Something has to be done

We woke up this morning aboard our cruise ship on The Nile River to a gorgeous sunrise still docked in Luxor. God is faithful and He prepared this day for us to experience Him and one another in a stunning location. After a gathering led by George DeJong to ready us for the day, we headed to the temple of Carnac. This is the largest temple complex in the world that has ever been found. It is approximately 3,500 years old, and boggles the mind at what the ancients were able to accomplish. At the same time, we were reminded that man has always tried to accomplish eternity in his own power, but simply cannot. We stood by the sacred lake – a pool of water that the priests used to be purified before they performed their duties in the temple. Even from 3,500 years ago, man has understood that something has to be done to them to grant them access to the divine.

From there we visited an alabaster gallery where we observed local craftsmen produce statues and figurines from this intriguing stone that is quarried 30 miles east of Luxor. Alabaster is fascinating because light can shine through it, and so the ancient Egyptians used it to make chests that would contain precious items.

We then visited The Valley of The Kings. This is “The New Kingdom” area on the west bank of the Nile where pharaohs and nobles were buried, including the tomb of the well-known King Tutankhamun. The entire region appears to have been selected because is lies beneath an enormous natural pyramid-like structure called “ben-ben.” It was remarkably hot, so we did not linger long.

We returned to the ship to set sail on the Nile and head south. We had a delightful dinner, observed the passage of the ship through a lock, and enjoyed cruising on clear starry night. On to another adventure tomorrow.

Written by Eric Barton—Tyler, TX