Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #5

Update: THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SCAVENGER HUNT!! It was my first time to participate, and all of you made it so much fun! Winner of the Amish-made wall hanging is Bonnie of York, Pennsylvania. She’s already responded to my e-mail, and her wall hanging will soon be on its way. Congratulations, Bonnie!

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all 31 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS with Stop #1 at Lisa Bergren’s site.
• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 11/6 at midnight Mountain time)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books.
• Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the clue on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at Stop #31. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

Connilyn Cossette is a historical fiction author with a passion for writing stories of timeless grace. She recently released the second novel in her series Out from Egypt.

10 Ways the Egyptians Were Just Like Us

Since the Out from Egypt Series begins in Ancient Egypt, I spent years researching this fascinating time period of history, the ancient Egyptian people, and their beliefs. Although much of their lifestyle seems foreign to us and their understanding of the world limited and mixed up with magic and myth—what struck me was how much we modern people have in common with the Ancient Egyptians. As the Bible says, “there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Here are a few examples:

1. They were all about the selfies. Sure, Pharaoh and his royal pals didn’t have Facebook or Instagram but inscribing their names and faces all over the walls ensured they’d be remembered forever, unless of course some later Pharaoh chiseled it away in retribution.
2. Photoshop was all the rage. Very few depictions of Kings and Queens were true likenesses. Face and figures were altered to depict idealized attributes including narrow hips and broad shoulders in men and small waists and shapely busts for the women.
3. They loved their bling. Some of the jewelry uncovered in the royal tombs is beyond exquisite and extraordinary in its craftsmanship. Everyone, men and women, wore flashy jewelry and imported precious gemstones and metals to keep up with the latest trends.
4. They were obsessed with youth and beauty. Both men and women wore cosmetics, wigs, and hair extensions. Many of the papyri contained recipes for hair dyes, face creams, and other unguents and concoctions to keep the skin supple, ward off wrinkles, and restore a youthful glow. Of course some of these concoctions contained things like crocodile dung and goat urine…
5. They loved a good romance. Many papyri contain love poems and stories about the passion between lovers with long, descriptive passages. Although arranged marriages were undoubtedly prevalent, there is evidence that love matches were not altogether uncommon.
6. They put celebrities on a pedestal. As prone as we are to idolizing our favorite Hollywood celebrity, the ancient Egyptians literally worshipped theirs. The Pharaohs were not just considered kings, they were considered gods whose word was absolute and whose every whim was catered to, by the mere mortals around them.
7. They feared death, yet were mesmerized by it. From horror movies to haunted houses to mediums claiming to reach beyond the grave, modern man is morbidly fascinated with what happens to our bodies after we die. Egyptian tombs are well-known vessels for the strange collection of materials they felt traveled with them into the afterlife and the walls depict the frightening gods, like Osiris and Set who would meet them after death and either usher them to paradise or devour their soul.
8. They adored their pets. Ancient Egyptians kept a variety of domesticated animals in their homes, from cats to dogs to monkeys to cheetahs. They even insisted on taking their pets with them when they died. Many mummified pets have been found next to their overly-attached owners.
9. They were sensitive to poor hygiene. In contrast to most other ancient cultures, wealthy Ancient Egyptians were near-obsessive about washing their bodies nearly every day and were meticulous about keeping their faces and bodies cleanly shaven.
10. Women held a valued position. Again, in contrast to most of the cultures around them, many Egyptian women seemed to have many more rights than most. They could own land, inherit, divorce their husbands, and some of them maintained careers. There was even at least one woman who named herself Pharaoh!

 When she is not homeschooling her two sweet kids (with a full pot of coffee at hand), Connilyn is scribbling notes on spare paper, mumbling about her imaginary friends, and reading obscure out-of-print history books. There’s not much she likes better than digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible, uncovering buried gems of grace that point toward Jesus and weaving them into fiction. Her second novel Shadow of the Storm: Out from Egypt Series recently released through Bethany House Publishers. Connect with her at www.connilyncossette.com or at facebook.com/connilyncossette.

Here’s the Stop #5 Skinny:

Cindy Woodsmall here with a special giveaway!

I send out my free newsletter, Plain News, two or three times per year, just enough to keep readers informed about my latest releases. From those who sign up during this scavenger hunt, I’ll pull one winner who will receive this Amish-made wall hanging. To sign up, CLICK HERE. (<— The link opens in a new window, so you won’t lose your place/bearings in the scavenger hunt. Also, if you’re already signed up, you’re welcome to sign up again in order to enter the giveaway. You’ll only receive one newsletter.)