Exploring Egypt

Luxor is more than just ruins—it’s where history feels personal

Luxor, Egypt, is a spectacular place to visit. The tombs and temples are amazing. The food is great. And the people are among the kindest you will ever meet.

An amazing hike

Back in 2024, I had an opportunity to nose around Luxor with my dear friend Nouby. We scurried over ruins, crawled into a tomb or two, shared tea, and enjoyed all that this area of Upper Egypt has to offer. While hiking the wetlands on the West Bank, Nouby borrowed a basket from a local woman and we took turns pitching it into the water with a rope. Of course, we chatted about the story of Mussa/Moses and how this special baby experienced a basket ride among the bulrushes (Exodus 2).

An amazing Gift

Imagine my surprise (last November) when I returned and he presented me with a painting of that memory! An artist from the Isis 2 gallery hand-painted it on a papyrus sheet. Thanks also goes to Ahmad el-Shaer, the owner of Isis 2 who made this happen. What a treasure!

Here’s the video summary of our wetland experience. Enjoy!

From crawling into ancient tombs to pitching baskets into the Nile, our time in Luxor is always unforgettable. We're retracing the steps of Moses and exploring the heart of Upper Egypt.

Some amazing opportunities

For curated itineraries that offer deeper cultural connections and biblical study, email us a BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com to learn about these four upcoming Egypt study-tours.

  • May 5 - 15, 2026

  • January 1 - 9, 2027

  • January 23 - February 7, 2027

  • March 30 - April 8, 2027

Pi3y the Doorkeeper: An Egyptian Statue and a Biblical Psalm

Ancient Egyptian acacia wood statue of Pi3y the doorkeeper, 18th Dynasty New Kingdom.

An Egyptian Statue

This statue from ancient Egypt presents a young man by the name of Pi3y (possibly pronounced “Pee-ah-ee”).* The figure is carved from acacia-wood, stands about 20 inches tall, and is remarkable for at least three reasons.

A Masterpiece of the New Kingdom

One reason has to do with the date of manufacture and artistic presentation. Scholars place this piece at the end of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, approximately the time of biblical Moses. Pi3y’s details are amazing (check out his curls and pleats). We see here a blend of older traditional elements and newer naturalistic tendencies.

The Name Pi3y

Second, the name of the young man is recorded four times on the piece, once on the base and three times on the back. Pi3y is a common name in New Kingdom Egypt but is not attested earlier.

The Role of a "Doorkeeper"

Third, not only does this personal name affix itself to the figure, so too a title. Pi3y was a “keeper” or “doorkeeper” to the palace. Some believe this to be the position of a guardian, porter, bouncer, or some type of administrator.

The Doorkeeper in Psalm 84:10

I find it fascinating to compare Pi3y’s status with the sentiment found in Psalm 84:10:

"For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."

In the biblical context, the doorkeeper is one who stands at the threshold (Hebrew: histofef), likely at the Temple in Jerusalem. While Pi3y’s inscription on his back pillar begs the goddess Werethekau to let him remain in the service of his master, the Psalmist makes a counter-cultural claim: that the humblest position in the presence of God is superior to any status among the godless.

The author proposes that being near to the presence of God is better than human status or ease among the godless.

A Prayer for Service

Returning to the wooden statue of Pi3y, consider the inscription on its back:

“O Werethekau, lend me your ear, I am your doorkeeper grant that (I) may remain in the service of my master, that (I) may open (?) his doors.”**

Whether in the palaces of Egypt or the courts of Zion, the "doorkeeper" reminds us that who we serve is far more important than the threshold we stand upon.

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*This statue is on display in the Museum of the Louvre, Paris, Pavilion Sully, Hall 26, Showcase 4.

**For more on the statue of Pi3y, see the article here: https://www.academia.edu/19956252/The_statue_of_the_Doorkeeper_of_the_palace_Pi3y_Louvre_E_124_ (accessed 1/15/2026).



Carter House: The Restored Home of the Archaeologist who Discovered King Tut

While many come to the Valley of the Kings, the nearby house of Howard Carter is also worth a stop. This mudbrick structure, replete with 1920s furniture, features the study, studio, laboratory, and living quarters of the discoverer of King Tut’s tomb in Egypt.

A Big Adventure on a Small Sambuk

Explore the Nile wetlands. Meet a family fishing for food and go for a ride in their small boats. Caution: it is a season of high water!

