Category — Egypt & Israel Trip

Today we started the morning in Edfu, where we learned about the story of the Nile and how Isis makes it flood while visiting the Phoenix. Apparently Isis was married to her brother.  Her brother-in-law was Zed, and he was also married to one of his sisters.  Isis’s husband was good, but Zed was jealous of him and eventually killed him.  Isis was so sad that when she cries she causes the Nile to flood.  Isis also had an emaculate conception with a son named Heron.  He eventually grew, became strong and defeated Zed.  Now Heron is worshipped as a God. 

While there we also learned about the Unc (a symbol of protection with similarities to a cross. It is round at the top and was around hundreds of years before Christ).  The Unc simultaneously represents the Nile and the delta, as well as male and females.

This afternoon we stopped at Kom Ombo, to see an ancient temple built in 200 BC and finished in 180 AD.  It  is built right along the Nile and is quite impressive.  It is most famous because it was a center of healing. They know this because the heiroglifics at the temple give evidence of surgical tools and healing.  In addition, there was evidence of circumcision being performed at the temple.  It is also the only temple built to two Diety’s and has obvious Roman influence in its carvings.