On October 30th, we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Divine Egypt exhibition. The exhibit featured many different artifacts centered around twenty-five major Egyptian gods like Ra, Isis, Amun, and Anubis. The gallery was dimly lit, creating a spiritual atmosphere that made the objects feel alive and powerful. Each section explored different ideas, creating the world, ruling the cosmos, coping with life, and overcoming death, showing how deeply religion was woven into Egyptian culture.
We learned that Egyptian religion was constantly evolving. Gods changed, merged, and rose to prominence over time, like Amun-Re becoming the supreme deity. We also discovered that statues weren’t seen as symbols; they were believed to be living embodiments of the gods, activated through ritual. Many pieces, such as the gold statuette of Amun, showed incredible devotion through both size and craftsmanship.
The exhibit also illustrated how religion shaped kingship. Pharaohs weren’t just leaders; they were divine, responsible for maintaining ma’at, or cosmic balance. Ordinary people practiced faith too, shown through small amulets and figurines that offered personal protection and connection to the divine.
In the end, the exhibition revealed a culture where art, nature, and religion were inseparable. Divine Egypt helped us see ancient Egyptian belief not as distant history, but as a living worldview built on devotion, symbolism, and balance.
Completing this project helped me explore how important art is in the lives of New Yorkers by letting me experience it firsthand. While walking through the Divine Egypt exhibit at the Met, I noticed how art brought so many different people together, whether it be families, students, tourists, or even people who seemed to be visiting alone; they all paused to take in the same pieces. This project made me see how art acts like a bridge across time and culture. Even though Ancient Egypt is thousands of years removed from us, New Yorkers today can still connect with it emotionally, spiritually, or even intellectually. I felt that personally, when I found myself imagining the rituals, the devotion, and even the people who once stood before these same gods. It made me think about how New Yorkers use art to learn about other worlds and reflect on their own lives. Through this experience, I saw how art helps build community by giving people a shared moment of wonder, reflection, and understanding, which is something unique to a city as diverse and alive as New York.
