim a new movie makes that Noah's Ark has been found on a mountain in Iran, but the fact is that Christians are often far too willing to welcome any harebrained idea with open arms, so long as it appears to be at least mildly on "their side." Poor scholarship and a lack of discernment are rampant in the church today, and at times that seems especially true in the more conservative circles. Perhaps it is because there are so few truly conservative scholars doing work today that anything published that seems to support of conservative view is hailed as "proof that the Bible is true!", before the truth of its claims are fairly evaluated. I am, perhaps, being excessively harsh. I will not deny that there are some good, Christian scholars at work and it is possible that even some of the unscholarly "proofs" have some value in them. Nevertheless, we should be able to do better. Christians should be on the leading edge of scholarship in every field, instead of lagging behind, piggy-backing on the shoulders of people who have a different set of foundational beliefs.
This, roughly, is the topic of conversation that came up the other day as my family was talking. We came up with 3 specific areas of study where not only do we rather disagree with the general direction that "secular" scholars are taking the field, but where there is a lack of good, Bible-based scholars.
1. The study of origins (Creation vs. Evolution). This is my dad's passion, and I admit, I take more than a passing interest in it. The thing is, my dad really believes that the Bible contains the answers to the debate and that in ignoring that, both secular and (often) Christian scientists have taken a wrong turn. Unfortunately, Christian scholars often also have really bad science, making them unacceptable to both sides. With "better" (though really also far from perfect) science on the side of the evolutionists, many Christians have been enticed away from faith in the Bible and even faith in God. If only we had a few good scientists who also had good theology! (Some good rhetoric and logic skills wouldn't hurt either. I've seen too many decent scientists/theologians who lose on their presentations.)
2. Counseling and the interaction between soul, brain, and body. (Psychology and Psychiatry vs. Biblical or Nouthetic Counseling) This was brought up by my brother, but is also an area in which I am interested. The problem is that, in general, Psychology and Biblical Counseling are diametrically opposed. Secular Psychology assumes that people are basically good and the Bible says that people are basically sinful. With this very basic difference in understanding of the root of people's problems, obviously the proffered solutions will differ greatly. Psychology, as I understand it, claims to deal more with the immaterial part of a person (mind, soul, emotions, etc.) The Bible was written by the One who created the immaterial part of a person, so it seems likely that, when applied properly, it would have better answers than those made up by other fallible humans. Therefore, I think Biblical Counseling has an edge over modern Psychology. However, we are not merely immaterial beings - we have a physical part, and the two interact and are inseparable. There are times when something going on in the physical body affects the "psyche" or soul. Unfortunately, there are relatively few Biblical counselors (or even Psychologists) who know much of anything about medicine or the brain. Psychiatrists try to fill this need, but there are very few Psychiatrists with a high view of scripture. I dare say there may be some, but I've never heard of any. Think of the connections that could be made and problems that could be solved by a Biblical Counselor who also happened to be a Neuropsychiatrist. Perhaps instead of recklessly trusting drugs that we don't understand to change behavior they could actually get to the root of any physical causes while still counseling godliness for any spiritual causes.
3. Archaeology (especially as it relates to the Bible). This has been my area of consideration for the past semester, and I have probably already written about it. Oh well, at the risk of repeating myself, I'll talk about it anyway. I admit it. I've been brought up to believe the Bible. So imagine my surprise when I realized that almost no one at my school (teacher-wise, at least) believed anything in the Bible. Ok, actually, I wasn't that surprised, and it wasn't quite that bad. Many of the teachers believe parts. What did surprise me, though, was the fact that some of the harshest critics of the historicity of the Bible are theologians. I was also surprised to find that the most conservative scholars in the field didn't even take the Bible seriously. Some of the conclusions they draw, while seeming to support the Bible, in my view actually rather undermine it. Let me try to give an example to explain. The Bible says that Abraham left Haran and went into Canaan (see Genesis 12). Scholars, perhaps because they don't believe the Bible to be anything more than a rough historical remembrance of events long ago, say, "Hmm...let's look for a time when people were migrating from Mesopotamia to Canaan to try to fix the time of the Patriarchs." And if they find such a time, they say, "See, the Bible is true, in that it faithfully preserved a memory of the past. Abraham himself probably didn't exist, but people like him did!" On the other hand, I, believing Abraham to be a real person, would say, "Wouldn't Abraham's migration be rather unique at the time he left? Otherwise, why would God have to give him special instructions? And if He did, why would it take any special faith on Abraham's part to follow them? If everyone else was doing it, what was the big deal? Wouldn't it seem more likely that this movement of Abraham was very unusual at this time?" I could be wrong, but looking at the Bible, I often find that I would make fundamentally different assumptions than those that most scholars make.) At any rate, the more I learn about archaeology, the more questions I have. What is presented in class really doesn't fit with what the Bible says, which brings many questions to my mind. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be many people in the field asking those same questions. There is such a need for conservative Christians in archaeology!
I'll add a couple disclaimers here. :)
1. I by no means want to set up scientific knowledge as a sort of "savior." I do think, though, that as Christians we should pursue knowledge, both scientific and other, to the glory of God, for the furtherance of the kingdom, and to help us better understand Him. As Christians who know and worship the God of truth, I also think we are best equipped to find more truth, if we apply ourselves rightly.
2. Obviously, I believe the Bible is true, and I take a fairly literal, conservative interpretation of it. This point of view is generally scorned by researchers and scientists in the above fields. Leaving aside the question of whether or not this is the correct view of scripture, I think that science is done a great diservice by people automatically rejecting anything from this view point. If nothing else, it offers a different set of base assumptions and therefore asks different questions than pretty much everyone else in the field. I would contend that if science is to progress and stay healthy, it needs to be able to answer these questions too.
And the conclusion? I still have more questions than answers, and still have only one lifetime to try to figure things out. So, if anyone reading this has interests in any of these areas (or other areas - we need Christians everywhere!) maybe let this challenge you to pursue excellence in your field, to be uniquely Biblical in your viewpoint, and to share your findings with the world.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A taste of my joys since arriving state-side
December 15, 2008 12:10 am
I arrived home, still sick from Egypt, after traveling, well, hmm, 2 or so days straight. Let me tell you, it was nice to lay down finally! I left the sands of Egypt on Saturday morning with temperatures probably in the 80's.
I arrived home to snow and temperatures in the -20's. Yeah, that was something of a shock to my system. Still, it was good to be home. :)
December 16, 2008 12:05pm
I stopped by Petra to have lunch. That was the first time I'd seen most of my students since June. It was really fun to see them again, even for a short time.
December 17, 2008 2:45pm
I was still sick and not really feeling better, so we visited the doctor. I probably would have gotten better on my own eventually, but he gave me drugs which sped up the process a bit.
December 19, 2008 8:10am
I went to Petra again, to hang out for their day-before-Christmas-break-celebration-and-house-competition. It was nice to have a little more time to talk to both students and teachers there. It made me realize just how much I missed teaching there. Will I ever teach there again? God knows.
December 21, 2008
I went to church in the morning, and was able to see and talk to quite a few people, which was nice. Also went to church in the evening when they had a report from a small team that went to Turkey. (Have I mentioned that I really want to go to Turkey??) They showed clips from the film "Bethlehem Star" which was interesting, at least. We then went home and celebrated Christmas (Mom, Dad, Larissa, and I).
December 22, 2008 5:30am
My alarm went off. We headed to the airport to catch our 8:00 plane to Kentucky. Well, technically, the plane took us to Minneapolis, where we caught a connecting flight to Kentucky. We eventually got here and I got to see my brother and sister-in-law, also for the first time since June.
December 24, 2008
We celebrated Christmas again, this time with Joel and Rachel.
December 25, 2008 9:30am
We got in the van and drove to Elizabethtown to visit my Aunt Erica, Uncle Chuck, and my cousins Vicki, Chas, Amy, Jessica, and Jonathan and celebrate Christmas with them. We played Rook, ate a lot, opened more gifts, played music,
and I showed pictures from Israel. We spent the night there and the next day we worked on the deck and the pump,
took a walk, and made chicken pot pie and jello fluff for dinner before heading back to Joel and Rachel's.
December 27, 2008 9:00am
We're caught up to today! This morning we went to Bardstown, which is, I believe, something like the second oldest town in Kentucky. It had a tavern from 1779.
