Edfu and Kom Ombo

Ancient hieroglyphics told a story. And through our adventures in Egypt, we’re learning more about our own.

It’s our fifth day here in Egypt. And we’re hungry for more of what God has in store for us on this trip.

Following a delicious breakfast and morning teaching time, we headed into Edfu by carriage to experience the temple dedicated to the Egyptian god Horus, protector of Pharaoh. This temple is perhaps the most preserved temple in the world, which means it’s a powerful sight to see. We seek to answer – or at least dive more into the answer of – “why Egypt” and headed to Edfu to open our eyes to a different kind of temple.

The purpose of temples, as we heard from George, is where the gods intersect with man as humanity tries to achieve balance and favor with the gods. Unlike the previous temples we’ve seen in Luxor, the architecture in Edfu took on a greater Grecian focus. From the columns to the arches to the engravings of both lotus and papyrus, this dedication to Horus notes a blending of Egyptian and Greek influences.

The historical and Biblical connections of the temple are astounding. One theme that seems to come up continuously is how similar yet vastly different is God’s relationship with His people compared to the gods and the Egyptian worshippers. George brought us to reflect on the significant ways God’s compassion and intentionality is countercultural to what was believed in Egypt.

For example, today George talked about how the Egyptian god Horus – in his dominance and strength – was the protector of Pharoah and preserver of ma’at, or order – the way things are supposed to be, as long as you please Horus, do the right thing and are in the right environment. That concept immediately sounded familiar. God, the God of the Israelites, brings about things the way they are supposed to be, but perhaps not in the environment we may expect. The hieroglyphics and images look similar, but God has a completely different story of grace and compassion. We’re seeing how intertwined is the Egyptian history and the Biblical narrative.

And with God’s blessings of eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts open to what God is showing us, we’re realizing God has brought each and everyone one on this trip.

Upon returning from Edfu via horse carriage through the town, we set sail for our second temple stop of the day, Kom Ombo. We enjoyed a delicious teatime of hibiscus, green and black teas, as well as some treats, we were off to explore Kom Ombo, the temple dedicated to Sobeck, the crocodile goddess and Horus.

Following a tour of the temples in the evening, we boarded our ship for dinner and rest on the Nile river, ready for another day of seeing, experiencing and learning about our story.