Day 06 - Elephantine Island, Sehel Island, Aswan Botanical Gardens, Felucca Boat Ride

Our last day in Egypt was spent mostly on the Nile River at Aswan. We took an early morning boatride to Elephantine Island to see the ruins of an ancient city there. It's called by this name because some of the rock formations resemeble elephants, and also because it was the ancient location of elephant tusk trade. Along with the Egyptians, a Jewish community once existed on the island in the late Iron Age and Persian period with a functioning temple to the Lord. 

We toured another temple to the Egyptian god Khnum and viewed the domestic areas of the city from atop the site. Khnum is the creator god who is depicted in the form of a ram. Dr. Greer explained how there was a rivalry because the temple of the deity was directly across from the Jewish synagogue; the worshipers of Khnum did not appreciate the Jewish priests making animal sacrifices of rams. The other fascinating thing about the synagogue was to learn that these were some of the people to whom Jeremiah wrote his Old Testament word!

While on the island, we were able to see an ancient nilometer, an ancient measuring tool that was used during the annual flooding of the Nile. The annual inundation was said to be the arrival of the god Hapi. Since this flooding provided fertile soil in an area that was otherwise desert, Hapi symbolised fertility. Egyptians were known for their expertise in measurement mathematics and record keeping! Too little water could bring famine, too much, disaster. 

We then had a long boat ride further south on the river throughsome fast-moving water to Sehel Island to see a Nubian village. We hiked to the high point on the island to see a stele from the Ptolemaic period. It tells of a famine in Egypt during the Old Kingdom period. Does that sound familiar?

From this vantage point, you could see the first catract of the Nile (whitewater rapids where the surface of the water is broken by many small boulders and stones jutting out of the river bed). Dr. Greer challenged us there to remember that God is always with us in times of suffering.

In the afternoon, after returning to our cruise boat for lunch, we had another teaching from Dr. Greer on the Exodus when the Israelites rebel against the Lord and make a golden calf to worship. 

We then took a sailboat ride in a traditional Egyptian felucca boat to the Aswan Botanical Gardens. We finished our day with a sunset sail back to the cruise ship, then dinner and a performance from Nubian dancers!