We visited a distillery (The Maker's Mark-gotta love that Kentucky Bourbon...or something. Interesting tour, at least),
Drove by the location where Abraham Lincoln lived as a child,
and walked around downtown.
So really, I've managed to stay fairly busy since arriving "home." :) Of course, I still have a month to go...
I arrived home, still sick from Egypt, after traveling, well, hmm, 2 or so days straight. Let me tell you, it was nice to lay down finally! I left the sands of Egypt on Saturday morning with temperatures probably in the 80's.
I arrived home to snow and temperatures in the -20's. Yeah, that was something of a shock to my system. Still, it was good to be home. :)
December 16, 2008 12:05pm
I stopped by Petra to have lunch. That was the first time I'd seen most of my students since June. It was really fun to see them again, even for a short time.
December 17, 2008 2:45pm
I was still sick and not really feeling better, so we visited the doctor. I probably would have gotten better on my own eventually, but he gave me drugs which sped up the process a bit.
December 19, 2008 8:10am
I went to Petra again, to hang out for their day-before-Christmas-break-celebration-and-house-competition. It was nice to have a little more time to talk to both students and teachers there. It made me realize just how much I missed teaching there. Will I ever teach there again? God knows.
December 21, 2008
I went to church in the morning, and was able to see and talk to quite a few people, which was nice. Also went to church in the evening when they had a report from a small team that went to Turkey. (Have I mentioned that I really want to go to Turkey??) They showed clips from the film "Bethlehem Star" which was interesting, at least. We then went home and celebrated Christmas (Mom, Dad, Larissa, and I).
December 22, 2008 5:30am
My alarm went off. We headed to the airport to catch our 8:00 plane to Kentucky. Well, technically, the plane took us to Minneapolis, where we caught a connecting flight to Kentucky. We eventually got here and I got to see my brother and sister-in-law, also for the first time since June.
December 24, 2008
We celebrated Christmas again, this time with Joel and Rachel.
December 25, 2008 9:30am
We got in the van and drove to Elizabethtown to visit my Aunt Erica, Uncle Chuck, and my cousins Vicki, Chas, Amy, Jessica, and Jonathan and celebrate Christmas with them. We played Rook, ate a lot, opened more gifts, played music,
and I showed pictures from Israel. We spent the night there and the next day we worked on the deck and the pump,
took a walk, and made chicken pot pie and jello fluff for dinner before heading back to Joel and Rachel's.December 27, 2008 9:00am
We're caught up to today! This morning we went to Bardstown, which is, I believe, something like the second oldest town in Kentucky. It had a tavern from 1779.
We visited a distillery (The Maker's Mark-gotta love that Kentucky Bourbon...or something. Interesting tour, at least),
Drove by the location where Abraham Lincoln lived as a child,
and walked around downtown.
So really, I've managed to stay fairly busy since arriving "home." :) Of course, I still have a month to go...
Friday, December 19, 2008
Egypt, Days 7 and 8
Well, days 7 and 8 kind of blended together...as you will see, so I'm just going to combine them. :)
December 11, 2008
This day was mostly traveling. The train was a couple hours later that we expected getting into Cairo, which made us very grumpy – we could have slept longer! It also made our day a bit more cramped, and I believe we missed a stop or two. Alas.
We headed out of the land of Goshen into the Sinai Peninsula. What a difference! No wonder the Israelites complained. They went from a green land where water was plentiful to a barren wasteland where there is not green to be seen for miles and if you don’t have water for 3 days, you die. It’s a pretty harsh environment, though beautiful. (Here you can see some trace of green - this is pretty close to the coast. Also, in the background is a mountain we think is a possible location for Mt. Sinai.)
Our one stop of the day was really worth it, though. We took jeeps across the desert to start with, which was really fun. Our driver was crazy! He kept driving off the "packed" trail and into the deep sand. It was fun - kind of felt like driving in deep snow, like when I drive fast down my parent's driveway to keep from getting stuck when they haven't plowed yet. :)
It reminded me a little of the Bad Lands, only so much more barren. It was also crazy to see people living out there, and even a few trees (tamarisk?) growing. We stopped at had lunch with some Bedouin. Then we continued on in the jeep to the Turquoise mine of Hatshepsut. There is also a temple to Hathor (goddess of mining!) in the area. 
Apparently, this is also where the earliest version of “proto-sianitic” script was found – quite similar to proto-canaanite: the beginning of the alphabet as we know it. I was really excited to see all this, having heard about it numerous times. In addition, we were able to hike under the setting sun and then under the full moon. It was beautiful. From the top we could see Mt. Sinai – a 5 day camel journey. We got to see one turquoise mine and a tiny bit of turquoise still in it.
We hiked back down as the dusk was deepening. I love hiking in the dark, I really do. It was quite dark once we reached the jeeps (which, yes, were actually Toyota landcruisers...but they called them jeeps. I don't know why.) We took the jeeps back to the bus and rode the bus to our hotel by Mt. Sinai, which was quite a bit nicer than I expected. We ate dinner around 10 and then went to bed for a couple hours.
December 12, 2008
At 2am we were awaken by knocking on our doors and by three we were again on the bus to go to the base of Mt. Sinai. We got our guide there and started up. It was a beautiful night, under a full moon. We could still see stars, though, including the Big Dipper! I was especially excited about that one. I haven’t seen it all year, and I’ve missed it. We also saw a few shooting stars.
So we hiked, probably going faster than needed, but oh well. I was among the first “group” to trickle to the top. It was still dark, with just a hint of light around the eastern horizon.
There were already hundreds of people up there. (As a side note, I always thought the national parks of America were pretty international, but I have to say that all these Egyptian sites are far more international in the nationalities you see and the languages you hear.) We found a niche and huddled close together to keep warm for a while. Shortly, though, we moved to find a better place to view the sunrise. It was cold, but hardly the coldest I’ve ever been. Doug said something about it being like hunting, which I could agree with. I have fond memories of feeling about the same level of coldness starting out on an early morning hunt. (Oh, and now, back in the states, I think I got colder in 5 minutes outside than I did on the whole Mt. Sinai excursion. It's cold here!!!) Anyway, the sunrise was something to behold. 
The moon was still up too. It was beautiful. 
After that we gathered and Josh recited Exodus 19-20 and Dan recited a poem about Moses. Then we headed down. I ended up taking the stair path with Christian, Trey, and Laura. It was crowded and a bit frustrating. You would get stuck behind people moving so slowly…and then the add insult to injury, while you were stuck waiting in line people would shove themselves in front of you. That’s something that really bothers me, I find, and it was very common here. It happened as we were crossing the border too. I kind of felt like a jerk, but no matter how much that guy behind me shoved his stroller into the back of my legs, I was bound and determined to keep him from passing me.
On the way down I started feeling rather unwell. I slept most of the bus ride back and didn’t eat anything all day. Kinda sad. We got back to school just in time for many of us to pack and say good-bye. I was blessed to have to many people volunteer to help me. Looking forward to next semester!
December 11, 2008
This day was mostly traveling. The train was a couple hours later that we expected getting into Cairo, which made us very grumpy – we could have slept longer! It also made our day a bit more cramped, and I believe we missed a stop or two. Alas.
We headed out of the land of Goshen into the Sinai Peninsula. What a difference! No wonder the Israelites complained. They went from a green land where water was plentiful to a barren wasteland where there is not green to be seen for miles and if you don’t have water for 3 days, you die. It’s a pretty harsh environment, though beautiful. (Here you can see some trace of green - this is pretty close to the coast. Also, in the background is a mountain we think is a possible location for Mt. Sinai.)
Our one stop of the day was really worth it, though. We took jeeps across the desert to start with, which was really fun. Our driver was crazy! He kept driving off the "packed" trail and into the deep sand. It was fun - kind of felt like driving in deep snow, like when I drive fast down my parent's driveway to keep from getting stuck when they haven't plowed yet. :)
It reminded me a little of the Bad Lands, only so much more barren. It was also crazy to see people living out there, and even a few trees (tamarisk?) growing. We stopped at had lunch with some Bedouin. Then we continued on in the jeep to the Turquoise mine of Hatshepsut. There is also a temple to Hathor (goddess of mining!) in the area. 
