Wednesday, August 09, 2006

The Quest for Immortality

I spent the day yesterday at an Elderhostel here in Nashville. First we went to the Egyptian exhibit at the Frist. Certainly worth attending!!! For one whose knowledge of Egyptian philosophy and religious thought comes from interchanges between Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston, I was astonished at the intricate philosophy of the afterlife they concocted. Like Christians. they believed we will all live forever; however they believed both the body and the soul will live forever--their intricate construction of the Pyramids, mummification and worship of Gods who could help them achieve immortality stem from this belief.

For those of you with children, the Frist has docents prepared especially for guiding children through the exhibit. And audio guides for children are available. Children are also allowed to touch some of the displays. There is a good family guide at the door.

The Frist is a Nashville treasure. I learned yesterday that Nashville had no city art museum (except a very small one at Cheekwood) until five years ago when the Frist was opened. Nashville has grown up into its place as an art center very recently.

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