Flying to Luxor it was good to have Dr. Peters with us again. Resuming his professor mode, he lectured about Egypt putting everything in story form. An afternoon of exploring the temples of Karnak and Luxor, seeing the majestic statues and the Great Colonnade we were reminded that Rameses II had built some of the largest temples in Egypt. I was deep in thought remembering Moses and his relationship with Rameses II. It had all happened right here.
The Valley of the Kings was rather disappointing, but Josi came alive being surrounded by such great archeological finds. She talked with several Archeologists who were working a dig. Though it was very hot and arid we were able to see a small part of a crypt, but there was no real excitement. The Professor had good stories to tell and we saw where King Tut’s tomb was located.
Cruising up the Nile, the days went by too quickly. Everyday was filled with new Egyptian history to absorb. My travel log was crammed with information to study once home.
Exploring Queen Hatshepsut’s Monumental Rock Temple, Josi and I had time to relax against a pillar in the shade. The guys eventually found us enjoying the view of the Nile off in the distance.
Josi, looking suddenly nervous, quickly said, “Can you see the moving shadows lurking around us? Look there… . see it?” She pointed to her left. “Over there is another… . . and there. I think they are spirits, they’re watching us. Look… . . !”
I didn’t notice anything unusual. “I think it’s your vivid imagination, Josi. I don’t see anything. Ricky, J.J., do you see anything?”
Ricky looking around, “No, but I’m not saying you aren’t seeing something. I’ve read that the people who live here feel spirits around the ruins all the time. Anyway, it’s time to return to the boat.”
J.J. agreed and gave Josi his bottle of water, “I think you’re dehydrated. Here eat this candy bar.” He handed her a chocolate bar.
The Temple of Horus was amazing with its black statue of the Falcon King commanding attention. Looking straight ahead in a daunting manner, he appeared powerful. Cleopatra had stood looking at him as we were doing. Going up to the black statue I touched it. A sensation went through my body as I looked up at his eyes. They were friendly, not daunting.
Josi, watching me, “Layla do you feel a connection with him? You seem at peace looking at him.”
“I feel peace and love, possibly, I can’t say. He seems very special, nothing more.”
Ricky was in his glory surrounded by statues of soldiers with chariots and weaponry. He was telling everyone about major battles won and lost through the old and new kingdoms. Dr. Peters elaborated with stories.
J.J., on the other hand, was just as enthralled with the Roman period of Julius Caesar. Roman involvement was very evident in architecture as was early Greek influence. He and Josi had their heads together discussing the current architecture on display.
The last night of the cruise, after a lovely dinner, Ricky and I sat on the upper deck for a while. The warm air made us feel languid, watching Egypt slowly slide past the boat on our way up the dark tranquil Nile. As evening deepened moonlight cast its spell across the land with black silhouettes of trees and hills magically appearing as we passed. It was very romantic.
Josi and J.J. had grown closer during the trip and I noticed them leaning against a ship’s pole at the back of the boat. They were talking quietly while holding each other in the moonlight.
Standing at the boat’s railing I looked out across the darkness deep in thought when Ricky decided to join me by perching precariously on the railing. He aptly swung himself up then leaned against the support pole for stability. It always shocked me a little seeing his athletic agility. As he did this he had managed not to spill his drink. I would have surely fallen into the Nile. Amazed, I leaned back over the railing and resumed watching the moonlight shimmer across the ripples of water sliding by.
Ricky and I shared a brother sister relationship. I didn’t have time to think about love, though I must admit, I had fallen in love with Egypt. Yes, the cities looked busy and slightly dirty and yes the Muslim influence took away from the true Egyptian feel, but it was there lurking in everything original.
Ancient spirits moving through the wind waited for the chance to reclaim their rightful heritage. The desert wind brought with it sounds of the past, a haunting howl that resonated and chilled the very bones of those who heard it.
“The desert breeze carries voices from the past, can you hear them?” Ricky asked as he took a sip of his drink.
“I’ve heard them every night since arriving. I’m surprised you asked.”
“Layla, you’re not the only one who feels a connection to this land and its past. Sometimes you get so involved in your own thoughts that you fail to be aware of other people’s feelings. I’m not trying to hurt you, but it hurts me that you don’t notice.”
“Goodness! I’m sorry. I’m sure you feel a connection. I didn’t mean to imply that I was the only one. All of us on tour have connected with Egypt in some way. This trip has validated my love with Egypt’s history and past. Today’s Egypt has changed and I feel no connection, though I feel its history.”
