Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt
A Conversation with Brian Smith
About the Event
Join us for a conversation with Graham School instructor Brian Smith exploring religion in ancient Egypt. Herodotus called the Egyptians the most religious of any people he had encountered; what gave rise to this observation, and how was it expressed among the Egyptian people themselves? Together, we will explore ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, morality, and social justice.
Who's Speaking
Brian Smith
Open Enrollment Instructor
Brian Smith has a bachelor's degree in anthropology and archaeology from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and has excavated in India, Thailand, and Egypt where he worked with the joint University of Pennsylvania/Yale/Institute of Fine Arts, New York. Brian received a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Memphis in ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology, and concluded at the University of Chicago in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the Oriental Institute with a Master’s degree in Egyptology.
He teaches courses in ancient Nilotic cultures, Near Eastern Civilizations, and ancient social history at the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies. He is also currently teaching “The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Nubia” at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California through virtual platforms.
His interests are in socio-economic interpretations of material culture (particularly ceramics), art historical styles (painting, sculpture, architecture), and religious ideology as reflected in the behavioral systems observed in the archaeological record. Along with his husband, he also has two cats, Tigris and Euphrates.