Stamps bearing the distinctive symbols of Judaism, Christianity and Islam – the Menorah, Cross and Arabic script. The British Museum. Photo by Medievalists.net
We know a lot about religion in Ancient Egypt. Countless books, museum exhibits, and documentaries have helped spread knowledge of Ancient Egyptian deities and religious life, but what do we know about post-Pharaonic Egypt? Not much it seems. Different faiths have lived together in Egypt since the time of the Pharaohs; Christian, Muslim and Jewish. These faiths continued to coexist and thrive in Egypt for centuries afterwards, yet this transitional period is often overlooked. This is unfortunate because Egyptian culture remained vibrant and intriguing long after the Pharaohs passed into the annals of history.
The British Museum’s latest exhibit, Faith After the Pharaohs attempts to rectify this oversight by presenting an intimate look at how religion, policy and daily practice intermingled and survived in post-pharaonic Egypt. The exhibit spans the period from the death of Cleopatra and Marc Antony in 30BC, when Egypt became part of the Roman Empire, to the twelfth century after the fall of the Fatimid Dynasty. The exhibit runs from October 29th, 2015 until February 7, 2016.
Written in Greek, this scripture is the oldest surviving version of the New Testament, and part of the Codex Sinaiticus. Sinai, Egypt. St. Catherine’s Monastery (4th c. AD). The British Museum. Photo by Medievalists.net
The exhibit opened with the three important devotional books that represent the faiths that have shaped Egypt: The Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Qu’ran, alongside stamps from each of the three religions symbolizing everyday practice. The theme of is the relationship between institutional religion and everyday practice. One of the crowning jewels of the exhibit is the world’s oldest surviving bible, on loan form the British Library. The book is part of the 4th century AD Codex Sinaiticus.
The British Museum expertly weaves together the complex history and relationships of the three communities: Jewish, Muslim and Christian.The Jewish community in Roman Egypt was well established and Jews were able to practice their religion freely until around the second century. After several revolts due to taxes and the increasing pressure to produce a Messiah, the Jewish community was severely suppressed. Displays here feature objects from daily life, fragments of scripture, and an assortment of texts from from ancient and medieval Egyptian towns that have been amazingly preserved. Eleventh and thirteenth century Jewish texts from the Ben Ezra Synagogue that were destined for the trash heap, were miraculously saved, showing how Jews lived in medieval Cairo.
Panorama: Faith After the Pharaohs. The British Museum. Photo by Medievalists.net
Until the 4th century, Christians faced persecution in Roman Egypt for their refusal to sacrifice to the Gods. They were viewed as a troublesome sect and were routinely persecuted until 311 AD when the Emperor Galerius (260-311 AD) legalised Christianity by issuing the Edict of Toleration. Two years later, Emperor Constantine the Great (272-337 AD) brought Christianity into the Imperial household by becoming the first emperor to convert to Christianity. He also issued the Edict of Milan, which restored the rights and property of Christians. The new religion went from being on the fringes of society, to a religion that was not only accepted, but practiced by the wealthy and elite. There are fascinating pieces from Egypt’s Coptic and Early Christian community, such as Certificates of Sacrifice (Libellus) that were used as proof of compliance in the Roman Empire, along with devotional texts and extraordinarily well preserved textiles.
Roman Egypt: child’s stripy wooden sock (3rd -4th c. AD) and a wooden toy horse (1st-3rd c. AD). The British Museum. Photo by Medievalists.net
Lastly, the rise of Islam in Egypt is examined. Muslims first appeared in Egypt in 639 AD. When they began to settle in Egypt, the country was predominantly Christian, and remained this way until the tenth century, after which, Muslims began to outnumber Christians. After a period of time, Egypt adopted Arabic as its language and the religion of Islam. In 969 AD, the Fatimid Caliphate invaded Egypt and ruled there until the late twelfth century. They were tolerant of other religious groups, recognising them as ‘Peoples of the Book’, and allowed Jews and Christians to practice their religions and occupy positions in government, so long as they paid a special tax, jizya, to retain their status.
Faith After the Pharaohs beautifully depicts the fusion of cultures and religious belief through iconography, text and objects used in daily life. This exhibit is more modest than its recent Celtic predecessor, with approximately 200 objects, including some incredible pieces on loan from the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Given that this exhibit focuses on a much overlooked period, the collection is impressive in its scope and detail. Curator Elizabeth O’Connell remarked that “It’s the ordinary people I get most excited about”, and that ‘It’s important to look at life on the ground’ in Egypt after the end of the Pharaohs.