“Yes, I must agree. Everyone can see that Ancient Egypt and its artifacts are slowly disintegrating and returning to the desert sands from where they came. Some day all evidence will be lost.”
Trying not to think about Rick’s remark about my selfishness, I said with a sigh, “School is waiting. I have another hard two years ahead.”
“I haven’t told you, mainly because an opportunity hasn’t come up until now, but I will be continuing on as well. I can’t let you outdo me,” Ricky countered with his usual challenged stare, which I knew so well.
So I challenged. “You want to teach? I thought you were planning to work for an accounting firm?”
“Right again my dear, but I’m going after a Masters in Accounting, which will be an asset when I open my own firm. I’ll use my expertise in history as a hobby. I’ve been thinking about this for some time and dad said he would help me. Everything is set with you having to put up with me again at State.”
“Things could be worse,” I reviewed, “having you around has always been challenging. Josi and I will be living together off campus, no more dorm rules. At lease I hope this is still the plan. Watching Josi and J.J. lately, I wonder how long my roommate will remain single.”
“I know,” agreed Ricky, “all J.J. does is talk about her. He’s going home to help his dad with the family business. I guess he’s moving into a small deserted house on their property. Josi wants to help him clean it up. I think he wants to get engaged.” Unconsciously sighing, he looked down at the Nile.
I gave him a slight hug, “Before you know it, you’ll find a girl and settle down. As for me, well, it will be a long time coming. Too many plans to get crazy over some guy, besides, as long as you’re around we can hang out together. Our friendship is forever as far as I am concerned.”
Ricky turned away to look out at the shoreline.
Quiet for several minutes he suddenly jumped off the railing, “I hear music, let’s go check it out.”
Disembarking the next morning, our group boarded a waiting bus. Dr. Peters continued his lecture tour as we looked out the windows.
“Aswan was a major concern throughout Egyptian history due to the flooding of the Nile in this region. It was the gateway to Nubia, an independent state at a time when trading was very important to the country. Egypt controlled the region by using boats and barges to retrieve riches. Today there is a large dam in the river that helps control the rivers flow. It had been decided that Nubia and its people must move due to the extreme flooding behind the dam. This took place years ago with the people now settled and life resumed. Elephantine Island remains intact today and was untouched by the dam.”
Dr. Peters concluded the tour on this Island.
Back in Cairo the tour group settled into the Hilton Hotel. Relaxing by the beautiful pool, we sat around trying to decide what we wanted to do with our last day in Egypt. It was unanimous, off to Alexandria and Rosetta.
Renting a car we took off early the next morning. Alexandria looked like any other big industrial city except it sat beside the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. The Ancient Library of Alexandria had held innumerable scrolls and manuscripts. Great historians, scientists, and mathematicians of yesteryear had contributed books and manuscripts making it the most famous library in the world. This wonder unfortunately burned down leaving only a few readable scrolls. This was considered one of the most catastrophic events in history and a major loss for humanity. A new library had been built on the site designed in a modern motif. It looked out of place surrounded by ancient Egyptian history.
We found some excavations and archeological digs in the older part of the city then visiting a museum we felt a small change. The old city came alive through paintings. Cleopatra lived here, this was her domain. She and Caesar fell in love here then she replaced his love with Mark Anthony.
Walking along we couldn’t get into the history, possibly because much of the old city was in the Mediterranean Sea. Researchers had discovered ruins from the Cleopatra era in the bay waters. There was nothing more to see so we drove to Rosetta.
The Rosetta stone had been accidentally found in a wall near this town. This stone was the breakthrough needed to interpret the hieroglyphics written in early Egypt. What a wonderful find, but again there wasn’t much to associate the find with, so we drove back to the hotel and sat by the pool again.
Nothing to see in Heliopolis, no Temple of Re and no Inventory Building, I had hoped for some sign that the temple was real. I had read about a Primal Sanctuary of Thoth where his treasure of knowledge was kept. He had 42 scrolls reviewing the old histories and 42 confessions. How to attain the coveted prize of life everlasting was told in his scrolls.
“Thou art for millions of years, a period of life of millions of years.” This particular quote from his writings was well known. “The first thing to be done to attain this task was the weighing of a person’s actions. The second was the weighing of his words. Then one must read the scrolls and follow the advice given.”
Where were the original scrolls? Had they been burned or lost or tucked away in some monk monastery near Mt. Sinai? And what happened to Alexandria that it fell into the sea? Was it a terrible earthquake caused by underground plates shifting near the mouth of the Nile river basin?
