On our trek to the biblical lands of Egypt and Jordan, February 3rd to 16th, we followed Moses’ life from beginning to end and also walked in the footsteps of Joseph, the Holy Family, and many Israelites. Our tour guides from Egypt and Jordan were excellent, flooding us with constant knowledge and wisdom about this ancient land and its people. I loved every part of this trip, even though it was a physically exhausting journey. God was with us every step of the way, giving us strength as we received the Revelation and Enlightenment He had chosen for each of us. God likes taking us out of our comfort zones to draw us ever closer to Him.
Our traveling companions were Rev. Dr. Jennifer Long, Marge Long, Richard, Lori, and Scott Ruhl, Tim McAnally, and Dana McNeal. We joined Matt Miofsky’s church, The Gathering, from St. Louis, Missouri, along with several others from other states, making a group of 54 on this trip. With seven pastors, a doctor, and several nurses, we were able to handle every situation that arose and took care of each other. The devotions along our journey were uplifting and nourished our souls, as you can imagine. We had to strengthen our faith daily as we wandered into the unknown, relying on those around us for help. Jet lag and brain fog are real.
After an overnight stay at the Movenpick Media City Hotel, our Christian journey began with a bus trip to the Egypt Welcome Center. There, we explored the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza, one of the only existing Wonders of the Ancient World. We marveled at their massive scale, precision engineering, and workmanship, wondering how they did it. These were 70-ton blocks, 400 feet high. Many in our group enjoyed their first camel rides, which lasted around 15–20 minutes for $15, and no one fell off. We touched the Pyramids and knew we had touched history itself, thousands of years old.
The locals had plenty of souvenirs for sale, and I got three pyramids for $5 and a scarf for $2 through intense bartering. We quickly became accustomed to this system of haggling and actually enjoyed it. The Egyptian lady was so happy I bought a scarf from her that she hugged me and kissed my neck.
We explored the Great Egyptian Museum (GEM), which took 20 years to build and recently opened. The GEM houses over 120,000 ancient antiquities. Seeing King Tut’s tomb items of pure gold was breathtaking, as were items from Egyptian culture dating back to 6,000+ BC. We were amazed at the huge statue of Ramses II, cut from a single stone of red granite. Amazingly, only 30% of ancient artifacts have been uncovered so far, leaving 70% still undiscovered. We will have to go back.
Next, we flew south to Aswan to board the River Nile cruise ship, since the Nile flows from south to north. That afternoon, we toured the Aswan High Dam, a marvel that powers 40% of Egypt. It is heavily guarded to prevent attacks and has prevented the extensive annual flooding that once damaged many old temples. On the River Nile cruise from Aswan, the Land of Gold, we literally walked the plank, explored a Nubian village, held a baby crocodile, and saw a 90-year-old turtle.
That night, back on the Moon Goddess Cruise Ship, we dressed like Egyptians and enjoyed our Mediterranean supper, which became a staple for most of the two-week journey.
We took ferry boats from our cruise ship to see the Temples of Philae and the Great Temples of Isis and Hathor along the Nile. Then we sailed to Kom Ombo to visit the only temple dedicated to two contrasting gods, Sobek, the crocodile-headed god of the underworld, and Haroeris, the winged god of the sky.
The next morning, we visited one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, located at Edfu. This temple was dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god of protection, healing, and restoration. He is depicted as the avenger of his father, Osiris, who was murdered by his brother, Seth. The Eye of Horus is a powerful ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, healing, restoration, and royal power. It wards off evil and ensures health.
On Sunday, we had a church service where Matt Miofsky gave a sermon on Psalms 90, attributed to Moses. The Nile was the Egyptians’ source of life, but God doesn’t want us to remain stagnant. He says “Go” to us, and He Himself will go with us. We had Communion on the Nile, which was incredibly special. We continued sailing to Esna and crossed the Nile locks on our way to Luxor.
We visited the magnificent Temple of Luxor on the east side of the Nile, with its avenue of sphinx statues and monumental columns, and saw the Karnak Temple Complex, dedicated to Amun-Ra. This complex grew over 2,000 years with contributions from dozens of pharaohs and is the largest religious building ever constructed. Luxor Temple, built by Amenhotep III and expanded by Ramses II, was dedicated not to a god, but to the rejuvenation of kingship, and played a central role in royal ceremonies. Luxor is called the world’s greatest open-air museum.
It was amazing to think of Moses living here during the first 40 years of his life, visiting these temples regularly as a member of the royal family. We saw the famed Great Hypostyle Hall with 134 towering columns, some 21 meters high and covered in carved hieroglyphs, as well as the obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Thutmose III.