Apparently, this is also where the earliest version of “proto-sianitic” script was found – quite similar to proto-canaanite: the beginning of the alphabet as we know it. I was really excited to see all this, having heard about it numerous times. In addition, we were able to hike under the setting sun and then under the full moon. It was beautiful. From the top we could see Mt. Sinai – a 5 day camel journey. We got to see one turquoise mine and a tiny bit of turquoise still in it.We hiked back down as the dusk was deepening. I love hiking in the dark, I really do. It was quite dark once we reached the jeeps (which, yes, were actually Toyota landcruisers...but they called them jeeps. I don't know why.) We took the jeeps back to the bus and rode the bus to our hotel by Mt. Sinai, which was quite a bit nicer than I expected. We ate dinner around 10 and then went to bed for a couple hours.
December 12, 2008
At 2am we were awaken by knocking on our doors and by three we were again on the bus to go to the base of Mt. Sinai. We got our guide there and started up. It was a beautiful night, under a full moon. We could still see stars, though, including the Big Dipper! I was especially excited about that one. I haven’t seen it all year, and I’ve missed it. We also saw a few shooting stars.
So we hiked, probably going faster than needed, but oh well. I was among the first “group” to trickle to the top. It was still dark, with just a hint of light around the eastern horizon.
There were already hundreds of people up there. (As a side note, I always thought the national parks of America were pretty international, but I have to say that all these Egyptian sites are far more international in the nationalities you see and the languages you hear.) We found a niche and huddled close together to keep warm for a while. Shortly, though, we moved to find a better place to view the sunrise. It was cold, but hardly the coldest I’ve ever been. Doug said something about it being like hunting, which I could agree with. I have fond memories of feeling about the same level of coldness starting out on an early morning hunt. (Oh, and now, back in the states, I think I got colder in 5 minutes outside than I did on the whole Mt. Sinai excursion. It's cold here!!!) Anyway, the sunrise was something to behold. 
The moon was still up too. It was beautiful. 
After that we gathered and Josh recited Exodus 19-20 and Dan recited a poem about Moses. Then we headed down. I ended up taking the stair path with Christian, Trey, and Laura. It was crowded and a bit frustrating. You would get stuck behind people moving so slowly…and then the add insult to injury, while you were stuck waiting in line people would shove themselves in front of you. That’s something that really bothers me, I find, and it was very common here. It happened as we were crossing the border too. I kind of felt like a jerk, but no matter how much that guy behind me shoved his stroller into the back of my legs, I was bound and determined to keep him from passing me.On the way down I started feeling rather unwell. I slept most of the bus ride back and didn’t eat anything all day. Kinda sad. We got back to school just in time for many of us to pack and say good-bye. I was blessed to have to many people volunteer to help me. Looking forward to next semester!
Egypt, Day 6
Wow, I need to get cracking if I'm going to finish posting everything from Egypt before I leave for Kentucky! :)
December 11, 2008
Today, as I understand, was kind of our last “full” day. Not that the following days won't be full, they'll just be full of more traveling and fewer stops.
Today, however, was pretty amazing. I know some people have gotten a bit tired of seeing temple after temple, and I can understand where they’re coming from. It is a bit overwhelming. But at the same time, they’re all so amazing and beautiful. I wish I understood more of the pictures and hieroglyphics. I’m sure I would enjoy it even more.
Our day started on the bus at 6:00 and as we drove to our first site we were greeted by the sight of all sorts of hot air balloons, rising in the morning mist.
We started out at The Valley of the Kings where a large number of tombs have been found, mostly dating to the New Kingdom, I believe. We got to see Tutankhamen’s tomb, which was pretty amazing. Not so much because if its size or complexity or the beautiful paintings (it was really quite small and simple, though the paintings were nice), but because of what was found in it, in spite of its size. If that is what a fairly minor Pharaoh with a small grave gets, what did someone like Rameses II have in his tomb? I’ve seen most of the treasures in Tutankhamen’s tomb (see day 3) and I’ve seen the space, and I’ve seen pictures of how the treasures fit into the space, but I’m still not sure that I believe it. It was crammed! We also got to see Thutmoses III’s tomb, which I was excited about. There is some thought that he was the pharaoh of the oppression or of the exodus. As “evidence” of that people reference that fact the some pictures in his tomb show people being overwhelmed by water. I’ve now seen those pictures… I’m unconvinced. They’re pretty schematic pictures (stick figures drawn with black and red sharpies is what they look like). Still, interesting. We also saw the tombs of Ramses I and IX. Good times.
Next we went to Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple (Deir el-Bahri), which I had also been looking forward to. It was quite impressive.
It was also next to the ruins of Thutmoses’ III mortuary temple, and that of a Middle Kingdom Pharaoh who’s name escapes me at the moment. (Mentuhotep, I think.) That is pretty much the only thing from the Middle Kingdom that we’ve seen, oddly enough. We learned a bit about Hatshepsut. She was an interesting lady... She was of the royal line, but a woman wasn't allowed to be Pharaoh. Her son/step son/son-in-law (Thutmose III) was Pharaoh and she was he regent, and then she just took over. Kind of like Athelilah. She portrayed herself as a man, though. All the pictures of her in the temple were male. When she died, Thutmose III became Pharaoh for real. During his reign he or someone apparently chisled Hatshepsut's face and name off of everything, thus effectively destroying her hope of an afterlife. He (or someone) must have hated her a lot, and yet, that doesn't quite seem to fit either. Anyway, during her time the land had peace and seemed pretty prosperous.
After that we stopped at Deir el-Medina, which was yet another place that I was glad to go. I have heard it mentioned many times, even in fictional books, and now I can place a scene with the name. It is where the workers for the tombs lived (and where they build their own tombs) and Dr. Wright things that the living situation there might have been similar to what the Israelites experienced.
Anyway, we went into two of their tombs. They are much smaller than those of the Pharaohs, but the paintings are generally much more elaborate. They were beautiful. It is my one sorrow in life that I am not able to take pictures in most of these places.
Our fourth stop was at a temple…Ramses III’s temple? I don’t remember. I do know, though, that one of the scenes on the wall showed his battle with the sea peoples, so that was fun. It's terribly eroded, though, so that's unfortunate.
We finally got to stop for lunch. 5:30 to 1:30 is a long time to go between meals. (And then we didn’t get dinner until 10.) It was a good lunch. After lunch we went to the Ramsesium which I loved. It has the huge, broken statue of Ramses II on which it is thought that Shelly based his poem, “Ozymandius.”
So Cameron recited it for us. One wonders what it looked like back when the poem was written. How much actually was covered by sad? I mean, it’s pretty close to the river, and it’s pretty well uncovered, not half-sunk into the level sand that surrounds it on all sides… Of course, the poem is really only tangentially related to the statue, but still. I often find myself wondering what these places looked like 1) before reconstruction and 2) during the times they were made. They are pretty impressive now. What would they have been like then? Anyway, I really enjoyed that place. It was beautiful, with the light, the smell, the few plants, the stone... Just a very lovely place. I find that I like Egypt quite a lot now, in the middle of their winter. I’m not sure that I would like it quite so much in July.
We visited an alabaster factory which was entertaining. It was cool to see how they hand made some of the vases. They were very lovely, and very outside my price range. Oh well.
The last stop…the Memnon Colossus, I think. Anyway, two large, impressive statues.
I agree with Isaiah – it would be fun to climb them. Egypt would be much more fun if we were allowed to climb on and take pictures of everything. Oh well. I suppose they have a reason. It was also fun to see an Egyptian girl, dressed all in red, driving her sheep and goats along. There are all sorts of things like that which are just a glimpse of the past for us.
After that we headed back to Luxor and Maria and I went shopping together. It was mostly a fun experience, though bargaining makes me a bit nervous. Still, I think I did fairly well, on most things…maybe. Still probably got cheated. What can you do? At least I have Christmas presents now! We went back to the hotel for a while, and then I went to a Coptic church with Mina (our guide), Nai’ir (our travel agent – don’t know how to spell his name), Matt, Nathan, and Isaiah. It was interesting. On our way back Nai’ir gave Nathan and I some “holy bread” which was sort of in the shape of a cross. I have to say that the Coptic church interests me. It has endured so long in Egypt. I can’t say that I’ve known many Copts, but I’m sure there must be at least some who are truly saved. I just pray that God will purify, grow, and protect His church.
Now we’re back on the train, headed to Cairo. Yet again, I am exhausted and am going to bed.
Top things to hear in the market of Luxor:
1. Baksheesh!
2. You have beautiful eyes.
3. For you I make a special deal.
4. Hello, Lady, look at this.
Other Joys:
1. I love that I have used the words, “La, shukran” innumerable times in this trip. I wish those weren’t the only arabic words I knew.
