Berenike: A Treasure Trove of Indian Heritage in the Egyptian Desert

Among the most fascinating and surprising archaeological evidences found from Egypt are the ones that reveal the connections between India and Egypt in the Roman era.

One of the most remarkable discoveries is the Buddha statue and the Sanskrit inscription that were unearthed in Berenike, an ancient port city on the Red Sea coast of Egypt. The statue is made of red sandstone and depicts the Buddha in a meditative pose, with his right hand touching the earth and his left hand holding a bowl. The style of the statue is influenced by the Greco-Buddhist art of Afghanistan and Gandhara, but it was likely made in Alexandria, the capital of Roman Egypt, in the second century CE. The inscription is written in the Brahmi script and mentions the name and titles of a Roman emperor, Marcus Julius Philippus, also known as Philip the Arab, who ruled from 244 to 249 CE. The inscription also contains a Buddhist formula of refuge and a dedication to a monastery.

The statue and the inscription are remarkable for several reasons. They show that Buddhism was known and practiced in Egypt, and that there were people who could read and write Sanskrit, the classical language of India. They also show that there were political and religious ties between India and Egypt, and that the Roman emperor was aware and respectful of the Indian culture. They also demonstrate the artistic and cultural exchange that took place between India and Egypt, and the adaptation and innovation of the Buddhist iconography in different regions.

The statue and the inscription are not the only evidences of the India-Egypt connections. There are many other archaeological finds that indicate the presence of Indian elements in Egypt, such as pepper, textiles, ivory, and coins. There are also many sources that document the trade and cultural contacts between India and Egypt, such as the writings of Greek and Roman authors, the accounts of Buddhist pilgrims, and the inscriptions of Indian kings.

Other examples of Indian art in Egypt

there are other examples of Indian art in Egypt, although they are not very common or well-known. Some of them are:

• A bronze statue of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, dating from the fourth or fifth century CE, was found in the Fayum region of Egypt. The statue shows the goddess seated on a lotus, holding a lotus bud in her right hand and a pot in her left hand. The style of the statue is similar to the Gupta period art of India, and it may have been brought to Egypt by Indian merchants or pilgrims1.

• A fragment of a silk textile, dating from the seventh or eighth century CE, was found in the Coptic Museum in Cairo. The textile depicts a scene from the Hindu epic Ramayana, showing the monkey god Hanuman carrying the mountain with the herb that can heal the wounded Lakshmana, the brother of Rama. The textile is an example of the Indian influence on the Coptic art of Egypt, and it may have been used as a curtain or a wall hanging.

• A stone relief, dating from the ninth or tenth century CE, was found in the Qasr Ibrim fortress in Nubia, near the border of Egypt and Sudan. The relief shows a scene from the life of the Buddha, depicting his birth, his renunciation, his enlightenment, and his first sermon. The relief is carved in a style that resembles the Pala art of eastern India, and it may have been a gift from an Indian king or a Buddhist missionary to the Nubian rulers.

These examples show that Indian art was appreciated and admired in Egypt, and that there were cultural and religious exchanges between the two regions in the ancient and medieval times.

Acrheological evidences found in india of Egyption origin

There are not many archaeological evidences found in India of Egyptian origin, as the trade and cultural contacts between India and Egypt were mostly mediated by the Roman Empire and other intermediaries. However, there are some possible examples of Egyptian influence or presence in India, such as:

• A mummy of an Egyptian princess, dating from the Ptolemaic period (305–30 BCE), was found in a wooden coffin in a museum in Baroda, Gujarat. The mummy was brought to India by a Parsi businessman in the 19th century, and it is unclear how it came to Egypt in the first place. The mummy is now displayed in the Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery1.
• A fragment of a papyrus, dating from the 3rd or 4th century CE, was found in a Buddhist monastery in Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh. The papyrus contains a Greek text of a contract between two merchants, one of whom was probably Egyptian. The papyrus is an evidence of the commercial and legal transactions that took place between India and Egypt.
• A coin of the Roman emperor Augustus, dating from the 1st century BCE, was found in a hoard of coins in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu. The coin bears the image of Augustus on one side and an Egyptian crocodile on the other side. The coin is an evidence of the circulation of Roman currency in India, and the influence of Egypt on the Roman coinage.

These examples show that there were some traces of Egyptian origin in India, but they are very rare and isolated. They do not indicate a direct or significant contact between India and Egypt, but rather a sporadic and indirect exchange through the Roman Empire and other channels.