I loved this phrase, "you will probably never know exactly what I’m going to put in your inbox", and I hope it will be the case, a wonderful promise. I loved imagining the east bank as the side where the sun rose each morning on the modern world, and the west bank as a land of the past. To go back in time, simply head west, and see how a king wanted to be remembered. The zooming out to consider the historical context (my favorite thing) on a how a king wanted to be seen, as the sun set on the Bronze age, took on new meaning with a comparison to the present. Another great story, plus links!
Isn't it fascinating that people who lived millennia ago could construct a metaphor--the sun rising in the modern city and setting on the land of the past--that still resonates with us today? I can't wait to share more about this amazing place...thanks for reading, Edward, as always. :)
I once stayed at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas and I'm pretty sure I had the exact opposite experience as this, haha! Beautiful pictures and history lesson. When I visit places like this, I always wonder how much we understand, knowing unreliable narrators of the stories that get passed down. Places as old as this, it's basically the longest game of telephone. I also found interesting the mirroring of all the events then, and how it sounds eerily familiar to now.
Also, agree with one of your other commenters, write whatever you want!
Thank you Stephanie :) I have never been to Vegas, but I now have a funny urge to go to see how they interpret ancient Egypt, haha! And "the longest game of telephone" is a great way to describe it. So much gets garbled with time and as we lose context.
Interesting piece! A small correction. The collapse of the Bronze Age was in the 12th century BC, not AD. I know from experience such typos are easy to overlook. This may interest you: 1177 BC: When Civilization Collapsed, by Eric Cline before the Long Now Foundation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4LRHJlijVU
Oh my goodness Jim, you're so right! I just corrected the typo--I knew in my head it was BC, yet somehow it snuck in anyway! And yes, I've heard of Dr. Cline's book. It's going on my reading list.
Luxor was my favorite experience in Egypt, but mostly situational. When my friend and I arrived off the train from Cairo, we were at the Nile seeking a ferry to cross, when a soldier offered us passage and hooked us up with his uncle, who is a tour guide. Total cost of passage and tour, roughly about $5 USD.
We totally, totally, totally thought we were gonna get taken for some scam or another, but the fact is the soldier seemed thrilled to meet us and the uncle saw it as a good time. He, uh, unlocked more'n'afew tombs and stuff for us to crawl around in. Then we all got dinner together.
There may have been a cultural circumstantial element to their situation. We were there in December of 2010. Several times we crossed street gatherings that looked neither festive or religious... We asked the soldier how long he was on leave and he said, "Oh no, I am not on leave, but I felt it was time to leave."... He seemed otherwise interested in keeping away of the topic of being a soldier.
A month after we returned from our trip, we heard about the Arab Spring demonstrations for the first time.
This is fascinating! Guessing the soldier you met was one of a cohort that went AWOL around that time...
Sounds like you got to check out some of the less frequented tombs--very cool. I've only gone into five total, but based on that small slice I think the ones that aren't as heavily visited offer a way better experience. We went to a couple of the tombs of the nobles, and not only were we more or less alone, but the artwork was much more interesting than in the tombs of the pharaohs, imho.
Thanks for drawing our attention to what's *actually* going on in all the big, small, and tiny frames of those fractal-like Egyptian reliefs. It's so easy to let our eyes skim over them!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing! I was in Cairo in 1978 with an Egyptian friend to celebrate President Sadat’s peace initiative. It’s one of the highlights of my life.
That is so cool, Patricia! What an amazing time to be in Egypt--I've seen pictures from Cairo in that era and it looks like a completely different world. The streetcars, the green in Tahrir Square...I wish I could travel back in time to experience it as it was then.
I loved this; are you familiar with the Res Gestae Divi Augusti at all? (Yes, 100% guilty of being a classicist!) More on a theme and all that.
Also, I like the unpredictability of some newsletters, it what makes me excited to open them and see what comes next. And, yes to the links roundups please! I've never done a screen detox but when I get very stressed I ditch all electric lights. I find candlelight away from any electric screen or lighting (as in, enough candle light to read by, cook by, not just lighting a candle) impossibly soothing.
I was not familiar with the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, so I just looked it up--sounds like Augustus had the same idea as Ramesses III! Strictly speaking it’s all true, and yet...
Thank you for the helpful feedback!! Something about the blue light from electronics is like sugar to me. The more I consume, the more I crave. A screen detox under candlelight sounds just wonderful.
This is amazing, Samantha! I have been zooming in on your photos, just incredible. And the sad fate of the Sea People celebrated on stone is a heartbreak and so relevant right now. As for the newsletter, keep writing what interests you because it sure interests your readers. Also: how great is Mike?! I’m hoping to see a Childress-Sowden Q&A in the future! 😃
Thank you so much, Jolene! ❤️ and Mike is SO great. I couldn’t believe when the email on the colors of the ancient world landed in my inbox when just earlier that day I had been marveling at the colors of an ancient temple!!
Good timing on the chocolate babka link too. We just watched the Seinfeld episode where Elaine and Jerry are trying to purchase a chocolate babka and they are sold out.
I loved this phrase, "you will probably never know exactly what I’m going to put in your inbox", and I hope it will be the case, a wonderful promise. I loved imagining the east bank as the side where the sun rose each morning on the modern world, and the west bank as a land of the past. To go back in time, simply head west, and see how a king wanted to be remembered. The zooming out to consider the historical context (my favorite thing) on a how a king wanted to be seen, as the sun set on the Bronze age, took on new meaning with a comparison to the present. Another great story, plus links!