Interested in a big adventure of your own? We are planning several Egypt trips in the next year and a half. Here’s the dates. Email BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com with your comments and questions.

  • May 5 - 15, 2026

  • January 1 - 9, 2027

  • January 23 - February 7, 2027

  • March 30 - April 8, 2027

Luxor Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Experience

I must confess: even though I signed up for this sunrise ride to scout the best experiences for our clients, I quickly realized it was a gift to myself. And boy, am I glad I did!

The World’s Greatest open-air museum

Floating in the morning air, you can truly appreciate why Luxor is often called the world's greatest open-air museum. From a thousand feet up, the landscape reveals secrets that ground tours simply can't match.

Why an Aerial Perspective Matters

For those fascinated by archaeology, this ride is critical. It allows you to visualize the layout of the region, seeing how temples and workers' villages were once connected by the same soil that local farmers irrigate today

Click and watch the video below.

Want to try it yourself?

For curated itineraries that offer deeper cultural connections and biblical study, email us a BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com to learn about these four upcoming Egypt study-tours. Of course you’ll have the option to ride the balloons yourself!

  • May 5 - 15, 2026

  • January 1 - 9, 2027

  • January 23 - February 7, 2027

  • March 30 - April 8, 2027

Tips for "Reading" Egyptian Temples

Temples are a regular stop for tourists in Egypt. Here are five tips to improve your temple "reading" skills.

Ready to practice your reading skills?

For curated itineraries that offer deeper cultural connections and biblical study, email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com to learn about these four upcoming Egypt study-tours.

  • May 5 - 15, 2026

  • January 1 - 9, 2027

  • January 23 - February 7, 2027

  • March 30 - April 8, 2027

The Habu Temple: Philistines Appear on Walls in Egypt

The people-group known as Philistines in the Bible appear in a temple by the Nile.

Experience Egypt

For curated itineraries that offer deeper cultural connections and biblical study, email us at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com to learn about these four upcoming Egypt study-tours.

  • May 5 - 15, 2026

  • January 1 - 9, 2027

  • January 23 - February 7, 2027

  • March 30 - April 8, 2027

Egyptian-Greek Fusion

Ptolemaic period sphinx on display at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The legacy of old Egyptian art continues into the Greek period. But look at that face!

We enjoyed our day in Cairo with a group of Bible Land Explorers from Burlington, Kentucky. We are now en route to the airport to fly to Luxor.

The Hoopoe: The Bird of Kings and Wisdom

While stepping out of my hotel in Luxor I encountered this marvelously crested fellow: the Hoopoe (Upupa epops). I watched him grub the soft ground with that long beak.

Beyond its striking colors, this bird carries a heavy crown of history. In ancient Egypt, the hoopoe was a symbol of royalty. In Islamic folklore, they were messengers for King Solomon. In the Bible they made the “do not eat” list (Lev 11:13-19 and Deut 14:11-18).

Did you know? In Arabic, the hoopoe is called a hudhud. Go ahead and say it out loud—it’s as fun to say as this marvelous bird is to watch.

St. Catherine's Monastery

At the base of Jebel Musa (the traditional Mt Sinai) is the oldest continuously-inhabited Christian monastery in the world. It is named after St Catherine, an Alexandrian martyr. It is a part of the Greek Orthodox tradition.

The history of this site goes back to the mid-6th c AD. It was built by the order of Byzantine emperor, Justinian I, over the spot where God confronted Moses at the burning bush.

An enlargement of the legend has the body of Catherine found here as well. Apparently, after Catherine was killed by a Roman blade, her remains were carried away by angels and hidden in the deep desert. Christian monks found it, uncorrupted, built a monastery and named it after her.

See this austere place and witness Mt Sinai for yourself. Join us in Egypt next year!

The Lighthouse of Alexandria is under it?

The Citadel of Qaitbay was built in the 15th century to defend the Egyptian coast. It was located on the northern tip of Pharos Island, part of the harbor complex of Alexandria. Beneath it is stonework that may be the foundations of the city's lighthouse, one of the wonders of the Hellenistic world.

As a further note, ancient sources suggest that Ptolemy II had a retreat center on this same island and it was here that the Old Testament Scriptures were translated from Hebrew to Greek in the early third century BC. That effort is called the Septuagint.

We'll be visiting Alexandria again May 5-19, 2026, as part of a tour of Biblical Egypt. Will you join us?