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In this episode of the podcast we explore the Middle Kingdom Tale of Shipwrecked Sailor; where we encounter a lucky sailor, a grumpy count, and a giant golden snake.

As many of you know, last week UCLA Professor William Klug was murdered by a former student in his office. We know now that the student then committed suicide, but at the time we thought UCLA was in the midst of a mass shooting. As much as I tried, I just couldn’t bring myself to focus on anything else this week.

Egyptian archaeology is full of interesting characters. In this episode of the podcast we’ll discuss the birth of Egyptian archaeology by looking at two unique figures: Giovanni Belzoni, the circus strong man turned archaeologist; and William Flinders Petrie, the man who measured the Great Pyramid in red underwear and a pink tutu.

With another plane crash, which appears to be an act of terrorism, we’ll discuss terrorism in Egypt. Is Egypt safe? Why do terrorists target tourists, and tourist sites? We’ll go over the history of terror attacks on tourists in Egypt in the past few decades, and discuss what this might to Egypt and its economy.

Depending on how you look at it, Egyptology as an academic discipline is thousands of years old, or less than two-hundred. In this episode of the podcast we’ll examine the first Egyptologists and the birth of Egyptology as an academic field.

A new discovery has shed some light on the practice of tattooing in ancient Egypt, and has us all rethinking how Egyptians chose to decorate their bodies. We’ll look at the history of tattooing ancient Egypt, and look at the new evidence in this episode of Eric’s Guide to Ancient Egypt.

As the end of a three day conference in Cairo draws to a close, there’s more drama (and less answers) about the hidden chambers in Tut’s tomb. I’ll break down the latest news from Cairo, and discuss where we go from here. Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun

New scans using cosmic rays are allowing Egyptologists and scientists to look inside they pyramids for the first time. We’ll discuss this technology and results in this episode of Eric’s Guide to Ancient Egypt.

In this episode of the podcast we’ll explore the first tale of Setne. Setne, a son of Ramesses the Great and High Priest of Ptah at Memphis, was known as a powerful and wise priest and magician. In our story he battles a rival magician and scours the land in search for a magical book written by the god Thoth himself, which will allow him immense magical power. But as we will see, attempting to steal power meant for the gods has a price.

In this episode I’ll break down how I travel Egypt, how I think you should travel Egypt, and what are the must see locations. This is the podcast for anyone who wants to go to Egypt now, or in the future!

In this episode of the podcast we’ll discuss the Israelite Exodus from ancient Egypt. Were the ancient Hebrews slaves to the pharaohs? We’ll break down the evidence in this episode of Eric’s Guide to Ancient Egypt.

Most people know that the ancient Egyptians loved their pets, but their relationship with animals was much more complicated than that. Some animals were feared, while others were venerated. Select animals were treated as living gods, while millions of others were slaughtered. In this episode of the podcast we’ll examine the ancient Egyptian attitudes towards animals, and look at why they chose to worship them.

In this quick bonus episode of the podcast I review the movie Gods of Egypt.

Let’s face it, the ancient world was not a great place for the ladies. In most ancient societies (and some modern ones), women were treated as objects that were used to cement political alliances or valued only for their sexuality and childbearing potential. However, ancient Egypt seems to be an exception. Women in ancient Egypt could own property, marry whoever they wanted, and could enter a variety of professions–some even held the office of Pharaoh. However, there were many negatives attitudes toward women. It was thought that women should remain at home and live private lives, while men entered public life. Women were also considered to be seducers and temptresses who lead men to harm. In this episode of the podcast we’ll break down the role of women in ancient and try to determine exactly how much freedom women had.

Sex was a central component in Ancient Egyptian mythology and religion. In this episode of the podcast we’ll explore how sex brought the world into existence, and how the ancient Egyptians used sex to defeat death.

More news on the tomb of King Tut. With a new Minister of Antiquities and Tourism, there is some skepticism about the early results, prompting new set of scans. The Ministry of Antiquities has started backing away from their earlier claims, and appears to be lowering expectations. We’ll break it down on this episode of Eric’s Guide to Ancient Egypt Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun

Why did ancient people believe in magic? What sort of magic did they practice? For the ancient Egyptians, magic was a natural force to that was meant to be harnessed. It was given to mankind to help them deal with the uncertainty of life. In this episode of the podcast we’ll explore how magic, along with religion and medicine, worked and existed as part of a logical system that provided psychological comfort to ancient people by allowing them to believe they had some control of life’s unpredictable events and circumstances.

As we continue our study of the Village of Deir el-Medina and daily life in ancient Egypt, we turn our attention toward the Egyptian Economy. We’ll discuss how corruption and abuse led to the first recorded workers strike in the world, and how economic collapse resulted in the systematic plundering of royal tombs by the inhabitants of Deir el-Medina and the local elite.

In this bonus episode of the podcast I’ll discuss the recent press conference regarding the hidden chambers in Tut’s tomb, as well as where we go from here. Could this be this century’s greatest archaeological discovery? Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun

In this episode of the podcast we’ll take a look at the notorious Paneb. Accused of theft, assault and rape (to name a few charges), Paneb’s story gives us a window into corruption and justice in ancient Egypt. We’ll see how, through bribery and intimidation, Paneb was able to rise through the ranks and institute a brief reign of terror over the village of Deir el-Medina.