CANCELED: The Good Kings with Kara Cooney

06/10/2022:  CANCELED – This program will be rescheduled for a later date TBA. We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.

The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE-OC) and Bowers Museum are pleased to present an onsite lecture with Egyptologist, best-selling author Kara Cooney.

In an era when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, Kara Cooney turns to ancient Egyptian pharaohs – Khufu, Senwosret III, Akhenaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa – to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future. The pharaohs and their process of divine kingship can tell us a lot about the world’s politics, past and present. Every monumental temple, pyramid, and tomb offers extraordinary insight into a culture that combined deeply held religious beliefs with uniquely human schemes to justify a system in which one ruled over many. From Khufu, the man who built the Great Pyramid at Giza as testament to his authoritarian reign, and Taharqa, the last true pharaoh who worked to make Egypt great again, Cooney shows how power was earned, controlled, and manipulated in ancient times, so we can better understand why societies have so willingly chosen a dictator over democracy, time and time again.

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