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November 6, 1998/ 17 Cheshvan 5759, Vol. 51, No. 7
Impressive Egypt exhibit missing one thing
MARTY LATZ
Special to Jewish News
The mummy appeared unreal, but it wasn't. Its lower half was wrapped with what looked to be some sort of burlap. Under this burlap-type material rested the mummy's internal organs. They had been removed at death, treated, and reinserted to go with its other remains into the afterlife. Quite extraordinary and well preserved. Yet, it still gave me chills.
My chills notwithstanding, the Phoenix Art Museum's showing of the "Splendors of Egypt" was all class - an incredible collection of artifacts and treasures illustrating the customs and lifestyles of an organizationally advanced society thriving thousands of years ago. As I meandered through the exhibit, however, I couldn't help but acutely feel my Judaism and my cultural origins. Our ancestors' status as slaves to Egyptian pharaohs and rulers was never far from my mind.
So, I examined each exhibit and artifact closely to see if our ancestors' roles were explained or noted in any way. Surprisingly to me, nary a mention. Not once throughout the entire exhibit did the role of Jews in ancient Egypt arise. Nor was there any mention of slavery - of any peoples. The mummified remains, the sarcophagi, the sphinx heads, the death masks, and the gold jewelry were all there. Large stone tablets the size of several of my bedroom walls painstakingly depicted events and stories of the times. But nothing appeared about Jews, slaves, Moses or even our exodus from Egypt.
This may not be unusual or suspect. Perhaps little, if anything, remains of this aspect of Egypt's history. I'm certainly no Egyptologist. But, as a Jew, I just couldn't help but feel its absence. My knowledge of ancient Egypt, after all, largely emanates from Sunday school and the story of Passover.
As I walked through the exhibit, I also couldn't help but notice the continuing similarity between ancient Egypt's strictly hierarchical system and the authoritarian regimes prevalent among most Middle Eastern countries today. Thousands of years ago, the pharaoh occupied the top spot, serving as the link between his people and the gods. Then came his family and the rest of the ruling class, scribes and government officials, and on down the line to the workers.
Today, every Middle Eastern country - except Israel - is dominated to differing degrees by a male ruler and his family. His decree is law. And in many, the king/ayatollah again serves as the bridge to a higher being. Even in current Egypt, one of the least authoritarian of the Arab countries, President Mubarak and his ruling party control the formal levers of power.
Contrast these hierarchical/authoritarian systems with the raging democracy found in Israel today. Our brethren, the descendants of slaves, have created an oasis in the desert and put into practice a form of participatory government in which one person's vote means as much as the next. And it works quite well. This form of government would be anathema to ancient Egypt's pharaohs. Hierarchy and one's place within the hierarchy defined their lives - and their deaths. This exhibit, in the end, was about both.
The mummies' empty eye sockets seemed to follow me around the room. It was a bit eerie. I wondered if my ancestors had felt the crack of his whip as they labored to build the pyramids. Then I left the mummy room, and this feeling stopped. Another feeling overwhelmed me. We Jews survived this period as well. And look at us today. I thus left the exhibit feeling prouder than ever of my Judaism and our status as a people of ex-slaves.
Marty Latz is a Valley attorney and negotiation consultant. Send comments to mlatz@negot.com.
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