Ancient Egypt offers a wide range of topics to explore. These topics provide a starting point for exploring the rich and complex civilization of Ancient Egypt. Each area offers a unique perspective on the history, culture, and achievements of this remarkable ancient civilization.
In the times of Ancient Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula was known by several evocative names, each reflecting its character and significance. The most enduring term was Mafkat, meaning “Country of Turquoise,” a nod to its famed turquoise mines in the southern regions near Serabit el-Khadim and Wadi Maghareh (Egyptian Arabic: “Valley of the Caves”). An...
The game of Senet (Ancient Egyptian: “znt”, meaning ‘passing’ and in Coptic: ⲥⲓⲛⲉ/sinə, meaning “passing, afternoon”), is a board game consisting of 10 or more pawns on a 30 square playing board.whose origins stretch back to the earliest dynasties of Ancient Egypt, was more than a pastime of the living; it was a symbolic rite...
Sham Ennessim (Sham El-Nassim) (شم النسيم), celebrated each year in Egypt on the Monday following Coptic Easter, is a vibrant springtime festival that unites Egyptians of all faiths in a joyful celebration of nature’s renewal. Though today it is observed as a national holiday, its origins stretch far deeper, reaching back into the fertile soil...
Within the Tutankhamun’s tomb, two mummified foetuses were discovered. Known as Mummies 317a and 317b, the female mummies were buried with no namesake alongside their father, and are simply referred to as “Osiris” on their coffins The foetus known as 317a was born prematurely at approximately 5–6 months of gestation. With C.T. scans estimating her...
The Egyptian military estimated the number of those killed in front of the king soon after combat ended by displaying the severed hands of the deceased enemy. This was all but a theory based upon ancient reliefs until 2012 when archaeologists excavating at the modern site of Avaris, Tell el-Daba, unearthed 16 human right hands...
In Ancient Egyptian art, when a king is depicted touching the Was sceptre, it is a symbolic gesture signifying his divine authority and legitimate rule. The Was sceptre, often held by gods such as Thoth or Osiris, represents power, dominion, and the control of chaos. By touching it, the king affirms his connection to the...
Egypt was one of the very first lands to embrace Christianity, long before it was sanctioned by the Roman Empire. Tradition holds that Saint Mark the Evangelist brought the Christian faith to Alexandria in the 1st century A.D., establishing one of the world’s earliest Christian communities. By the time Constantine issued the Edict of Milan...
The Ancient Egyptians held one of the most sophisticated and enduring beliefs regarding the soul in the ancient world. Far from being a singular, indivisible entity, the soul in Ancient Egyptian thought was composed of multiple interconnected parts, each fulfilling a specific role in both life and the afterlife. These concepts, deeply rooted in religious...
In Ancient Egyptian thought, the gods were not merely supernatural beings to be worshipped, but profound personifications of essential concepts that underpinned the very fabric of existence. To the Egyptians, divinity and ideology were inseparable; their deities embodied the principles that sustained both the cosmos and society. Foremost among these was Ma’at, the divine embodiment...
Inherkhau was the ‘Foreman of the Lord of the Two Lands in the Place of Truth’ during the reigns of Ramesses III and Ramesses IV, c. 1186–1149 B.C. In this scene, depicted upon one of the walls of his tomb (TT359), we behold Inherkhau seated alongside his wife and four children, receiving offerings in tribute....
