Egypt: Land of the Gods (History Channel) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I watched all six hours of this series back to back, thinking I was going to be rolling my eyes, and correcting history and scripture in my head, but I found myself taking notes instead, and having more than one or two moments of "A-ha! That's why..."
I enjoyed the direct, non-sensational approach to the gods and magicians, saints and scriptures of Egypt, and I loved the ways scholars highlighted resonances between particular ancient practices and the popular religious practice of more recent religious cultures, particularly Islam, Judaism & Christianity.
I always welcome opportunities to learn more about the Coptic Christians and the Desert Fathers who pioneered Christian monasticism in the Egyptian desert. I was surprised that I don't remember any reference to St. Anthony the Great, the one whose name stands at the head of the list, or any reference to the Rule of St. Basil, which Benedict modified to create the very monastic culture which preserved Classical and Ancient knowledge in Europe until the renaissance could make use of their hoarded knowledge.
[But please forgive the monastic aside from a lapsed Benedictine, whose paltry celebration of Benedict's day yesterday left much to be desired.]
The accompanying art and material culture were delightful to my eye, and I'd love to watch it again, piece-by-piece so I can rewind and catch things I missed.
I could go on... this is a lot of information to enjoy, and even more to ponder afterwards...
To be sure, this series must only present the tip of the iceberg in terms of Egyptology, the academic study of religion, and history, but it certainly got me hooked on the science and study and lives behind the mystery as well as the more fragmentary and sensational tidbits I've discovered abut Egypt from my own limited reading and the more tantalizing aspects of Egypt presented in popular culture today.

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