2. It makes me smile every time Mina says, “Come on, Sphinxsters!”
December 11, 2008
Today, as I understand, was kind of our last “full” day. Not that the following days won't be full, they'll just be full of more traveling and fewer stops.
Today, however, was pretty amazing. I know some people have gotten a bit tired of seeing temple after temple, and I can understand where they’re coming from. It is a bit overwhelming. But at the same time, they’re all so amazing and beautiful. I wish I understood more of the pictures and hieroglyphics. I’m sure I would enjoy it even more.
Our day started on the bus at 6:00 and as we drove to our first site we were greeted by the sight of all sorts of hot air balloons, rising in the morning mist.
We started out at The Valley of the Kings where a large number of tombs have been found, mostly dating to the New Kingdom, I believe. We got to see Tutankhamen’s tomb, which was pretty amazing. Not so much because if its size or complexity or the beautiful paintings (it was really quite small and simple, though the paintings were nice), but because of what was found in it, in spite of its size. If that is what a fairly minor Pharaoh with a small grave gets, what did someone like Rameses II have in his tomb? I’ve seen most of the treasures in Tutankhamen’s tomb (see day 3) and I’ve seen the space, and I’ve seen pictures of how the treasures fit into the space, but I’m still not sure that I believe it. It was crammed! We also got to see Thutmoses III’s tomb, which I was excited about. There is some thought that he was the pharaoh of the oppression or of the exodus. As “evidence” of that people reference that fact the some pictures in his tomb show people being overwhelmed by water. I’ve now seen those pictures… I’m unconvinced. They’re pretty schematic pictures (stick figures drawn with black and red sharpies is what they look like). Still, interesting. We also saw the tombs of Ramses I and IX. Good times.
Next we went to Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple (Deir el-Bahri), which I had also been looking forward to. It was quite impressive.
It was also next to the ruins of Thutmoses’ III mortuary temple, and that of a Middle Kingdom Pharaoh who’s name escapes me at the moment. (Mentuhotep, I think.) That is pretty much the only thing from the Middle Kingdom that we’ve seen, oddly enough. We learned a bit about Hatshepsut. She was an interesting lady... She was of the royal line, but a woman wasn't allowed to be Pharaoh. Her son/step son/son-in-law (Thutmose III) was Pharaoh and she was he regent, and then she just took over. Kind of like Athelilah. She portrayed herself as a man, though. All the pictures of her in the temple were male. When she died, Thutmose III became Pharaoh for real. During his reign he or someone apparently chisled Hatshepsut's face and name off of everything, thus effectively destroying her hope of an afterlife. He (or someone) must have hated her a lot, and yet, that doesn't quite seem to fit either. Anyway, during her time the land had peace and seemed pretty prosperous.After that we stopped at Deir el-Medina, which was yet another place that I was glad to go. I have heard it mentioned many times, even in fictional books, and now I can place a scene with the name. It is where the workers for the tombs lived (and where they build their own tombs) and Dr. Wright things that the living situation there might have been similar to what the Israelites experienced.
Anyway, we went into two of their tombs. They are much smaller than those of the Pharaohs, but the paintings are generally much more elaborate. They were beautiful. It is my one sorrow in life that I am not able to take pictures in most of these places.Our fourth stop was at a temple…Ramses III’s temple? I don’t remember. I do know, though, that one of the scenes on the wall showed his battle with the sea peoples, so that was fun. It's terribly eroded, though, so that's unfortunate.
We finally got to stop for lunch. 5:30 to 1:30 is a long time to go between meals. (And then we didn’t get dinner until 10.) It was a good lunch. After lunch we went to the Ramsesium which I loved. It has the huge, broken statue of Ramses II on which it is thought that Shelly based his poem, “Ozymandius.”
So Cameron recited it for us. One wonders what it looked like back when the poem was written. How much actually was covered by sad? I mean, it’s pretty close to the river, and it’s pretty well uncovered, not half-sunk into the level sand that surrounds it on all sides… Of course, the poem is really only tangentially related to the statue, but still. I often find myself wondering what these places looked like 1) before reconstruction and 2) during the times they were made. They are pretty impressive now. What would they have been like then? Anyway, I really enjoyed that place. It was beautiful, with the light, the smell, the few plants, the stone... Just a very lovely place. I find that I like Egypt quite a lot now, in the middle of their winter. I’m not sure that I would like it quite so much in July.We visited an alabaster factory which was entertaining. It was cool to see how they hand made some of the vases. They were very lovely, and very outside my price range. Oh well.
The last stop…the Memnon Colossus, I think. Anyway, two large, impressive statues.
I agree with Isaiah – it would be fun to climb them. Egypt would be much more fun if we were allowed to climb on and take pictures of everything. Oh well. I suppose they have a reason. It was also fun to see an Egyptian girl, dressed all in red, driving her sheep and goats along. There are all sorts of things like that which are just a glimpse of the past for us.
After that we headed back to Luxor and Maria and I went shopping together. It was mostly a fun experience, though bargaining makes me a bit nervous. Still, I think I did fairly well, on most things…maybe. Still probably got cheated. What can you do? At least I have Christmas presents now! We went back to the hotel for a while, and then I went to a Coptic church with Mina (our guide), Nai’ir (our travel agent – don’t know how to spell his name), Matt, Nathan, and Isaiah. It was interesting. On our way back Nai’ir gave Nathan and I some “holy bread” which was sort of in the shape of a cross. I have to say that the Coptic church interests me. It has endured so long in Egypt. I can’t say that I’ve known many Copts, but I’m sure there must be at least some who are truly saved. I just pray that God will purify, grow, and protect His church.
Now we’re back on the train, headed to Cairo. Yet again, I am exhausted and am going to bed.
Top things to hear in the market of Luxor:
1. Baksheesh!
2. You have beautiful eyes.
3. For you I make a special deal.
4. Hello, Lady, look at this.
Other Joys:
1. I love that I have used the words, “La, shukran” innumerable times in this trip. I wish those weren’t the only arabic words I knew.
2. It makes me smile every time Mina says, “Come on, Sphinxsters!”
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Egypt, Day 5
December 10, 2008
And yet another amazing day. Today’s theme was temples. We saw four in all, two from the Greek/Roman time and two from, I think, the New Kingdom. They were all pretty much amazing. So huge, so many carvings, so complex, so…defying description. It really kind of bothers me, though, that someone (Christian or otherwise) spent so much time chipping out the beautifully carved faces and figures. It’s rather unfortunate. Still, so many good ones do remain.
At the first temple Heather gave a presentation on Egyptian medicine, which was quite interesting. They really knew quite a bit, considering the technology they had to work with. Their knowledge was probably partly the result of their practice of mummification – they learned a lot about anatomy and physiology through that. There was a carving on the wall which included various medical instruments they would have used.
As I look back, the first two temples especially are starting to blur together… I think it’s a lack of sleep. Or maybe it has to do with the time period they are from, which we didn't study at all.
The third temple was especially amazing, though. We went to Karnak! I have been looking forward to seeing that for a long time. It has so many links to the Bible and the land of the Bible that we’ve considered in class. It was nice to make those links. We got to see Thutmose III’s city list, and Shishack’s city list and all sorts of cool stuff like that. It’s amazing to see such old carvings that mention places that I’ve been. There were also images from Merenptha's campaign into Canaan and some people (like Anson Rainey) think that is also depicts Israelites:
Additionally, the sheer size of the place was amazing. It took 8 “average” people to reach all the way around one pillar.
The fourth and final temple was Luxor, which we visited after dark.
We had presentations on the Sphinx and on astronomy, both of which were quite interesting. I was excited to see one of these places after dark. We see advertisement about them being lit up at night, but we hadn’t seen any yet. It was lovely. Not quite as massive as Karnak, but still quite impressive.
More impressions of Egypt:
1. I think Aswan is still my favorite place that I’ve been thus far.
2. It’s hilarious how much time we spend comparing water prices. “I had to pay 10 pounds here!” “I got some one pound water at that place!” “Two for five!”
3. The whole 5 course meal is nice, but not all that helpful for us. We don’t know what to expect, so generally we eat up the first two or so, thinking that’s all we’ll get, and then we get to the main course and are slightly shocked that they’re still bringing us food and are too full to eat it.