Ancient Thebes was the capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom and the center of spiritual, political, and cultural power for over 500 years. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering both the East Bank temples and the necropolis of the West Bank.
The Theban religious life was prominent here, hosting the grand Opet Festival, where statues of the gods were paraded to nearby Luxor Temple. We visited this vast burial city and also saw the Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and the Valley of the Kings. Ancient Egyptians buried their royalty, nobles, and spiritual leaders, believing that the sun died each evening in the west. The Valley of the Kings, carved into desert cliffs, holds over 60 royal tombs, including Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and Seti I, many decorated with vivid murals and texts from the Book of the Dead. King Tut only lived to 19, dying of malaria after 11 years of reign.
Egypt still contains many secrets regarding how they built all these temples, tombs, and pyramids. The craftsmanship is breathtaking, and we are still astounded by the wisdom they possessed. Visiting these sites confirmed the age-old phrase, “Everything began in Egypt.”
In the afternoon, we flew to Sharm el-Sheikh to experience the Red Sea. We took a glass-bottom boat ride to admire the healthy green corals and enjoyed a relaxing stay at the Queen Sharm Hotel. We had lunch at the Hard Rock Café, where we even saw Rod Stewart’s shirt hanging on the wall.
On the Red Sea coast, Pastor Rev. Dr. Jennifer Long led our group in prayer and reflection as we pondered God parting the Red Sea and Moses leading the Israelites to freedom. The realization brought many of us to tears. At Mousa Coast, believed to be where God performed the miracle of the Red Sea, Pastor Matt gave a beautiful devotion at this powerful site.
One of the most meaningful and strenuous days was ascending Mount Sinai. Several of us rode camels for most of the way, walking the rest over rugged, windy, freezing terrain. Some walked the entire way, including the last 750 steps, the “Steps of Repentance.” Pastor Jennifer and Tim made it all the way to the top. The advertised “short hike” took 3–4 hours to ascend and 3–4 hours to descend. We loved our journey to majestic Mount Sinai, where Moses met Yahweh and received the Ten Commandments.
Along the way, a sweet young boy led my camel. When I asked in English, “Moses Mountain?” he nodded and asked, “You like?” I smiled and said yes. The slow, steady ascent gave us much time for reflection. The journey was steep and rugged, but profoundly meaningful.
We stood at the foot of the burning bush at St. Catherine’s Monastery, built in the 6th century to protect the site believed to be the Burning Bush. It was overwhelming to imagine Moses removing his sandals before the bush. St. Catherine’s Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai, is the world’s oldest continuously active Christian monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and home to priceless Byzantine art and ancient manuscripts.
While the US dollar was widely accepted, our group enjoyed using Egyptian pounds and haggling with locals for souvenirs. Our schedule was rigorous, keeping us constantly on the go. We enjoyed several traditional Bedouin meals, all delicious.
Some in our group took a three-day extension to Amman, Jordan, where we toured this bustling capital of over 2 million people, including the Citadel, amphitheater, and Hercules Temple. We stayed at the Dead Sea Hotel, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, 1,410 ft below sea level, the lowest point on earth, with 34% salt content. The nomadic Bedouin people lived here and made their tents from black sheep, goat, and camel hair.
The next day, we journeyed to Petra, featured in films like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Transformers, The Mummy, and Aladdin. Accessing Petra required a two-mile downhill walk through the Siq gorge, where we marveled at the intricate city carved into rose-colored cliffs. Petra, an ancient Nabataean city established around the 4th century BC, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and New 7th Wonder of the World. Known as the “Rose City,” it was a wealthy trading hub.
We also traveled to Madaba, Jordan, the city of mosaics, and visited the Church of Saint George, housing a 6th-century Byzantine mosaic map of Jerusalem and other holy sites. Another highlight was Mount Nebo, where Moses glimpsed the Promised Land, as recorded in Deuteronomy 34. From there, on a clear day, one can see across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jericho. The Serpentine Cross, created by Italian artist Gian Paolo Fantoni, symbolizes both the bronze serpent created by Moses and the cross of Jesus.
From our jam-packed, once-in-a-lifetime adventure, we experienced the splendors of Egypt and the most iconic biblical sites. We walked 58 miles, averaging 4.4 miles per day, making it very doable.
To conclude, our pilgrimage journey following the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land was the trip of a lifetime. The scenery was breathtaking everywhere, with miles of sand dunes, rugged mountains, and rocky terrain. Words to describe this journey: Revelation, Enlightenment, Awe, Adventure, Fellowship, Fun, Laughter, Accomplishment, Enjoyment, Generosity, Eye-opening, and Absolute Joy. Being immersed in the lands of Moses and other biblical figures was surreal. Experiencing these events firsthand has strengthened our faith and understanding.
