My Egypt
The Land of Joseph
“Despite my strong interest in science,” said Caesar to the Priest of
Isis Acoreus, “nothing would satisfy my intellectual curiosity
more fully than to be told what makes the Nile rise.”
Julius Caesar, (100-44 BC)
Egypt, the mention of the word conjures up images of pyramids and temples, hieroglyphs and elaborately carved tombs, and of course the golden treasures of King Tutankhamun. And then there is always the intriguing story of Cleopatra and her dramatic love affairs with Marcus Anthony and Julius Caesar.
But when I think of Egypt, I picture Joseph, also named Zaphenath-Paaneah, the name given to him by Pharaoh. Zaphenath was a popular phrase, meaning “he who is called.” This was used often referring to the Hebrews living in the land. One would call the Hebrew name plus the added Egyptian name. “Paaneah” came from the word “Aneah” with various spellings, meaning “life” or “is alive.” Sometimes it is also spelled as “Ankh.” Joseph would have been announced at court as Joseph, who is called Paanekh, meaning, “he is alive.” The name is very fitting knowing his past history.
Joseph’s life had a grip on me, since I started believing in the Living Word of our Creator. And the land of Egypt held me captivated; long before I became a believer. When I was quite young, I would browse through my father’s history books, captured by the colourful pictures of Egypt. Later, in my last year of high school, my school counsellor pointed out that I needed one extra credit to graduate. He advised me to take a correspondence course in order to graduate in June. From all the possible courses I could choose from, I chose a history course on Ancient Egypt. Four children later, in 2016, I was accepted at the University of Manchester, England, to study Egyptology.
During the time of my studies, I received a small inheritance from my grandmother. Without having to think twice, I knew we had to go to Egypt. Over the next few months, I will take you on a journey to “my Egypt”. You will read about the impact of our amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip. And hopefully you will catch a glimpse of the magical country that once was home to Joseph, to Moses, and, not to forget, our Saviour, when He was hiding from King Herod.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017, 23:00
Cairo – the great city has its roots in the ancient settlement Memphis, capitol of ancient Egypt and home of Joseph. The ancient roots are 24 km southwest of modern Cairo. Cairo itself was established in the 10th century. Finally made it to our hotel in Cairo. It is a high security hotel. For whatever reason, I was surprised. Not sure what I expected. A guard dog specialized in bombs sniffed our car before we were allowed to drive onto the grounds of the hotel complex.
My head is still spinning from all the things we have seen in the last 33 hours. Deprived of sleep, yet our bodies are filled with anxiety, prohibiting us to rest. Our nerves are tingling, vibrating with the melody of the Orient. We left yesterday morning at 4 am, flew to Vancouver, where we enjoyed a light breakfast. Then caught our next flight to Frankfurt, where we had lunch underneath the statue of Goethe. We flew with Egypt Air to Cairo, arriving late evening. I always have trouble sleeping on the plane, and finally fell asleep on the flight to Cairo.
We were welcomed by our driver at the airport. I felt like a VIP, being escorted to our limousine. Once inside, the black sleek vehicle was sucked into the Cairo night traffic. It reminded me a lot of driving through LaPaz, Bolivia. The people of Cairo do not respect traffic rules. I am not even sure why they have lines on the road, because nobody observes them. In a three-lane road one can find six or more cars side by side, honking and fighting for their right of way. Everyone wants to be first. As we drove over a bridge, the glistening Nile below us, I stopped breathing for a moment. I can’t believe we are truly here.
I am surprised we made it to the hotel, and Andreas and I follow the concierge on shaky legs to our room. We have made it to Cairo, and I can hear the honking of cars in the far distance. omorrow morning our own private tour guide will meet us in the lobby at 8:30 am. Alarm is set for 7 am. I am so thrilled and can’t wait for the next day to begin. I feel like Hercule Poirot in “Death on the Nile”.
What adventures await us in this country of the ancients? Learn more next month about our unforgettable trip to Egypt. We will visit the great Pyramids and much more.