4. I’m kind of glad not to be the oldest never-married person on this trip…
5. I’m really a bit exhausted.
6. Egyptians are interesting people. Friendly, in general, but I’m not entirely comfortable being asked to pay “Baksheesh” for minor favors or being asked to have a picture taken with me.
And yet another amazing day. Today’s theme was temples. We saw four in all, two from the Greek/Roman time and two from, I think, the New Kingdom. They were all pretty much amazing. So huge, so many carvings, so complex, so…defying description. It really kind of bothers me, though, that someone (Christian or otherwise) spent so much time chipping out the beautifully carved faces and figures. It’s rather unfortunate. Still, so many good ones do remain.
At the first temple Heather gave a presentation on Egyptian medicine, which was quite interesting. They really knew quite a bit, considering the technology they had to work with. Their knowledge was probably partly the result of their practice of mummification – they learned a lot about anatomy and physiology through that. There was a carving on the wall which included various medical instruments they would have used.
As I look back, the first two temples especially are starting to blur together… I think it’s a lack of sleep. Or maybe it has to do with the time period they are from, which we didn't study at all.
The third temple was especially amazing, though. We went to Karnak! I have been looking forward to seeing that for a long time. It has so many links to the Bible and the land of the Bible that we’ve considered in class. It was nice to make those links. We got to see Thutmose III’s city list, and Shishack’s city list and all sorts of cool stuff like that. It’s amazing to see such old carvings that mention places that I’ve been. There were also images from Merenptha's campaign into Canaan and some people (like Anson Rainey) think that is also depicts Israelites:
Additionally, the sheer size of the place was amazing. It took 8 “average” people to reach all the way around one pillar.
The fourth and final temple was Luxor, which we visited after dark.
We had presentations on the Sphinx and on astronomy, both of which were quite interesting. I was excited to see one of these places after dark. We see advertisement about them being lit up at night, but we hadn’t seen any yet. It was lovely. Not quite as massive as Karnak, but still quite impressive.
More impressions of Egypt:
1. I think Aswan is still my favorite place that I’ve been thus far.
2. It’s hilarious how much time we spend comparing water prices. “I had to pay 10 pounds here!” “I got some one pound water at that place!” “Two for five!”
3. The whole 5 course meal is nice, but not all that helpful for us. We don’t know what to expect, so generally we eat up the first two or so, thinking that’s all we’ll get, and then we get to the main course and are slightly shocked that they’re still bringing us food and are too full to eat it.
4. I’m kind of glad not to be the oldest never-married person on this trip…
5. I’m really a bit exhausted.
6. Egyptians are interesting people. Friendly, in general, but I’m not entirely comfortable being asked to pay “Baksheesh” for minor favors or being asked to have a picture taken with me.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Egypt, Day 4
December 9, 2008
What a day! Wow. We got off the train at 10:00 and went straight to the bus. (As a side note, the train adventure went pretty well. I didn’t sleep as well as I would like, but that was probably my fault and not the train.)
This was, according to Dr. Wright, to be more of a "fun" day. I guess by that he meant less educational about the ancient Egyptians? It was fun, for sure.
Our first real stop of the day was at the Granite quarry where we saw the famous unfinished obelisk. Actually, one of the guards at the side showed me around a bit and showed me a second unfinished obelisk, though it wasn’t as big and impressive as the first. Brad gave a great presentation on obelisks and talked about the methods that were likely employed in building and erecting them. The math and engineering behind some of these ancient buildings just stagger me. The painstaking, backbreaking work that must have been involved is a bit staggering too. I pounded a little with a couple of the dolerite balls they had there and didn't manage to do more than chip off a couple small pieces of granite. (Here I'm showing the lovely end of an unfinished obelisk.)
Our next stop was at the high dam which apparently supplies 40% of Egypt’s energy. The rest, our tour guide said, is supplied by solar panels and wind power. Hmmm… The dam and the talk of electricity makes me miss engineering. Speaking of engineering yet again, today was a good day for geeks. I got to talk about a waxing gibbous, rocks and volcanoes, fractals, and the Doppler effect, all today. (Mostly with Christina.) Yay, geeks!!
The last stop before lunch was on a temple (Philae Temple?) on an Island. The funny thing was, the temple had been moved from a previous Island which had become waterlogged and placed on a new Island sculptured to be just like the previous one. It was a pretty impressive place.
We ate lunch at the hotel. Wow. Nice hotel. Amazing lunch. I’m a fan.
After that we got on a another boat, crossed the Nile, and took camels up to an old Coptic Monastery. Camel riding is good fun.
I think I’ll have to do more of that. I wish I knew more of the commands and body movements they understand, and the proper way to sit and hang on. Oh well. It was fun, and I think I did fairly well. The Monastery itself was interesting. 
Mostly, it was interesting to see sand and some rocks stretching away into the distance. The difference between fertile river land and desert is stark, and the line between is so abrupt.
Next we took the boat upriver to a Nubian village. There we got a brief lesson in our 123’s, abc’s. It was really fun. Then we joined a family for drinks (I had hibiscus) and music and dancing. It was fun. We even got to see their 3 pet crocodiles.
I have to say, I really like this area. The water, the shapes and types of rocks, the tall grasses and palm trees. I can see how life here in ancient Egypt could have been very enjoyable. Of course, we haven’t experienced the diseases and problems with wild animals and famine and all. I’m sure that at times life here was very hard. Still, it’s lovely. We rode the boat home in the dark and looked at the moon and stars. It was so peaceful.
After showering and having a lovely dinner back at the hotel, some of us set out to see the Coptic church. It is a very large church, and apparently had just finished a service when we arrived. There were quite a few people standing around in groups talking, much like at my church back home after a service. It made me feel that this church is more vivacious than many orthodox churches I’ve seen in Jerusalem. Perhaps that is in part because this is a church and those are pilgrim sites.
After the church, Isaiah, Christina, and I went down on the river walk a bit and sat. It was nice and peaceful. I rather like this place. It also has Internet. And a great view from the roof.
And I need to go to bed again!
What a day! Wow. We got off the train at 10:00 and went straight to the bus. (As a side note, the train adventure went pretty well. I didn’t sleep as well as I would like, but that was probably my fault and not the train.)
This was, according to Dr. Wright, to be more of a "fun" day. I guess by that he meant less educational about the ancient Egyptians? It was fun, for sure.
Our first real stop of the day was at the Granite quarry where we saw the famous unfinished obelisk. Actually, one of the guards at the side showed me around a bit and showed me a second unfinished obelisk, though it wasn’t as big and impressive as the first. Brad gave a great presentation on obelisks and talked about the methods that were likely employed in building and erecting them. The math and engineering behind some of these ancient buildings just stagger me. The painstaking, backbreaking work that must have been involved is a bit staggering too. I pounded a little with a couple of the dolerite balls they had there and didn't manage to do more than chip off a couple small pieces of granite. (Here I'm showing the lovely end of an unfinished obelisk.)
Our next stop was at the high dam which apparently supplies 40% of Egypt’s energy. The rest, our tour guide said, is supplied by solar panels and wind power. Hmmm… The dam and the talk of electricity makes me miss engineering. Speaking of engineering yet again, today was a good day for geeks. I got to talk about a waxing gibbous, rocks and volcanoes, fractals, and the Doppler effect, all today. (Mostly with Christina.) Yay, geeks!!
The last stop before lunch was on a temple (Philae Temple?) on an Island. The funny thing was, the temple had been moved from a previous Island which had become waterlogged and placed on a new Island sculptured to be just like the previous one. It was a pretty impressive place.
We ate lunch at the hotel. Wow. Nice hotel. Amazing lunch. I’m a fan.
After that we got on a another boat, crossed the Nile, and took camels up to an old Coptic Monastery. Camel riding is good fun.
I think I’ll have to do more of that. I wish I knew more of the commands and body movements they understand, and the proper way to sit and hang on. Oh well. It was fun, and I think I did fairly well. The Monastery itself was interesting. 
Mostly, it was interesting to see sand and some rocks stretching away into the distance. The difference between fertile river land and desert is stark, and the line between is so abrupt.Next we took the boat upriver to a Nubian village. There we got a brief lesson in our 123’s, abc’s. It was really fun. Then we joined a family for drinks (I had hibiscus) and music and dancing. It was fun. We even got to see their 3 pet crocodiles.
