History · Introduction

Napoleon brought 167 scholars to Egypt

In 1798, Napoleon sailed for Egypt with his 'Army of the Orient' and 167 scientists and scholars, who mapped, sketched, and shipped artifacts back to Europe.

Interest in the ancient East began with empire.

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Western interest in the region had little to do with the Bible at first and a lot to do with imperial politics. The artifacts carried symbolic weight when Napoleon crowned himself emperor in 1804.

Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 1

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