Voices of Ancient Egypt
Welcome to Voices of Ancient Egypt — the podcast for people who don’t just want to learn about ancient Egypt, but want to understand it at a deeper, more meaningful level.
Your podcast host, Melinda Nelson-Hurst, Ph.D., is an Egyptologist with years of experience teaching at the university level, working in Egypt, and training students around the world to read real ancient Egyptian texts. She’s spent decades studying this civilization in a traditional academic setting so you don’t have to — and so you can access knowledge that’s usually locked behind academic walls.
With a blend of solo deep-dives and conversations with experts and everyday Egyptophiles, this podcast brings ancient Egyptian history, beliefs, and language to life — and shows you how learning hieroglyphs is possible, no matter your age, background, or schedule.
Whether you want to read hieroglyphs in museums, on social media, or on your next trip to Egypt, you’ll find the tools, stories, and encouragement to make it real.
Let’s hear the voices of the ancient world — together.
Episodes
24 episodes
"I Almost Didn't Sign Up" — What Held Students Back and What Changed
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst addresses the common doubts and hesitations that keep many people from pursuing their passion for hieroglyphs.Drawing on her decades of experience as an Egyptologist, she ...
023: Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs Fast-Track: Class Replay
Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs Fast-Track: 4 Steps to Learning to Read in Museums or on Trips (WITHOUT overwhelm)[Watch the replay for a limited time: https://scribalsch...
022: Exactly How You’ll Learn Hieroglyphs in 10 Weeks
In this episode, Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst gives you a full, behind-the-scenes breakdown of her signature program, Scribal School. And she addresses the common question many Egyptophiles have: "How and what exactly can I learn to read in hierogl...
021: How Marc Learned Hieroglyphs in 1 Hour a Week
In this episode, Dr. Melinda sits down with her student, Marc, to discuss his journey from a childhood fascination with King Tutankhamun to sight-reading ancient hieroglyphs in world-class museums.Marc shares his frustrations wit...
020: How to Bring Egypt to You: Unlock the Magic and Wonder of Hieroglyphs from Home
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, Egyptologist Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst reveals that the magic of the ancient world isn't tied to a specific GPS coordinate or a plane ticket to Cairo.Instead, the deepest connection to this anci...
019: From Beginner to Unofficial Tour Guide at an Egyptian Temple: Juan's Story
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, host Dr. Melinda sits down with Juan Jimenez, a retired systems engineer who turned a lifelong fascination with history into a practical skill that had his tourmates buying him beers.
018: What No One Tells You Before Your First Egypt Trip
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, Egyptologist Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst shares a hot take that will completely transform your approach to travel to Egypt.While most travelers return home wishing they had known more, Melinda exp...
017: Why You Aren’t Learning Hieroglyphs Faster
In this episode, Dr. Melinda breaks down the top three mistakes that prevent students—and even professionals with PhDs—from successfully learning to read hieroglyphic texts. You will discover that the struggle isn't a reflection of your ...
016: Bridging the Sacred: How Ancient Egyptians Accessed the Gods
In this episode, Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst explores the fascinating ways ancient Egyptians sought favor and communication with their deities, debunking common misconceptions.You will discover the exclusive world of the temple elite, the ...
015: These Two Things Will Forever Change How You Look at Egyptian Tombs
In this episode, Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst deconstructs the common myths surrounding ancient Egyptian tombs, moving beyond pop culture tropes like "mummy's curses" to reveal the dual nature of these sacred structures.You will disco...
014: What My Students Taught Me about Hieroglyphs
In this episode, Dr. Melinda shares a behind the scenes look at her teaching experience, revealing a transformative lesson she learned from her students about the right and wrong ways to study hieroglyphs.She shares the st...
013: From Bogged Down Memorizing Signs to Reading Next-Level Egyptian Texts with Ed Smith-Rowland
In this episode of the Voices of Ancient Egypt podcast, Dr. Melinda interviews Ed Smith-Rowland, a computer programmer and engineer who successfully transitioned from a frustrated "lone nerd" with a thick textbook to a confident reader of an...
012: From Hesitant Beginner to Confident Translator of Hieroglyphs with Marysa Alexander
Many people dream of reading hieroglyphs but are paralyzed by the fear that it's too hard or that they aren't ready to take the next step. In this episode, student Marysa Alexander reveals how she overcame years of procrastination, a debilit...
011: They Made an (Ancient) Mistake! with Bob Mathas
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, host Melinda sits down with Bob Mathas, a retiree and student of hieroglyphs who turned a pre-trip curiosity into a deep, multi-year mastery of Egyptian hieroglyphs.Bob shares his journey from ...
010: Are You Ready to be a Scribe?
In this episode, Melinda gives you a full behind-the-scenes breakdown of her next-level group program, Master Scribes. And she addresses the common question many Egyptophiles have: "Am I really ready to learn hieroglyphs?"She r...
009: From “Level Zero” to Reading the Book of the Dead (with a Learning Disability) with Nicky Broers
In this episode, Melinda interviews Nicky Broers, a student who transformed his struggle with impersonal self-teaching books into a successful journey of reading real Ancient Egyptian texts.Nicky shares his experience navigating a le...
008: How Jen Skyrocketed Her Hieroglyphs Learning – Even Reading Literature and Medical Texts
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, host and Egyptologist Dr. Melinda sits down with hieroglyphs student Jen to explore how real people with busy lives are making incredible progress reading hieroglyphs. Jen shares her journey from a ch...
007: Heqanakht: the Most Famous Ancient Egyptian You Never Heard of
In this episode, we explore the fascinating Heqanakht letters, a collection of 4,000-year-old documents discovered in the rubble of an ancient Egyptian tomb.Unlike the typical "treasures" associated with Egyptology, these papyri o...
006: From Struggling to Sightreading Hieroglyphs with Rick Richardson
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, Dr. Melinda sits down with Rick Richardson, a software developer and "Master Scribe" student, to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to master hieroglyphs amidst a busy life....
005: Your Ticket to the Afterlife - Heart Scarabs
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, we go beyond the museum glass to uncover the mysteries of the heart scarab, one of the most iconic objects found in ancient Egyptian burials.These large, beetle-shaped amulets w...
004: How Marianna Learned More in 20 Minutes Than in 8-Hour Cram Sessions
In this episode, Melinda sits down with student Marianna Sanborn to pull back the curtain on what it really takes to transition from struggling student to confident translator. Despite having an MA in Egyptology, Marianna found traditional acad...
003: Can You Still Learn Hieroglyphs (as an Adult)?
In this episode of Voices of Ancient Egypt, Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst addresses the burning question many enthusiasts have: Is it too late to learn how to read hieroglyphs?.Drawing on her years of academic and field experience, Melinda e...
002: This Podcast Will Change How You See Ancient Egypt
In this episode of the Voices of Ancient Egypt podcast, Egyptologist Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst pulls back the curtain on why she founded Voices of Ancient Egypt and what it means to truly understand ancient civilization on a deeper, more mean...
001: How I Became an Egyptologist, University Professor, & Serial Traveler
In this debut episode of the Voices of Ancient Egypt podcast, Dr. Melinda Nelson-Hurst shares her personal journey from a young child enamored with a "beat-up" museum catalog to becoming a professional Egyptologist with a Ph.D.Sh...