~Sandra Alvarez
Faith After the Pharaohs at the British Museum: October 29, 2015 – February 7, 2016. Photo by Medievalists.net
We know a lot about religion in Ancient Egypt. Countless books, museum exhibits, and documentaries have helped spread knowledge of Ancient Egyptian deities and religious life, but what do we know about post-Pharaonic Egypt? Not much it seems. Different faiths have lived together in Egypt since the time of the Pharaohs; Christian, Muslim and Jewish. These faiths continued to coexist and thrive in Egypt for centuries afterwards, yet this transitional period is often overlooked. This is unfortunate because Egyptian culture remained vibrant and intriguing long after the Pharaohs passed into the annals of history.
The British Museum’s latest exhibit, Faith After the Pharaohs attempts to rectify this oversight by presenting an intimate look at how religion, policy and daily practice intermingled and survived in post-pharaonic Egypt. The exhibit spans the period from the death of Cleopatra and Marc Antony in 30BC, when Egypt became part of the Roman Empire, to the twelfth century after the fall of the Fatimid Dynasty. The exhibit runs from October 29th, 2015 until February 7, 2016.
The exhibit opened with the three important devotional books that represent the faiths that have shaped Egypt: The Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Qu’ran, alongside stamps from each of the three religions symbolizing everyday practice. The theme of is the relationship between institutional religion and everyday practice. One of the crowning jewels of the exhibit is the world’s oldest surviving bible, on loan form the British Library. The book is part of the 4th century AD Codex Sinaiticus.
The British Museum expertly weaves together the complex history and relationships of the three communities: Jewish, Muslim and Christian.The Jewish community in Roman Egypt was well established and Jews were able to practice their religion freely until around the second century. After several revolts due to taxes and the increasing pressure to produce a Messiah, the Jewish community was severely suppressed. Displays here feature objects from daily life, fragments of scripture, and an assortment of texts from from ancient and medieval Egyptian towns that have been amazingly preserved. Eleventh and thirteenth century Jewish texts from the Ben Ezra Synagogue that were destined for the trash heap, were miraculously saved, showing how Jews lived in medieval Cairo.
Until the 4th century, Christians faced persecution in Roman Egypt for their refusal to sacrifice to the Gods. They were viewed as a troublesome sect and were routinely persecuted until 311 AD when the Emperor Galerius (260-311 AD) legalised Christianity by issuing the Edict of Toleration. Two years later, Emperor Constantine the Great (272-337 AD) brought Christianity into the Imperial household by becoming the first emperor to convert to Christianity. He also issued the Edict of Milan, which restored the rights and property of Christians. The new religion went from being on the fringes of society, to a religion that was not only accepted, but practiced by the wealthy and elite. There are fascinating pieces from Egypt’s Coptic and Early Christian community, such as Certificates of Sacrifice (Libellus) that were used as proof of compliance in the Roman Empire, along with devotional texts and extraordinarily well preserved textiles.
Lastly, the rise of Islam in Egypt is examined. Muslims first appeared in Egypt in 639 AD. When they began to settle in Egypt, the country was predominantly Christian, and remained this way until the tenth century, after which, Muslims began to outnumber Christians. After a period of time, Egypt adopted Arabic as its language and the religion of Islam. In 969 AD, the Fatimid Caliphate invaded Egypt and ruled there until the late twelfth century. They were tolerant of other religious groups, recognising them as ‘Peoples of the Book’, and allowed Jews and Christians to practice their religions and occupy positions in government, so long as they paid a special tax, jizya, to retain their status.
Faith After the Pharaohs beautifully depicts the fusion of cultures and religious belief through iconography, text and objects used in daily life. This exhibit is more modest than its recent Celtic predecessor, with approximately 200 objects, including some incredible pieces on loan from the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Given that this exhibit focuses on a much overlooked period, the collection is impressive in its scope and detail. Curator Elizabeth O’Connell remarked that “It’s the ordinary people I get most excited about”, and that ‘It’s important to look at life on the ground’ in Egypt after the end of the Pharaohs.
~Sandra Alvarez
Click here for more information about your visit to Faith After the Pharaohs
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