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no more Egypt?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Brazzur (U2691621) on Monday, 12th December 2005

  Was that it from the Egypt series? 3 stories in 6 episodes? If so then that was quite dissapointing. There was so much more they hinted at but never got to, the christian take-over, cleopatra, the building on the pyramids (mentioned briefly but no great detail) and not a single mention of the Sphynx
  
  I absolutly loved the show, never watch the bbc and havn't watched any of these history shows but have always been a facinated by Egypt although i know litererally nothing about it until I saw these shows...disapointed if there wont be anything else...

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• Message 2

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  Posted by COPTICATHANASIUS (U2726860) on Monday, 12th December 2005

  There was never Christian takeover. There was Christian conversion of the Egyptian masses peacefully into Christianity. It was a cultural change not a take-over by anyone. The programme misrepresented the truth and conveyed the conversion of the Egyptians into Christianity as if it was a forced change by an alien people on a reluctant nation. This is not correct. The same Egyptians of the pharaonic times elected to abandon their old gods, now turned weak and irrelevat, and choose Christ. One can say an old chapter was ended and a new era started but the nation stayed the same albeit with different gods and mind set. This cultural revolution was liberating to the masses of the Egyptians. It effected a national awakening in them and produced the great Coptic contribution to Christianity and the world.
  Those who think that Egypt of the pharaohs ceased to be should think twice. The same old Egypt exists in the Copts. A nation does not loose its ethnicity, history or identity just because it has changed its religion.
  

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Champollion (U2688478) on Monday, 12th December 2005

  One of the most interesting features of this message board is that almost everybody has a particular and partial view - an axe to grind, if you like. But then, I suppose that's a cynic's summary of History and Historians. For example, I'm not sure that everyone would agree that the conversion of Egypt was entirely peaceful. Theodosius ordered temple closures with the Edict of Milan (nothing voluntary there). Later Abba Macedonius, the first Bishop of Elephantine, marched in zealously burning villages and smashing statues. Don't get me wrong, I agree that Coptic Christianity was and is a wonderful thing (and without it Champollion might never have translated hieroglyphs) but to suggest that the birth of Christianity in Egypt was an easy and a peaceful one of patently misleading.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by COPTICATHANASIUS (U2726860) on Monday, 12th December 2005

  Just a correcion, the Edict of Milan was not issued by Theodosius. It predated him and is dated 311 AD. It was an edict of toleration of all religions and no force was used against any. You may be referring to Theodosius's decision towards the end of the fourth century to make Christianity the official religion of the State. Certainly some force was used in changing some temples to churches (and not in forcing people to convert to Christianity). The important thing to remember is that Egypt by the time Theososius issued his decree was mostly Christian. There were hundreds of temples across the Valley which were previously used that now lied vacant. It was only right that the converted Egyptians use them to worship their new God. There is nothing wrong in that. There is no evidence that any blood shed or force was used to Christinize Egypt on any scale like that used by e.g. the Protestants in England to get rid of its Catholicism. And yet, no one accuses the Protestants of 'killing' or 'finishing off' the English civilization as the show claimed that Christinization of Egypt destroyed the Egyptian civilization. The Protestants changed England into a Protestant country, but destroying England or its civilization? Nay!
  
  One of the most interesting features of this message board is that almost everybody has a particular and partial view - an axe to grind, if you like. But then, I suppose that's a cynic's summary of History and Historians. For example, I'm not sure that everyone would agree that the conversion of Egypt was entirely peaceful. Theodosius ordered temple closures with the Edict of Milan (nothing voluntary there). Later Abba Macedonius, the first Bishop of Elephantine, marched in zealously burning villages and smashing statues. Don't get me wrong, I agree that Coptic Christianity was and is a wonderful thing (and without it Champollion might never have translated hieroglyphs) but to suggest that the birth of Christianity in Egypt was an easy and a peaceful one of patently misleading.Β 

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Champollion (U2688478) on Monday, 12th December 2005

  I stand corrected - and many thanks for those details. I will have to study more closely!

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• Message 6

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  Posted by Champollion (U2688478) on Monday, 12th December 2005

  Brazzur, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ History is always responsive to feedback. If you'd like to see more on Egypt, whether another series or something that deals in greater detail with Ancient Egypt rather than the modern world's discovery of the country then do get in touch with them. As they have pointed out to me, viewer response and opinion does matter and does make a difference.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Brazzur (U2691621) on Tuesday, 13th December 2005

  I really would like to see more on Egypt. I guess I would like to see more both on how egypt was discovered and what ancient egypt was. I would like to see more about the pyramids, how they were built and theories people made as to how they were built. I'm sure we dont have to go into the Alien theory but there wasn't nearly as much about the pyramids in the series as I thought there would be. I loved the first two episodes and the Belzoni episodes. I guess I looked at the show more about the historical aspect than the discovery of the history.
  
  I hope the dvds will have a lot of stuff on them and hope the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ do another series (assuming there is more to tell)

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Champollion (U2688478) on Tuesday, 13th December 2005

  The head of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ History is called Laurence Rees and he's based at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ White City building (not Television Centre or Centre House). If you want to see more of Egypt, the best thing to do is write to him and let him know.

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