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  Two things everybody knows about ancient Egypt

Why Egypt?

There are older civilizations (Sumer, by a whisker) and plenty of dead cultures close by to assuage one’s curiosity (Incas, Mayans, Aztec, etc.), so why fly half-way around the world to get your antiquarian rocks off?  Well, the answer is crushingly obvious.  Egypt – the Pharaonic culture we associate with the pyramids and King Tut – lasted about 3000 years, far, far longer than any other ancient civilization.  Moreover, it built and sculptured in hard, erosion-resistant stone, thereby leaving behind multitudes of objects for us to gawk at and wonder about.  Additionally, this richness of surviving artifacts has generated an enormous amount of study and exploration, by persons ranging from sober academic scholars to shifty-eyed tomb-looters.  Europeans began messing around in the Nile valley more than two centuries ago.  All this attention has churned up a meaty and complex story, as well as quite a few mysteries, for us to ponder.  And, blessing of blessings, they are still digging stuff up!

But seriously, the ancient Egyptians were the first, or almost the first, to tackle the important, universal questions of human life: Where did we come from?   Where do we go after death?  Are there entities superior to us who influence our daily lives?   How should we behave – and why?  Ancient Egyptians confronted these questions long before any of our extant religions came Into existence The answers they came up with are deeply absorbing.

So – that’s why you need to go to Egypt.  Moreover, the food is good, the mid-winter weather excellent, and prices are reasonable – compared, say, to Norway. Furthermore, there are non-Pharaonic pleasures to be had, especially in Cairo and Luxor.  But bring your own whiskey.