I have to say, I really like this area. The water, the shapes and types of rocks, the tall grasses and palm trees. I can see how life here in ancient Egypt could have been very enjoyable. Of course, we haven’t experienced the diseases and problems with wild animals and famine and all. I’m sure that at times life here was very hard. Still, it’s lovely. We rode the boat home in the dark and looked at the moon and stars. It was so peaceful.
After showering and having a lovely dinner back at the hotel, some of us set out to see the Coptic church. It is a very large church, and apparently had just finished a service when we arrived. There were quite a few people standing around in groups talking, much like at my church back home after a service. It made me feel that this church is more vivacious than many orthodox churches I’ve seen in Jerusalem. Perhaps that is in part because this is a church and those are pilgrim sites.
After the church, Isaiah, Christina, and I went down on the river walk a bit and sat. It was nice and peaceful. I rather like this place. It also has Internet. And a great view from the roof. 
And I need to go to bed again!
Egypt, Day 3
December 8, 2008
I want my mummy!! Hahaha, groan. Indeed, today was filled with many mummies. But more on that later.
The day started at Tell el-Yehudiah. Rather, the day started on the way to the tell as we drove along part of the delta and watched people in their daily interactions with the river, washing dishes and such. Having seen copious amounts of trash in that river, including dead cows, I don’t think I would like to wash my dishes there. Nevertheless…
The tell was pretty sweet. (Wow, you know you’ve been in Israel too long when you get excited about a mound of dirt scattered with broken potsherds). Really, though, Tell el-Yehudiah was one of the main things I was really looking forward to seeing because I’ve heard so much about it and it’s one of the few places in Egypt where some sort of Biblical connection is easier to make. I mean, really, translated it’s called “the mound of the Jews.”
It has Middle Bronze Age fortifications. It’s got to be related to Canaan somehow! And indeed it is. Flinders Petrie excavated there (though I don’t remember the date) and found the first examples of what he dubbed “Tel el-Yehudiah Ware,” numerous samples of which were subsequently found in Canaan. It seems fairly clear that whoever inhabited Tel el-Yehudiah for most of its life as a town were Semitic. So the tell was cool, even though there were no major remains visible and we didn’t have enough time to look around. There was a lot of pottery (some fairly large sherds) and there were a couple of pretty clear destruction/burn layers. Fun times. Very fertile, green area.
After that excitement we headed downtown to “Old Cairo” where we visited a couple churches and a synagogue. The churches were interesting, though I’m not sure I enjoyed them a whole lot. It was rather strange having the guide talk about saints and miraculous sightings of Mary and a stone cross that used to bleed. Did they really happen? Is it made up? A hoax? Someone’s wild imaginations? I admit, I’m rather skeptical. Or if they did happen, I’m more prone to attribute them to Satan than to God. I thought it was interesting that each church had 12 pillars (like the 12 apostles) and each also had sort of an “odd man out” pillar. Most were made of alabaster, but one was of granite or basalt – the Judas pillar. Isaiah and I had an interesting discussion about the orthodox church … what do we (as protestants) do with them? Hmmm…
The synagogue was interesting too, mostly because of the Hebrew writing. As soon as the guide (Mina) was done talking, I think all the Hebrew students rushed to try to make out the Hebrew. It was unpointed, so that made it a tad more difficult. Still, I think we managed fairly well. I was pleased that I was able to make out quite a few different words, in spite of their unpointed condition and my sadly lacking vocabulary.
Next stop was lunch. Since we have spent all semester learning about rocks, it was only appropriate that lunch be similarly themed. Yes, we went to the Hard Rock Café in Cairo. First Hard Rock Café I’ve been too. Wow. Interesting place. I have to say, though, I was rather disappointed that they didn’t allow nuclear weapons in the bathroom stalls. Tragic, really.
The last “educational” stop of the day was at the Cairo Museum. WOW. Amazing. Immense. Overwhelming. Fascinating. Need I go on? It was impressive. (Really bummed that pictures weren’t allowed, though.) It has specimens from pretty much every period of time in Egyptian history, ranging from pre-dynastic to the Greek and then Roman times. Statues ranging from nearly 2 stories high to statues 4cm high, maybe less. The guide took us through, pointing out things he thought were important. I didn’t so much enjoy that part – I could rarely hear him, there were far too many people in one area, and when I could hear him, he rarely said anything particularly interesting. So eventually I gave up trying to see what he was pointing out and listening to him and instead looked around the general area. I would have considered wandering off, but then I wouldn’t have gotten to see the Mummy room or have known what time to meet at the end.
Favorite parts of the Museum?
1. King Tutankhamen display. Holy buckets of gold! That was an impressive display. I mean, ok, the funerary mask and two of the caskets and the various pieces of jewelry which were in a separate room were all spectacular. It was crazy to think that I was seeing things that I remember studying in 6th grades social crudies. :) I’ll have to tell Mrs. Broughton. Won’t she be jealous! 11 kg of gold in the mask alone. That’s just crazy. And that was just the beginning. A whole hallway was filled with displays of things that were found crowded into his tomb. It was overwhelming. And all this for a fairly minor Pharaoh who ruled only 9 years and died at the age of 18.
2. Mummies! We saw probably about 20 of them. And these are the most famous ones – like Merenepthah, or Ramses II (III, IV, IX, etc.), Hatshepsut, etc. In their lives, people must have trembled before them, and now… Along the same lines, do you know how incredibly complex and detailed the contents of the tombs were? The Egyptians were definitely a people obsessed with life – the after life. They put a huge amount of effort into preparing for it, and yet in the end, where are they today? Kind of tragic. And it makes me wonder. When Abraham, Isaac, and others where “brought” by God to Egypt, was is so that one or two of the Egyptians would have a chance of real eternal life?
3. Mereneptha Stele which mentions the Tribe of Israel as being destroyed by Mereneptha around 1205BCE.
4. Armarna letters.
5. Greek/Egyptian statue – the whole thing was farily Egyptian in style with the exception of the curls around the head. Those were quite Greek. It was kind of funny.
After the Museum we had a short stop at the Market. It made me laugh – those shopkeepers.
After that the excitement still wasn’t over – we got to take the train!
It has been pretty fun so far. So exciting, it’s taken me a while to wind down and feel tired. Charlene and I opened the door between ours and Brad’s and Chang Hun’s room and ate dinner “with” them. Good times. We thought about going to the belly dancing contest, but... ;) Anyway, it’s still fun, but I think I’m going to see if I can catch some sleep shortly here. ‘night!
I want my mummy!! Hahaha, groan. Indeed, today was filled with many mummies. But more on that later.
The day started at Tell el-Yehudiah. Rather, the day started on the way to the tell as we drove along part of the delta and watched people in their daily interactions with the river, washing dishes and such. Having seen copious amounts of trash in that river, including dead cows, I don’t think I would like to wash my dishes there. Nevertheless…
The tell was pretty sweet. (Wow, you know you’ve been in Israel too long when you get excited about a mound of dirt scattered with broken potsherds). Really, though, Tell el-Yehudiah was one of the main things I was really looking forward to seeing because I’ve heard so much about it and it’s one of the few places in Egypt where some sort of Biblical connection is easier to make. I mean, really, translated it’s called “the mound of the Jews.”
It has Middle Bronze Age fortifications. It’s got to be related to Canaan somehow! And indeed it is. Flinders Petrie excavated there (though I don’t remember the date) and found the first examples of what he dubbed “Tel el-Yehudiah Ware,” numerous samples of which were subsequently found in Canaan. It seems fairly clear that whoever inhabited Tel el-Yehudiah for most of its life as a town were Semitic. So the tell was cool, even though there were no major remains visible and we didn’t have enough time to look around. There was a lot of pottery (some fairly large sherds) and there were a couple of pretty clear destruction/burn layers. Fun times. Very fertile, green area. After that excitement we headed downtown to “Old Cairo” where we visited a couple churches and a synagogue. The churches were interesting, though I’m not sure I enjoyed them a whole lot. It was rather strange having the guide talk about saints and miraculous sightings of Mary and a stone cross that used to bleed. Did they really happen? Is it made up? A hoax? Someone’s wild imaginations? I admit, I’m rather skeptical. Or if they did happen, I’m more prone to attribute them to Satan than to God. I thought it was interesting that each church had 12 pillars (like the 12 apostles) and each also had sort of an “odd man out” pillar. Most were made of alabaster, but one was of granite or basalt – the Judas pillar. Isaiah and I had an interesting discussion about the orthodox church … what do we (as protestants) do with them? Hmmm…
The synagogue was interesting too, mostly because of the Hebrew writing. As soon as the guide (Mina) was done talking, I think all the Hebrew students rushed to try to make out the Hebrew. It was unpointed, so that made it a tad more difficult. Still, I think we managed fairly well. I was pleased that I was able to make out quite a few different words, in spite of their unpointed condition and my sadly lacking vocabulary. Next stop was lunch. Since we have spent all semester learning about rocks, it was only appropriate that lunch be similarly themed. Yes, we went to the Hard Rock Café in Cairo. First Hard Rock Café I’ve been too. Wow. Interesting place. I have to say, though, I was rather disappointed that they didn’t allow nuclear weapons in the bathroom stalls. Tragic, really.
