Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors: An Activity Guide
In memory of Rabbi David Wolfe Blank and Arthur Broida brightness through pain
Foreword rofessors who study the ancient world sit day after day reading clay tablets stone inscriptions or scrolls of papyrus written thousands of years ago and gazing at objects made by craftspeople long dead Why do we spend our time in this way If asked most of my colleagues would probably reply In order to learn the lessons that the peoples of the past can teach us today Nonsense Although we can and do profit from a knowl edge of the great ideas deeds and mistakes of the past we enter the world of Egypt or Nubia of Hatti or Mesopotamia because it's fun To give a personal exam ple I became a Hittite scholar because at the age of eight I read a book by C W Ceram called The Secret of the Hittites and was never able to shake the fascination that this civi lization exercised over me My mother my classmates and more recently my wife have often commented on my diligence and dedication to my studies But the truth is this is not work this is fun Marian Broida has uncovered this secret and in Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors reveals it to of all people children This seems to me entirely unfair for children already know a great many ways to enjoy themselves Ms Broida might have left the study of the ancient Near East to me and other professors But there you have it This clever and well informed book responsibly presents numerous activities and projects that open a door to the life of several peoples of the ancient world Egyptians Mesopotamians Nubians and Hittites All of the activities accurately reflect ancient practices and can be carried out with readily available materials So do try these at home Do you want to dress and walk like an Egyptian Eat like a Hittite Build a house like a Nubian Just follow the directions given here and you'll get the hang of it in no
time You might even decide to make a career of uncover ing the past But if you do please don't tell our secret Let others believe you study the past for the grand purpose of furthering human knowledge not because it's fun Gary Beckman Professor of Hittite and Mesopotamian Studies University of Michigan
