Encounters with Ancient Egypt

The civilization of ancient Egypt, which lasted from 3,000 B.C. to 332 B.C., before being conquered by Alexander the Great, continues to enthrall us. Egyptologist Mary Vaught will explore this fascinating world in images and words.

The Museums of Egypt

Taking a trip to Egypt allows you to see the marvelous pyramids, temples, and tombs of Ancient Egypt. In addition to these historical sites, it is highly recommended to include visits to the museums during your tour. Since 1902, the main museum of all things ancient Egyptian has been the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (EMC), a treasure trove of all eras of ancient Egypt. In recent years, new museums like the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, the Imhotep Museum in Sakkara, and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) have been established to house collections from the EMC. Let’s delve into the wonders of these wonderful new museums.

The Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead, original Egyptian name for the text, transliterated r(ꜣ)w n(y)w prt m hrw(w), is translated as "Book of Coming Forth by Day" or "Book of Emerging Forth into the Light." It is a loose collection of texts consisting of magic spells intended to assist a dead person's journey through the Duat, or underworld, and into the afterlife and written by many priests over a period of about 1,000 years. We will look at the various texts in this so-called book, the history of the texts and their importance in the journey after death for the ancient Egyptians.