Egypt 1: The Trip

 

Luxor Temple

In January 2026 we traveled to Egypt on a tour organized by the Biblical Archaeological Society.  We had an Egyptian tour guide named Naeil, pronounced Nile.  Also leading us was Gary Rendsburg, a professor of biblical studies, Hebrew language, and ancient Judaism at one of my alma maters, Rutgers University.

The focus was archaeology and the 5,000 years of Egyptian history.

Carpet Weaving School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Passover Seder each year the Haggadah refers to Egypt as "the narrow place." I thought this was a metaphor for the place of slavery and oppression.  Not really: ancient Egypt was hundreds of miles long but only about six miles wide.  That was as far as the Nile could irrigate, so beyond that was desert, inhabited by Bedouins, who were not considered part of the country.

This is my personal scrapbook or slideshow of the trip.  I don't mind if you peek.

 Next: 2. Saqqara