The last “educational” stop of the day was at the Cairo Museum. WOW. Amazing. Immense. Overwhelming. Fascinating. Need I go on? It was impressive. (Really bummed that pictures weren’t allowed, though.) It has specimens from pretty much every period of time in Egyptian history, ranging from pre-dynastic to the Greek and then Roman times. Statues ranging from nearly 2 stories high to statues 4cm high, maybe less. The guide took us through, pointing out things he thought were important. I didn’t so much enjoy that part – I could rarely hear him, there were far too many people in one area, and when I could hear him, he rarely said anything particularly interesting. So eventually I gave up trying to see what he was pointing out and listening to him and instead looked around the general area. I would have considered wandering off, but then I wouldn’t have gotten to see the Mummy room or have known what time to meet at the end.
Favorite parts of the Museum?
1. King Tutankhamen display. Holy buckets of gold! That was an impressive display. I mean, ok, the funerary mask and two of the caskets and the various pieces of jewelry which were in a separate room were all spectacular. It was crazy to think that I was seeing things that I remember studying in 6th grades social crudies. :) I’ll have to tell Mrs. Broughton. Won’t she be jealous! 11 kg of gold in the mask alone. That’s just crazy. And that was just the beginning. A whole hallway was filled with displays of things that were found crowded into his tomb. It was overwhelming. And all this for a fairly minor Pharaoh who ruled only 9 years and died at the age of 18.
2. Mummies! We saw probably about 20 of them. And these are the most famous ones – like Merenepthah, or Ramses II (III, IV, IX, etc.), Hatshepsut, etc. In their lives, people must have trembled before them, and now… Along the same lines, do you know how incredibly complex and detailed the contents of the tombs were? The Egyptians were definitely a people obsessed with life – the after life. They put a huge amount of effort into preparing for it, and yet in the end, where are they today? Kind of tragic. And it makes me wonder. When Abraham, Isaac, and others where “brought” by God to Egypt, was is so that one or two of the Egyptians would have a chance of real eternal life?
3. Mereneptha Stele which mentions the Tribe of Israel as being destroyed by Mereneptha around 1205BCE.
4. Armarna letters.
5. Greek/Egyptian statue – the whole thing was farily Egyptian in style with the exception of the curls around the head. Those were quite Greek. It was kind of funny.
After the Museum we had a short stop at the Market. It made me laugh – those shopkeepers.
After that the excitement still wasn’t over – we got to take the train!
It has been pretty fun so far. So exciting, it’s taken me a while to wind down and feel tired. Charlene and I opened the door between ours and Brad’s and Chang Hun’s room and ate dinner “with” them. Good times. We thought about going to the belly dancing contest, but... ;) Anyway, it’s still fun, but I think I’m going to see if I can catch some sleep shortly here. ‘night!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Egypt, Day 2
December 7, 2008
I can now say that I’ve seen most of the more famous pyramids in Egypt up close, and I’ve even been inside two of them! (This is the bent pyramid.)
We didn’t get to go inside any of the 3 most famous ones, but oh well. The first one we went inside, the Red Pyramid, built by Sneferu (4th dynasty). It was the third pyramid he built and is the first “true” pyramid. 
I have in my notes that it is called the red pyramid because it is built of granite. Our Egyptian guide said that it was called red because of how it looks when the sun hits is and all pyramids are made of sandstone. Hmm… Anyway, that was our first stop and my first trip inside a pyramid. The air inside was far ranker than anything I had previously experienced. I mean, I’ve gotten somewhat used to the occasionally smell of garbage and urine over the semester, but this…it smelled quite similar to an outhouse, but much stronger and unrelenting. Nevertheless, it was amazing inside. Amazing to think about people carrying all sorts of treasures inside through those steep, narrow paths. Amazing to see the huge boulders inside fitted so tightly that the narrowest knife wouldn’t be able to squeeze between them. Wow. The other pyramid we went inside was itself not that impressive of an edifice on the outside. I believe it belonged to Teti, of the 6th Dynasty. It did not smell nearly as bad, and the passages inside were not nearly as long. The inside was also covered by hieroglyphics (whereas the other had been plain) so that was cool.
We went to a couple museums featuring various statues and Egyptian finds. I have to admit, I don’t think I know enough about Egyptian history and archaeology to be as interested as I have been at museums in Israel. Still, they were cool. I think one of my favorite pieces was the cubit rod.
We got to look around in the “Mereruka Mastaba” and see all the reliefs on the walls and the falls doors. The pictures were amazing – so intricate and small. How long they must have taken! Let’s see, my favorites… We didn’t really have enough time to take them all in, but I think the two that really caught my eye were in the first chamber. The first was a picture of people basically wrestling a cow. One of them had the tail, a couple had the horns, and they were going at it. It reminded me of the Big Timber Rodeo wild cow race. The other was a larger image of a man and woman. Their heads were cut off, but they were holding hands. It was cute.
We visited the Djoser pyramid complex (a stepped pyramid). Basically a series of, I think, 7 Mastabas built on top of each other.
We finally got to see the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx at Giza. Unfortunately, we were quite rushed there. Oh well, still fun to see.
We also stopped at a Papyrus factory on the way back to our hotel before dinner. We saw a short demonstration on how Papyrus was made. Pretty cool.
Favorite parts of Egypt today (I mean, other than the pyramids):
1. Seeing random mammals in the backs of pickup trucks. No fancy camel trailer for the dromedary. No sir! The back of this short bed truck will do just fine! And when the camel is done using it, it can do duty as a bovine transporter. Sheep and people were also seen in the back of trucks, sometimes more than one species together.
2. I really like the pita-like bread and the sauces.
3. Seeing signs that say things like, “Please do not throw toilet paper at the toilet.”
4. I haven’t gotten sick yet! (knock on wood)
I have to say that Egypt reminds me more of Bolivia than Israel did, though quite obviously all of them are quite different. Some of the smells here, though, are similar, as well as seeing donkeys in the street and people in the backs of trucks.
Ok, I’m off to bed.
I can now say that I’ve seen most of the more famous pyramids in Egypt up close, and I’ve even been inside two of them! (This is the bent pyramid.)
We didn’t get to go inside any of the 3 most famous ones, but oh well. The first one we went inside, the Red Pyramid, built by Sneferu (4th dynasty). It was the third pyramid he built and is the first “true” pyramid. 
I have in my notes that it is called the red pyramid because it is built of granite. Our Egyptian guide said that it was called red because of how it looks when the sun hits is and all pyramids are made of sandstone. Hmm… Anyway, that was our first stop and my first trip inside a pyramid. The air inside was far ranker than anything I had previously experienced. I mean, I’ve gotten somewhat used to the occasionally smell of garbage and urine over the semester, but this…it smelled quite similar to an outhouse, but much stronger and unrelenting. Nevertheless, it was amazing inside. Amazing to think about people carrying all sorts of treasures inside through those steep, narrow paths. Amazing to see the huge boulders inside fitted so tightly that the narrowest knife wouldn’t be able to squeeze between them. Wow. The other pyramid we went inside was itself not that impressive of an edifice on the outside. I believe it belonged to Teti, of the 6th Dynasty. It did not smell nearly as bad, and the passages inside were not nearly as long. The inside was also covered by hieroglyphics (whereas the other had been plain) so that was cool.We went to a couple museums featuring various statues and Egyptian finds. I have to admit, I don’t think I know enough about Egyptian history and archaeology to be as interested as I have been at museums in Israel. Still, they were cool. I think one of my favorite pieces was the cubit rod.
