Ancient Egypt Through Its Stories

Ancient Egypt Through Its Stories with Alison Wilkinson Header Image
Summer Spark Identifier

Course Title: Ancient Egypt through its Stories
Instructor: Alison Wilkinson
July 7 - July 28, 2026 (4 Sessions)
Tuesdays, 6:00PM - 7:30PM ET 
 

Course Description: Explore ancient Egyptian culture through its literary epics and wisdom maxims. Examine the three main genres of Egyptian literature: Narrative Tales, Wisdom Literature, and Reflective Discourses - and uncover how these texts convey wit, adventure, and enduring insight. Analyze the cultural significance of recurring themes, motifs, and characters while investigating the individuals who created and preserved these works: Who recorded these stories, and for what purpose? How did narrative epics and literary maxims shape daily life?

Investigate the archaeological contexts in which literary texts were discovered and assess the roles of literacy and education in ancient Egyptian society. Throughout the course, connect literature to lived experience, revealing how storytelling influenced identity, belief systems, and social structures.

By the end of the course, students will gain a deeper understanding of Egyptian culture, literary traditions, and the historical experiences that both shaped and were shaped by these remarkable texts.

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Four weeks. Four courses. One summer of ideas.

The Odyssey Lifelong Learning Program in partnership with the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute presents a dynamic new summer learning experience - Summer Spark Series 2026. Choose from four engaging online courses taught by Johns Hopkins PhD scholars running July 6 – 31 and explore big ideas in history, culture, art, and global connections through small, interactive seminars that meet once each week. 

Developed with support from the Johns Hopkins Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation, these courses bring fresh perspectives, lively discussion, and cutting-edge humanities research straight to you.  To learn more about Summer Spark and explore Summer 2026 course offerings, visit the Odyssey website.
 

Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission and Refund Policies can be found here.
Withdrawals & Refunds:
If a course is canceled or closed, the registrant is notified immediately, and a full refund is processed automatically unless another course is requested. Registrants who wish to withdraw from an active course must complete the online Odyssey Refund Request Form. Attach any documentation to support your request (e.g., medical documentation, family crisis documentation, etc.).
  • 100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.
  • No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.
Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.
ABOUT Alison Wilkinson

Alison Wilkinson is a PhD Candidate of Egyptology at Johns Hopkins University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Art with First Class Honors in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England in July 2018. She obtained her Master of Art with Distinction in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool in November 2019. Alison’s current Doctoral research explores ancient Egyptian letters written by and to women, using linguistic approaches to better understand gender dynamics in ancient Egypt.

For the past two years, Alison has taught Introduction to Middle Egyptian at Johns Hopkins University, where she trains students to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs while also exploring the culture behind the language. She has also taught the summer course Listening to the Past: Clues to the Social Life of Ancient Egyptians, which introduced students to everyday life in ancient Egypt through primary sources such as art, documents, and letters. Alison enjoys bringing ancient Egypt to life for her students through its rich and fascinating written record

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 Event Date
Starts:
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
6:00pm EDT

Ends:
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
7:30pm EDT

 Contact
Odyssey
1-800-JHU-JHU1 (548-5481)
odyssey@jhu.edu

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