In the city of San
Jose, there is one particularly hidden gem. A Christian order maintains a
museum full of Egyptian antiquities for the general public to visit. Before the
end of the year, I visited the museum with some friends, as I had not been to
the place in a long time. I would like the opportunity to tell you about what I
saw.
The Rosicrucian
Museum is full of exhibits showing off the life and death of ancient Egypt and
the civilizations surrounding it. In one area you can see a replica of the
Rosetta stone, while in others you can see a sarcophagus and a model of one of
the great pyramids. Many artifacts are encased in glass because they are the
genuine deal. It would take hours to read up all the plaques regarding upper
class customs and the details of the afterlife. The museum even has a replica
of a tomb that you can see on a guided tour. At the time I visited, there were
so many people waiting for the tour that I could not get in. I didn’t care too
much because I had been on that tour years ago; maybe I should visit again and
see if I notice anything different.
The museum campus
has some other attractions as well. The grounds are quite pretty with a garden
and fountain to walk around. I went to a show at the old planetarium hoping to
see a light show. Unfortunately, the attraction merely involved a projector
displaying a short movie on the cosmos narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. I found the
posters about the history of the Rosicrucian order outside the planetarium
theater more interesting than the film.
In short, the
Rosicrucian museum might be worth your time. It’s a great place to learn about
ancient Egypt in the Silicon Valley area. I doubt I will visit the museum any
time soon, but you never know what the future brings. May the lords of life and
death, which may or may not include Osiris and Anubis, have mercy on my eternal
soul.
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