Dendera Temple, Habu Temple, Cruise to Edfu

Today we travel to Dendera Temple, one of the best-preserved temple complexes in Egypt. It was dedicated to the goddess Hathor, patron of healing, making Dendera a place of pilgrimage for healing. Similarly, in the catholic and orthodox Christian tradition, the archangel Raphael, patron saint of healing and travelers, is called upon to make us as a “living temple for the Holy Spirit.” Like so many remaining temples, the Temple of Hatshepsut within Habu Temple was built upon a more ancient structure, the Primeval Hill, representing the emergence of matter out of chaos. We learn that the Word, which created life out of the void, was recorded almost 1,000 years before the book of Genesis was written. Habu was also known for its large Coptic settlement. We then board our cruise for a leisurely afternoon to watch “history” pass us by as we see life along the Nile much as it was in ancient times.