We got to look around in the “Mereruka Mastaba” and see all the reliefs on the walls and the falls doors. The pictures were amazing – so intricate and small. How long they must have taken! Let’s see, my favorites… We didn’t really have enough time to take them all in, but I think the two that really caught my eye were in the first chamber. The first was a picture of people basically wrestling a cow. One of them had the tail, a couple had the horns, and they were going at it. It reminded me of the Big Timber Rodeo wild cow race. The other was a larger image of a man and woman. Their heads were cut off, but they were holding hands. It was cute.
We visited the Djoser pyramid complex (a stepped pyramid). Basically a series of, I think, 7 Mastabas built on top of each other.
We finally got to see the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx at Giza. Unfortunately, we were quite rushed there. Oh well, still fun to see.
We also stopped at a Papyrus factory on the way back to our hotel before dinner. We saw a short demonstration on how Papyrus was made. Pretty cool.
Favorite parts of Egypt today (I mean, other than the pyramids):
1. Seeing random mammals in the backs of pickup trucks. No fancy camel trailer for the dromedary. No sir! The back of this short bed truck will do just fine! And when the camel is done using it, it can do duty as a bovine transporter. Sheep and people were also seen in the back of trucks, sometimes more than one species together.
2. I really like the pita-like bread and the sauces.
3. Seeing signs that say things like, “Please do not throw toilet paper at the toilet.”
4. I haven’t gotten sick yet! (knock on wood)I have to say that Egypt reminds me more of Bolivia than Israel did, though quite obviously all of them are quite different. Some of the smells here, though, are similar, as well as seeing donkeys in the street and people in the backs of trucks.
Ok, I’m off to bed.
Home and Egypt
Well, here I am, after a good night's sleep in a nice bed, sitting in a comfy chair in front of a blazing fire, while outside people are enduring sub-zero temperatures. The last time I slept through the night on a bed I was on a train to Cairo and the temperature outside was probably in the 70's. What a change a few days make! What a ride. And I'm 1/4 done with my master's degree, Lord willing. Now I just need to decide if I want to do a thesis or not. Hmmm.... any advice? :) Anyway, to catch you all up to date I'm going to post all my Egypt impression reports. Don't feel the need to read them all in one sitting.
December 6, 2008
I’m in Africa! Today was quite a day – at the bus at 5:30 am, and we didn’t get to our hotel until 10:30 pm. This is the sunrise we saw on the Ascent of Adumim, on the way out of Jerusalem. Actually, you can see the Dead Sea in this one.
As we were driving we saw an island just off the coast with the remains of a crusader castle on it, I think. Very picturesque. That’s apparently one possibility for the location of Solomon’s fleet in the Red Sea (Biblical Elath).
Our only real “stop” of the day was at the Red Sea, on the Egyptian side of the border. We got to swim for a bit, which was fun. One more ocean to add to my list! Plus we got to see lion fish in the water. (You can't see it too well in the picture, but it's there!)
I need to check tides, though, because I’m guessing there isn’t much of one there. The water was really still. After swimming we went to lunch at Sol y Mer, Sea Star, at the Captain’s Table. It was pretty good food. I even tried a stuffed crab. It was cute. I think I may have had real crab meat before, but never in recognizable form. Pretty exciting.
Then we drove across the Sinai Peninsula. It was pretty barren, and fairly flat much of the way. I admit it – I slept. Still, I saw parts and was glad that I didn’t have to wander there for 40 years.
Finally, probably around 6pm, we made it to the Suez Canal and actually drove under it. We got into Cairo itself around 8. It’s a city of around 20 million. (Egypt has a total population of 80 million). I think that would qualify it as the largest city I’ve been in. Hmm…then again…well, I’d have to check, but at least it’s close. Dr. Wright said that the number of people who work the night shift here is greater than the number of people in Chicago. So, it’s a big place. And busy. It’s nearly midnight as I write and it sounds like rush-hour traffic outside. Egypt is 15% Christian. Fairly large Coptic group, I would guess. We got to our restaurant (a boat on the Nile) around 9:00. Good dinner. And now it’s nearly bedtime.
(This is the boat we ate on, on the right side of the picture. You can see the lights of the city reflected in the Nile to the left.)
A few first-impressions of Africa/Egypt.
- Lots of Arabic! I wish I could read it and/or understand it orally, even a little bit.
- Fortunately, the heat hasn’t been bad, though I did notice that the boarder crossing was warmer than Jerusalem. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.
- Traffic is crazy
- I saw a bus/van/something with headlights that change color like fiber-optic decorations. Apparently, they don’t like to use their headlights all the time, so the colors were only noticeable when the headlights were off.
- As we were driving, I could see clearly into a men’s bathroom…fortunately no men in at the time. Curtains are good, yes?
- It’s really a good distance from Jerusalem to Cairo.
- I’m always amazed at the western influence in these Muslim countries. I suppose the ones I’ve been to so far are fairly westernized, but the clothing one sees in stores is really not all the much more modest than clothing in America. I suppose the main difference is that girls wear it but cover it up when in public. Maybe?
- Minarets and mosques are odd. They are often beautiful buildings, but at night they are lit up by neon green lights. It just strikes a discordant note to me.
- I kept seeing small vehicles with huge amounts of luggage stacked on top. Will have to try to get a picture.
- I’m sure I’ll add more tomorrow, but right now I need sleep!
December 6, 2008
I’m in Africa! Today was quite a day – at the bus at 5:30 am, and we didn’t get to our hotel until 10:30 pm. This is the sunrise we saw on the Ascent of Adumim, on the way out of Jerusalem. Actually, you can see the Dead Sea in this one.
As we were driving we saw an island just off the coast with the remains of a crusader castle on it, I think. Very picturesque. That’s apparently one possibility for the location of Solomon’s fleet in the Red Sea (Biblical Elath).
Our only real “stop” of the day was at the Red Sea, on the Egyptian side of the border. We got to swim for a bit, which was fun. One more ocean to add to my list! Plus we got to see lion fish in the water. (You can't see it too well in the picture, but it's there!)
I need to check tides, though, because I’m guessing there isn’t much of one there. The water was really still. After swimming we went to lunch at Sol y Mer, Sea Star, at the Captain’s Table. It was pretty good food. I even tried a stuffed crab. It was cute. I think I may have had real crab meat before, but never in recognizable form. Pretty exciting.
Then we drove across the Sinai Peninsula. It was pretty barren, and fairly flat much of the way. I admit it – I slept. Still, I saw parts and was glad that I didn’t have to wander there for 40 years.
Finally, probably around 6pm, we made it to the Suez Canal and actually drove under it. We got into Cairo itself around 8. It’s a city of around 20 million. (Egypt has a total population of 80 million). I think that would qualify it as the largest city I’ve been in. Hmm…then again…well, I’d have to check, but at least it’s close. Dr. Wright said that the number of people who work the night shift here is greater than the number of people in Chicago. So, it’s a big place. And busy. It’s nearly midnight as I write and it sounds like rush-hour traffic outside. Egypt is 15% Christian. Fairly large Coptic group, I would guess. We got to our restaurant (a boat on the Nile) around 9:00. Good dinner. And now it’s nearly bedtime.
(This is the boat we ate on, on the right side of the picture. You can see the lights of the city reflected in the Nile to the left.)A few first-impressions of Africa/Egypt.
- Lots of Arabic! I wish I could read it and/or understand it orally, even a little bit.
- Fortunately, the heat hasn’t been bad, though I did notice that the boarder crossing was warmer than Jerusalem. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.
- Traffic is crazy
- I saw a bus/van/something with headlights that change color like fiber-optic decorations. Apparently, they don’t like to use their headlights all the time, so the colors were only noticeable when the headlights were off.
- As we were driving, I could see clearly into a men’s bathroom…fortunately no men in at the time. Curtains are good, yes?
- It’s really a good distance from Jerusalem to Cairo.
- I’m always amazed at the western influence in these Muslim countries. I suppose the ones I’ve been to so far are fairly westernized, but the clothing one sees in stores is really not all the much more modest than clothing in America. I suppose the main difference is that girls wear it but cover it up when in public. Maybe?
- Minarets and mosques are odd. They are often beautiful buildings, but at night they are lit up by neon green lights. It just strikes a discordant note to me.
- I kept seeing small vehicles with huge amounts of luggage stacked on top. Will have to try to get a picture.
- I’m sure I’ll add more tomorrow, but right now I need sleep!
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