Becoming depressed I shared my feelings with everyone jumping into a discussion.
Josi reinforced, “The answers are all in archeological discoveries.”
J.J. agreed.
Ricky added, “There are many ancient books rewritten from the Scrolls of Thoth in existence today. I know of copies being displayed at several top museums. The Book of the Dead, for example, was his. The original Pyramid Books are also in a museum. Many Egyptologists think they are the oldest books known to man.”
“Yes,” I agreed, “that’s true but they’re mostly copies. I have a theory that’s so far fetched it’s hard to divulge.” Of course I was pushed to go on, so I trudged into the quick sand. We ordered a round of drinks along with some bar snacks then I started.
“This is entirely speculation on my part, but after years of studying portions of Egyptian history and several books written about the Jewish influence in Egypt, I eventually summarized that when Moses came back to Egypt to free the Jews from bondage, before he guided his people out, he went to the temple and took the famous scrolls written by Thoth. He knew the power they held.
As a young Egyptian prince he was schooled for the priesthood. He read the sacred writings and knew their value. The Box of Thoth contained his most important work, the original scrolls. Copies had been made for daily use by priests at the Temple of Re in the Great Library.
I believe this is why Rameses II chased after Moses once the Jewish tribes had left. The Priests found their most sacred scrolls missing from the temple sanctuary. My guess is the discovery took several weeks because they were seldom used. The Priests told Pharaoh to bring the sacred scrolls back.
Ramses was glad to be rid of the Jews due to the torment and personal loss his people had endured at the hand of their great God. He did not want to chase after them. Why else would he have risked his entire army and followed them into the parting waters of the Reed Sea? He was after something much more valuable than just wanting personal revenge.
Once the tribes arrived in the Sinai Desert, they continued their journey to the base of Mt. Sinai. Moses wasn’t afraid that Egypt would come after them again. Most of Rameses’s Army had perished in the sea.
Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai, or he was inspired to copy them onto stone tablets from the Scrolls of Thoth, away from curious eyes. There were ten rules of life mentioned in his scrolls that were very similar to the Ten Commandments.
Moses had the Ark of the Covenant built to preserve and hold the stone tablets. The Ark could have been patterned after the Box of Thoth. This particular box had a lid decorated with Isis and Nephthys on their knees facing each other with outstretched wings. In Egypt open wings stretching around or over something was always a sign of protection, as a bird would protect its nest. Moses had two angels mounted on the lid of the Ark in similar fashion. I believe Moses kept the sacred Scrolls of Thoth inside the Ark along with the tablets and Aaron’s staff. He held onto the Box of Thoth as well, possibly keeping the original scrolls in it. However it happened, I believe he carried both.
Today the original Box of Thoth is said to be lost with only replicas available. These replicas were made from a description in the writings of Thoth.
The Ark of the Covenant is also believed to be lost or hidden. The measurements and how it was built is described in the Old Testament. Moses included it when he wrote Exodus”
Everyone remained quiet.
I took a long sip from my drink and waited.
Breaking the silence, Ricky started, “That’s just about as true as all the myth’s Dr. Peters told us concerning the Gods and Goddesses of Egypt. Come on Layla, let’s get real.”
I shot back, “Well, I believe Moses would have known about these things because of his training. His mother, being a sister to Rameses, knew he could never be Pharaoh so decided he would have the next most powerful position, High Priest. Priests learned the inner most secrets of the land much of which was studied in the Scrolls of Thoth. Only High Priests had access to the most sacred writings of that time. Moses was trained to read and write. He had access to all sacred knowledge. Though he stuttered, he had a brilliant mind and used this knowledge with the help of God. Moses wrote the first five books in the Torah. Is it so preposterous to think that possibly he wanted the most sacred knowledge the Egyptians had, to go to his people as payment for hundreds of years of bondage?
Moses read the sacred Scrolls of Thoth in the Sinai Desert as he had in the Temple of Re in Heliopolas and used this knowledge to help the Jewish people prosper. Finally, when the second generation of desert Jews came into power, Joshua led them into the chosen land across the Jordan River. Moses never saw the land of milk and honey, he had prepared his people for the future and they were rich beyond belief with his five books of Torah and Thoth’s ancient teachings intertwined to help his people reach eternity. This was as God wanted it and as they deserved. Moses saw to it that the Jews were free from Egyptian influence and they carried the knowledge he had found in the writings of Thoth. This was the way and the life for his people. From Thoth’s teachings of circumcision, to life everlasting, Moses incorporated this knowledge into his own writings. Thus the Bible Code, which we recently learned about, was actually conceived by Thoth the Scribe from Atlantis, with the first five books of the Torah written by Moses through Thoth with God’s blessing.”