Isn't it fascinating that people who lived millennia ago could construct a metaphor--the sun rising in the modern city and setting on the land of the past--that still resonates with us today? I can't wait to share more about this amazing place...thanks for reading, Edward, as always. :)
I once stayed at the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas and I'm pretty sure I had the exact opposite experience as this, haha! Beautiful pictures and history lesson. When I visit places like this, I always wonder how much we understand, knowing unreliable narrators of the stories that get passed down. Places as old as this, it's basically the longest game of telephone. I also found interesting the mirroring of all the events then, and how it sounds eerily familiar to now.
Also, agree with one of your other commenters, write whatever you want!
Thank you for the shout out :)
Thank you Stephanie :) I have never been to Vegas, but I now have a funny urge to go to see how they interpret ancient Egypt, haha! And "the longest game of telephone" is a great way to describe it. So much gets garbled with time and as we lose context.
Interesting piece! A small correction. The collapse of the Bronze Age was in the 12th century BC, not AD. I know from experience such typos are easy to overlook. This may interest you: 1177 BC: When Civilization Collapsed, by Eric Cline before the Long Now Foundation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4LRHJlijVU
Oh my goodness Jim, you're so right! I just corrected the typo--I knew in my head it was BC, yet somehow it snuck in anyway! And yes, I've heard of Dr. Cline's book. It's going on my reading list.
Luxor was my favorite experience in Egypt, but mostly situational. When my friend and I arrived off the train from Cairo, we were at the Nile seeking a ferry to cross, when a soldier offered us passage and hooked us up with his uncle, who is a tour guide. Total cost of passage and tour, roughly about $5 USD.
We totally, totally, totally thought we were gonna get taken for some scam or another, but the fact is the soldier seemed thrilled to meet us and the uncle saw it as a good time. He, uh, unlocked more'n'afew tombs and stuff for us to crawl around in. Then we all got dinner together.
There may have been a cultural circumstantial element to their situation. We were there in December of 2010. Several times we crossed street gatherings that looked neither festive or religious... We asked the soldier how long he was on leave and he said, "Oh no, I am not on leave, but I felt it was time to leave."... He seemed otherwise interested in keeping away of the topic of being a soldier.
A month after we returned from our trip, we heard about the Arab Spring demonstrations for the first time.
This is fascinating! Guessing the soldier you met was one of a cohort that went AWOL around that time...
Sounds like you got to check out some of the less frequented tombs--very cool. I've only gone into five total, but based on that small slice I think the ones that aren't as heavily visited offer a way better experience. We went to a couple of the tombs of the nobles, and not only were we more or less alone, but the artwork was much more interesting than in the tombs of the pharaohs, imho.
Thoroughly enjoyed your piece and the great links!
:) thanks Trilety!
Thanks for drawing our attention to what's *actually* going on in all the big, small, and tiny frames of those fractal-like Egyptian reliefs. It's so easy to let our eyes skim over them!
Thanks for posting the recipe, Sam! My parents still rave about the babka you made for them a few years ago. . . .
:) I could perhaps be convinced to make another over the holidays!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing! I was in Cairo in 1978 with an Egyptian friend to celebrate President Sadat’s peace initiative. It’s one of the highlights of my life.
That is so cool, Patricia! What an amazing time to be in Egypt--I've seen pictures from Cairo in that era and it looks like a completely different world. The streetcars, the green in Tahrir Square...I wish I could travel back in time to experience it as it was then.
I loved this; are you familiar with the Res Gestae Divi Augusti at all? (Yes, 100% guilty of being a classicist!) More on a theme and all that.
Also, I like the unpredictability of some newsletters, it what makes me excited to open them and see what comes next. And, yes to the links roundups please! I've never done a screen detox but when I get very stressed I ditch all electric lights. I find candlelight away from any electric screen or lighting (as in, enough candle light to read by, cook by, not just lighting a candle) impossibly soothing.
I was not familiar with the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, so I just looked it up--sounds like Augustus had the same idea as Ramesses III! Strictly speaking it’s all true, and yet...
Thank you for the helpful feedback!! Something about the blue light from electronics is like sugar to me. The more I consume, the more I crave. A screen detox under candlelight sounds just wonderful.
This is amazing, Samantha! I have been zooming in on your photos, just incredible. And the sad fate of the Sea People celebrated on stone is a heartbreak and so relevant right now. As for the newsletter, keep writing what interests you because it sure interests your readers. Also: how great is Mike?! I’m hoping to see a Childress-Sowden Q&A in the future! 😃
Thank you so much, Jolene! ❤️ and Mike is SO great. I couldn’t believe when the email on the colors of the ancient world landed in my inbox when just earlier that day I had been marveling at the colors of an ancient temple!!
Synchronicity! 👏👏👏
So glad that your newsletter arrives as I sit down for my morning coffee. Insightful, as always, and the links are a fun addition.
Thanks, Vicki! This is helpful--I was just questioning whether I’m sending this newsletter at a good time for readers. It’s like you heard me!
Good timing on the chocolate babka link too. We just watched the Seinfeld episode where Elaine and Jerry are trying to purchase a chocolate babka and they are sold out.
Ha! That is one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes!