As the sun drifted closer to the horizon, we walked across the street from our hotel and climbed into our second small boat of the day. Cruising around the Nile, we eventually docked at Elephantine Island.
During Biblical times, a group of Jews settled in this area. They constructed a temple to the Lord on Elephantine Island around the fifth century BC. We tend to think of idolatry, but what about worshipping the Lord at another temple? I would’ve enjoyed exploring whatever ruins there are on the island, but that wasn’t the purpose of our visit.
There is a village of Nubians who live there today, numbering about 6,000. Nubia was the country immediately south of Egypt in ancient times. Disembarking from the boat, we wandered the narrow streets, being led by one of the residents, who then brought us to his home (this had all been prearranged – he does this for tourists once or twice a week). We got to learn about their culture, being encouraged to ask anything we wanted. We were treated to a wonderful home-cooked meal. With our stomachs and brains full, we eventually departed for the boat to take us back to the mainland.
