I’m currently teaching two home schooled boys. It’s fun because I get to teach a variety of subjects and develop much of the curriculum myself. Since they admitted to not having much background in world history, I began teaching them about ancient Egypt. That’s when one of them suggested I read the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson series. I haven’t read the Percy Jackson books, but I’m nominally familiar with them because my nephews were big fans. At any rate, this student went so far as to buy me my own copy of the first book, The Red Pyramid, partly because he didn’t want to part with his copy.
I’m now in the third book of the trilogy because I’m enjoying them so much. At one point in my life, I considered becoming an Egyptologist, so I appreciated the research Riordan obviously put into his work. There’s a lot of accurate Egyptian mythology and hieroglyphs throughout and it’s not just basic stuff, either. In fact, the series has renewed my interest in the subject and I find myself thinking about studying Egyptology sometime down the road even if I don’t intend to pursue a career in it.
I’m not sure exactly what it is about ancient Egypt that is so captivating. Maybe it’s because it lasted over three millennia, longer than any other civilization to date. Maybe it’s the appeal of their art, with clean lines and bold colors. Maybe it’s the intricacies of their writing system. Maybe it’s that Egypt was twice a refuge for God’s people. Maybe it’s that they had female rulers as well as males. Maybe it’s how advanced they were, showing capabilities in math, science, astronomy, architecture, medicine and technology. Maybe it’s the sense of mystery that still surrounds them.
Whatever it is, here are a few fun facts about Egypt.
· There is a theory that the three large pyramids of Giza are laid out in the same pattern as the stars of Orion’s Belt.
· Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh who wore a fake beard when she ruled.
· The Cleopatra that we know was actually Cleopatra VII and although she ruled Egypt, she was of Greek descent
· The Egyptians invented what is perhaps the world’s oldest board game, senet
· The pharaoh, Akhenaten, attempted to reform Egyptian religion from polytheism to the worship of one god, Aten.
· The oldest surviving work about math was written by an ancient Egyptian.
If that piqued your interest and you’re looking for a light read that will introduce you to some Egyptian mythology in a fun way, I’d recommend the series. Don’t be embarrassed that they’re “teen” books. Some of the best fiction writing being done today can be found in young adult lit.