My crash course in all things ancient Egypt had me remembering past history classes. But seeing the monumental pyramids in person was not the same as looking at a book or teaching slides. Their awesome size took my breath away. My first glimpse of the Great Pyramids of Giza was from the airplane window as we approached Cairo. I got goosebumps! But nothing compares to standing beside them and looking up, dwarfed by their massiveness.
No, the pyramids were not built by aliens. In fact, it’s quite insulting to Egyptians if you ask. I learned that the pharaohs did not enslave the craftsmen that planned and built the pyramids. They were conscripted and paid in food and other commodities. Some worked seasonally because agriculture only occupied part of the year. Archeologic evidence shows that planned villages provided housing on site for the workers. (Yes, I know the Bible says that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, but there is no evidence that they helped build the pyramids.)
It was an exceptional feat of an exceptional culture.
Other amazing aspects of ancient Egypt were everywhere. Huge temple complexes were covered in elaborate carvings and painted in their entirety in red, yellow, white, black, and blue. The interiors of the pharaoh’s tombs were similarly carved and painted. And that blue paint, known as Egyptian blue? It was the first synthetic pigment, formulated from silica, lime, copper and an alkali, and first appeared circa 3250 BCE. That blue color, along with instructions for its manufacture, disappeared in the fourth century CE.
It was an exceptional feat of an exceptional culture.
Abu Simbel is another impressive temple complex. Located on the Nile near the Sudanese border and built about 1264 BCE by Ramesses II, the two distinct temples were carved into a mountainside. The entrance to the larger of the two is flanked by four 66 foot statues of the seated pharaoh. The smaller temple is dedicated to Ramesses II’s wife and is flanked by six 35 foot tall standing statues—four of the pharaoh and two of his wife. (Ramesses II seems to have thought very highly of himself. He probably believed he was exceptional.) After the Aswan dam was built in the 1960’s, the rising waters of the Nile threatened to submerge Abu Simbel. Monies were raised from around the world to save this historic site. An international team cut the complex into over 1000 blocks of stone which were moved and reassembled, up and back—210 feet higher and 600 feet further inland.
The complex was an exceptional feat of an exceptional culture. Its relocation was an exceptional feat of international cooperation.
As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I am reminded of the term “American Exceptionalism.” In some ways our country is exceptional, and of course, I am proud to be an American. I value the privilege of living in a free and safe society, and I recognize that these privileges come with duties. I also recognize that these privileges might be seen as tenuous to some at this point in our history.
I also recognize that there are multiple cultures throughout history that were and are exceptional. That adjective does not belong exclusively to ancient Egypt or to the United States. Ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Greece, the European Renaissance, and China’s long history as a nation are just a few. Many modern nations claim “exceptionalism” as well. Inherent in this phrase is a superiority to other peoples. It overemphasizes a culture’s idiosyncrasies and downplays similarities. It also gives a people permission to separate themselves from the rest of the world. “We are an exception to the rest of you. We don’t have to follow standards expected of other nations.”
So before we get swept away with patriotic self-love, remember that history is full of exceptional cultures. We can celebrate our uniqueness while also acknowledging that other peoples value their own exceptional cultures.