From the Valley of the Kings to Philae: Ancient and Modern Pilgrimages

Dr Cruz-Uribe will examine the role of pilgrimage in ancient Egypt, especially during Roman and Byzantine times. Using both newly-discovered and well-known Coptic and Demotic texts, he will compare the pilgrimage practices of the traditional Egyptian and Nubian populations with the practices of the contemporary Christians, investigating why the Egyptians went on pilgrimages, how the Christians began to emulate “pagan” pilgrimage practices, and the conflicts that arose between the groups over control of pilgrimage destination points.
This talk is sponsored by the Archaeology Research Focus Group with cooperation from the Ancient Mediterranean Studies program.

jwil 07.iii.2011