Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart
Episode: "How 'Divine Egypt' Showcases Ancient Egyptian Spirituality"
Date: November 25, 2025
Guest: Diana Craig Patch, Curator of "Divine Egypt" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Episode Overview
In this episode, host Alison Stewart speaks with Diana Craig Patch, the curator behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s landmark exhibition “Divine Egypt.” Their conversation explores how the exhibit brings to life the complex world of ancient Egyptian spirituality, with a special focus on gods, goddesses, and the evolving ways Egyptians related to their deities. Patch offers insights into the curatorial challenges, the symbolism embedded in sacred art, and why ancient Egypt continues to captivate audiences today.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Scope and Structure of the Exhibition
- The exhibit covers Egyptian history from approximately 3500 BCE through the Roman period (First Century CE).
- (01:52) Diana Craig Patch: "We're looking at about 3500 BCE all the way down to the Roman period, somewhere in the first century..."
- The immense complexity and fluidity of the Egyptian divine world—by the end of Egyptian civilization, there were around 1,500 gods.
- (05:15) "The ancient Egyptian divine landscape is incredibly complicated. By the end... There are some 1500 gods. The Egyptians were additive. They didn't throw things out. When they encountered something new, they brought it in."
- The exhibition introduces visitors to 25 primary deities in a focused way, as it would have been impossible to cover all; gods are explored individually to reflect their unique roles and evolutions.
2. Depictions and Evolution of Egyptian Deities
- Iconography began as symbolic representations and developed into more consistent images of deities by the Old Kingdom (~2600 BCE).
- (02:10) "The first representations... in the pre dynastic period are often symbols that are associated later with a deity. Also, there are animals that we're fairly certain by 3000 BCE represent a particular deity."
- Egyptians were very flexible with gods’ identities; deities often merged, adopted new symbolism, or had their attributes borrowed by others. Context and iconography are key to interpretation.
- (05:26) "It doesn't seem to bother them that an element from one deity gets borrowed by other deities, and then they all use it, even though they do different things."
3. Divinity and Divine Presence in Egyptian Art
- Statues served as vessels for the essence of the gods; rituals involving statues kept the world in "maat" (rightness or cosmic order).
- (08:04) "A statue would house the deity's essence. The deity would come down into the statue and function... The king has to, on a daily basis, honor that statue... If the king does this correctly, the world is in what's called maat."
- The king and priests maintained these rituals, but the common people found other ways to engage with deities, such as festivals or making votive offerings.
- (09:48) "In festival, the God statue can come out of the temple on a sacred bark... You can offer a small thing to the God which could get placed in the temple and perhaps the God would feel like they would listen."
4. Personal Religion and Everyday Egypt
- Some deities, such as Bes and the hippo goddesses, originated in popular, non-state contexts to provide protection for individuals and households.
- (10:33) "There are two groups of deities... called the Bess images and the hippo goddesses... They were personal. They did not develop in the state system."
5. Curation and International Collaboration
- Objects were sourced from major museums worldwide, including the Louvre, British Museum, Copenhagen, and Berlin. Some iconic pieces included the Colossus of Min and the giant scarab from the British Museum.
- (12:43) "The Colossus of Min was one... The Triad from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The Horus and Haramheb from Vienna. The Anubis from Copenhagen. The scarab, the 4,000 pound scarab from the British Museum."
- Close relationships and professional goodwill facilitated the exchange, though some desired artifacts could not travel due to fragility or regulations.
6. Iconic Deities Highlighted in the Exhibit
- Hathor: Goddess of love, fertility, and beauty—represented in many forms: as a cow, a woman with horns and sun disc, a lion-headed woman, and a cobra.
- (15:09) "What's interesting about Hator is... she has so many different roles... She first appears as a woman with cow's horns and a sun disc... But she evolves... she can also be a lion headed woman..."
- Neith: One of the oldest deities, often symbolized rather than characterized by specific powers, best known for her protective funerary role.
- (17:30) "Neith functions differently. She's not as clearly associated with a power... Her most best known role is as one of the four goddesses in funerary religion that protect the deceased..."
- Snakes and felines are persistent motifs, often related to protection and divine power, with female goddesses often depicted as lionesses.
- (16:10) "Cobras are a major component of the divine landscape... most snakes are female. There are a few male snakes. The most interesting to me are the pythons..."
- (18:53) "Felines are another. Again, a lioness is a very powerful defender of its young."
7. Egypt’s Enduring Allure
- The mystique of Egypt persists due to its visual distinctiveness (pyramids, mummies, animal-headed gods) and its presence in early education.
- (19:57) "Egypt's number one at the Met with everybody... I think it's one of the earliest civilizations you're taught in school... Pyramids, tombs, treasure, mummies... gods who are animal headed, which I think people just find very different from Western religions..."
8. Curator’s Wish for Visitors
- Patch encourages visitors to spend extra time reflecting on the ways non-royal Egyptians sought divine assistance and to remember that these statues were considered alive and functional, not merely artworks.
- (21:25) "I think the room that has to do with how people solve their personal problems as opposed to state religion, I think is very important..."
- (21:47) "...these are statues that were functional for them, they were active for them. They aren't just works of art. And that I'd like people to remember as they finish the show."
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the scope of the exhibition:
- "We're looking at about 3500 BCE all the way down to the Roman period..." — Diana Craig Patch (01:52)
- On Egyptian flexibility with divinity:
- "They didn't throw things out. When they encountered something new, they brought it in. They merged deities." — Diana Craig Patch (05:15)
- On the living nature of statues:
- "A statue would house the deity's essence. The deity would come down into the statue and function... [so] all of these steps in the ritual are what humans would expect on a daily basis." — Diana Craig Patch (08:04)
- On everyday spirituality:
- "There are two groups of deities... called the Bess images and the hippo goddesses... They were personal. They did not develop in the state system." — Diana Craig Patch (10:33)
- On the continued fascination with Egypt:
- "I think Egypt has all these things that we don't have in the west... pyramids... treasure... mummies... gods who are animal headed, which I think people just find very different from Western religions." — Diana Craig Patch (19:57)
- Final reflection for museum-goers:
- "These are statues that were functional for them, they were active for them. They aren't just works of art. And that I'd like people to remember as they finish the show." — Diana Craig Patch (21:47)
Timestamps for Significant Segments
- Exhibition timeframe and overview: 01:46–02:10
- The complexity and evolution of Egyptian divinity: 05:06–07:42
- Rituals and the 'living' nature of statues: 08:04–09:48
- Everyday Egyptians and personal spirituality: 09:48–11:24
- Securing objects and international collaboration: 11:24–13:25
- On iconic deities (Hathor, Neith, feline/snake gods): 14:47–18:53
- Modern fascination with Egypt: 19:32–21:18
- Curator’s personal hope for visitors: 21:18–22:07
Overall Tone:
Informative, enthusiastic, and accessible, with Diana Craig Patch frequently emphasizing the nuance and flexibility of ancient Egyptian belief and how modern curation aims to evoke the multifaceted spiritual life of this civilization for today’s audiences.