Serapeum

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Saqqarah

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Update 43

Made a trip to Saqqarah. 4700 years!! That's how old the pyramids there are! Yup, you read that right. These pyramids, known as the Step Pyramids are a generation older than the famous Giza Pyramids. Prior to the Step pyramids, pharaohs just had a huge slab places over their graves...than someone suggested putting another one a bit smaller on top of that one...than 3...till it created steps to the top. Blows our minds how old these are..and we could walk right up & touch them. We could also walk down into their tomb chambers & see more incredible drawings.
Also nearby was the Serapeum...an underground tunnel where about 20 "sacred" bulls were mummified & buried in polished marble 80 ton caskets. Can't imagine how or why they did that! But it was fascinating.
The museum there housed the oldest known arch, pillar & door...also hands-on displays.
My appreciation for history has certainly deepened & heightened on this trip!

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Update 42 by Roger

I joined about eight women and two men today for another visit to the prison for foreigners here in Cairo. Men's prison this time.
I first met John, a man who came from the Seychelles Islands by boat. He came to Egypt for a better life. Someone had told him to carry something for them and then threatened to kill him. He seemed confused about reasons why, but the final outcome was his imprisonment.  He has a life sentence and has been here for 16 years.  He was calm and our conversation was easy. His belief in God gives him peace.

Hisham also has a life sentence. He told me about loving to be out in the wilderness off-roading....always far from other people. He described himself as having been a young man who would often get into fights and had been in a gang. After his sentence he found himself in solitary confinement (for fighting).
A woman visited him and left a Bible for him. He had never before taken any interest in religion but remembered his mother reading some verses from Psalms. His tiny cell had no light but for a faint glow entering under the door. It was just enough so that by putting the Bible on the floor he could read some verses from Psalms. It gave him hope.  The light of the world opened up to him and changed him. He thanked me for visiting and listening to his story.
Metardo has been in the prison for 30 years.  He has studied and now is a priest/minister.  At the end of our visit he had all visitors and prisoners join hands and sing-giving thanks to God. He then thanked all of the visitors who "humbled" themselves by giving up their comforts and time with their families to visit the prisoners.

In two weeks the men will again have the chance for a visit and I expect that the same group of dedicated visitors will be there for them. 

Jane adds:  I also made another visit...kind of scary this time as the warden is such a tough cookie.  While waiting I talked with a regular visitor from the church and asked him if he thought arresting drug carriers was helping Egypt clean up the drug scene.  Nope, he said.  They don't catch the drug lords...just the peons that are easily and quickly replaced.

These prisoners made a bad decision...they are not bad people.


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