Jesus said
"The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath"
Mark 2 v 27
Egyptian Tour with Day One
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Have you ever imagined the thrill of gazing at sights that were probably looked at by Abraham and Moses so many years before Christ? Can you imagine the excitement of visiting the pyramids and many other colossal temples and sites constructed thousands of years ago by ancient civilisations? That was the experience some of us enjoyed at the end of October when we joined a seven-day tour organised and planned by Day One. It is not for the faint-hearted, as probably most of us needed another holiday by the end. But it was an interesting, informative and exciting time.
The tour was ably led and guided by Clive Anderson and Mark Roberts from Day One. Nothing was too much trouble for them and their pastoral care of the group was much appreciated. There were twenty-eight of us from various parts of the UK with ages ranging from twenty-one to seventy plus. We also had a Coptic Christian courier who gave us wonderful history lessons at all the sites we visited.
The adventure began with a 4½ hour flight from Heathrow via Cairo to Luxor where we were housed overnight in first-class hotel accommodation. Thankfully we had a later call for breakfast than on subsequent days but by 10.00am the tour began in earnest. Temperatures were on average 95oF so we were wisely advised to use sun creams, wear sunglasses and sun hats, and carry plenty of water. Armed with our cameras and water bottles, our first port of call was the massive Karnak Temple in Luxor. Luxor is the ancient city of Thebes mentioned in the Bible. The Karnak Temple site is vast and houses temples constructed by thirty pharaohs. Just to mention a few—we have Ramesses II, Shishak I and Tuthmosis III—all these built temples dedicated to the gods of ancient Egypt, but in particular to Amun, Mut and Khonsu.
The Temple has a vast main gateway known as a Pylon which opens out into huge courtyards containing massive statues and colonnades. All of these numerous colonnades are sculpted with hieroglyphics relating the history of the various kings. It is so breathtakingly detailed and, although the paint work has largely disappeared, by craning the neck to gaze upwards to the high ceilings, some of the original colours are still visible and vibrant. For fans of Agatha .JPG)
Christie, this is the place where murder is attempted in her book Death on the Nile. Following this visit we moved on to see the Luxor Temple begun by Amenhotep III—again, like Karnak Temple dedicated to Amun-Ra, king of the gods. On this site there are indications that Coptic Christians once met there. There is also a shrine to Alexander the Great. It is wonderful to see history opening out in this way.
But this trip was of particular significance because we were going to sail along the great Nile River. So by early afternoon we were driven to the cruise ship which was to be our home for the next few days. This was the Sonesta Sun Goddess and exceeded all expectations in its layout, comfort and hospitality. Here before our evening meal we were able to spend some time together in worship.
Day 2 was the visit to the famous Valleys of the Kings and Queens. Under an unrelentingly hot sun and blue sky, we tramped through the barren rocks and sands to enter some of the tombs of pharaohs from long ago. Four were chosen by our courier and we bravely descended into the earth to view hieroglyphics and artefacts and mummies. It was a special privilege to view the actual mummified remains of the famous Tutankhamen which has only recently been made available for public viewing. It was quite moving to observe his youth and to see his fingers and toes and face so well preserved. In the Valley of the Queens we visited the striking temple of Queen Hatshepsut. A brief stopover at a small alabaster factory was a time to learn how the wonderful Egyptian alabaster pots and figures are still made by hand. We could not leave the area without calling at Medinet Habu which is Ramesses II’s mortuary temple. It is wonderfully preserved and you walk through doors of decreasing size till you reach the inner sanctuary. Afternoons back on board were times to recharge the batteries. But as intrepid explorers, we did not waste our moments and we were out again in the late afternoon touring Luxor Museum which, although small, was well worth a visit. From there we were taken to see a demonstration of how papyrus paper is actually made. That was fascinating. A sumptuous four-course meal concluded the day unless you were energetic enough to stroll round the top deck before bed.
Day 3 was a wonderful day of complete relaxation. The ship cast anchor and we sailed steadily along the Nile. It was beautiful. How that river brings succour to the inhabitants of the land! All along its banks the land is so fertile and green, whereas just a short distance away the barrenness of the Sahara desert presses in on it all. We can understand why the patriarchs were attracted to Egypt. It was during this trip that we passed through the great Esna Lock on our passage to Edfu.
Day 4 found us anchored at Edfu where we were taken by caleche (horse-drawn cab) to Edfu Temple. This is known as the temple of Horus and is almost perfectly preserved. This historic site was heaving with tourists but not to be missed. Back on board we sailed on to Kom Ombo. Here was situated a special temple which was well worth seeing. The hieroglyphics supplied interesting descriptions of birthing techniques, of medical practice with pictures of various medical instruments and a Nilometer which was a special gauge for measuring the height of the river. All these indicate how advanced these ancient civilisations were.
Day 5 brought about some choices for us. Overnight we had reached Aswan. So there was the extra exciting possibility of flying down to Abu Simbel. This is a temple demonstrating not only the power of Ramesses II but also the amazing engineering skills of the Egyptian people. Many chose to do this, leaving about ten of us on board. However we decided to travel ourselves by motor boat to Kitchener’s Island which is a kind of mini Kew 
Gardens and this proved a relaxing morning’s outing. Close by is the larger Elephantine island where some Jews settled from the time of the Babylonian exile. The rest of the day, once we were all reunited, was taken up with a visit to The Unfinished Obelisk, the High Dams at Aswan and Philae Temple.
On Day 6 we were up before dawn to take our farewell of the cruise ship and fly back to Cairo. On landing we were met and taken straight to the Giza Pyramids. What an amazing sight! Some of our group ventured into the interior of one of these massive structures. On this site, too, we were able to gaze at the Sphinx which is a very imposing structure and would almost certainly have been seen by Abraham on his way down from Canaan. The afternoon was dedicated to touring the memorable Cairo Museum. There was not enough time to do it justice but we were able to see the Royal Mummies Hall and Tutankhamen’s treasures. The day ended with a fun activity at the pyramids—a sound and light show.
So our week was almost over and after a night in a hotel, we caught our flight home to London—the end of a demanding but thrilling and worthwhile trip.
Philip & Jennifer Eveson (Philip was the principal of London Theological Seminary until retiring in 2009)