I watched everyone’s expression knowing it was a very unusual and difficult concept that held an immense amount of food for thought.
Slowly J.J. voiced his doubt. “You are one of my best friends and I honor your wisdom but this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Layla, let’s move on to another topic. I don’t believe any of this and feel I am quite liberal in my thinking. Moses would never steal!”
I knew this would be the main reaction to my proposal. I rather doubted it myself, but my studies indicated otherwise. “Josi, what do you think?”
“Layla, you know my archaeological foundation has taught me that proof of the unknown is in the ground somewhere waiting to be found. I can’t say you’re right, yet I can’t say you’re wrong either. The Ark of the Covenant and the Box of Thoth must be found to decipher this riddle. Many religious groups would oppose this theory. That is my personal opinion.”
“I must counter that we have replicas today of both boxes and they are very similar. Ok, ok, enough speculation. Sorry, I didn’t mean to create a downer. Let’s change the focus and get ready for a great evening together. Our trip has been wonderful and late tomorrow afternoon we’ll be heading home,” I concluded.
“I’ll drink to that!” chimed in Ricky. We finished our drinks, thankful that the discussion over such a controversial subject had ended.
Showering I rethought our conversation. I’m beginning to understand what Freud meant when he said people are not conducive to change. Why is it so easy for me to see the possibility of my theory, I’m just as religious as my friends. Was Moses beyond believing that the knowledge in the scrolls was payment for years of bondage? He had been inspired by God during that time. Could God have inspired him to use the scrolls to better the lives of his chosen people? Or had Thoth himself inspired Moses? Possibly, I guess I will never know. Yet, a nagging in my brain said I was right.
Putting on the same summer dress and leather sandals for the umpteenth time, I decided it was time to go home to my closet full of clothes. Home cooking sounded good as well. Combing my hair I felt slightly dizzy again. Maybe the shower was too hot.
Josi sat waiting for me.
It must be nice to have short hair that dries fast. My thick hair takes forever, even when using a hairdryer.
Dr. Peters surprised us with a farewell celebration at a local nightclub. Everyone headed downstairs where the bus was waiting. We were going across town to a place that required everyone to dress Egyptian. We rode along discussing the fun of it all with people excited and laughing. Our group was ready to party.
Entering the restaurant, Egyptian costumes hung on clothes racks along a wall. We were to choose one then put it on over our clothes. Josi and I pulled on long gauze dresses but decided the costume looked too bulky. We went to the bathroom and took off our outer clothing wanting to feel authentic. Asking the guys to do the same, they grumbled but complied, though they kept their kaki shorts on under the long gauze skirts. Dr. Peters gathered the bags of clothes, jewelry and watches for safe keeping. Adding costume jewelry from a display table I took an Isis necklace, earrings, and arm bracelets then added a headband with the serpent and vulture mounted on the front. Dr. Peters said I looked like the Goddess of Magic. Josi dressed like Hathor, the Goddess of Wisdom. Ricky dressed as Osiris, the God of Death and Resurrection. J.J. dressed as Horus, the Sun God. We were laughing over our transformations and having a wonderful time. Dr. Peters mingled with everyone as a temple priest donning a fake leopard skin. He had taken off his white shirt enjoying his new religious form. With so many people in Egyptian costumes running around, it felt surreal. Others had changed out of their clothes as well.
Large overstuffed pillows placed around low tables created an exotic feel. Trays of delicious foods were brought in and wonderful aromatic teas served, as well as wine and drinks. Seated with some of the people from the adult evening class, Mr. Jackson reminded us that today was the summer solstice, June 21st.
Somehow I had forgotten. “This was a very important day in Ancient Egypt,” I reminded everyone.
People started talking about the equinox and solstice. What a great night to end the tour.
The evening was filled with laughter, and shared stories about happenings during the trip. There was quite a laugh about how I thought the Sphinx was looking down at me. Ricky told about the strange light he had seen at the base of the Sphinx. Josi told about the spirits at Queen Hatshepsut’s temple. Another lady told about how she had found a scorpion in her bathroom, which had caused quite a ruckus. There were toasts and proclamations given, all in the spirit of fun.