San Jose's Rosicrucian Museum

I visited the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, CA today. It is a small museum dedicated to Egyptian artifacts. Founded by a fraternal organization that puts Egyptian philosophy at the center of its organization, the collection includes some interesting pieces and nice replicas. Among the replicas are the inner sarcophigus of Tutankhamun and the stone of the Code of Hamurrabi, although technically Babylonian. The museum sits on a block of San Jose that is dedicated to Egyptian architecture and gardens. All the buildings are in the Egyptian style and a walk around the grounds is like being transported away from the mundane neighborhood around it.

One part of the museum is dedicated to Egyptian burials and mummification. Several mummies are there, including a youg girl and a man. The young girl's face mask bears the marks of incense poured onto her face over 3,000 years ago by her grieving family. Another section of the museum was dedicated to daily life of the Egyptians. Several pieces that caught my eye were a few heart scarabs that were very intricately carved. Heart scarabs were placed over the hearts of mummies. The scarab beetle is actually what we call a dung beetle today. It was highly regarded beacause of its seemingly magical emergence from the dunes. There is also a section dedicated to Babylonian and Assyrian artifacts. Another interesting collection shows a few artifacts from the Roman era. Under the museum is a replica of a carved out stone temple. A recording explains the paintings on the walls. A free tour was also available from a tour guide.

In all, this museum packs a little punch for its size. The grounds alone are worth a stroll with the Peace Garden and various sculptures, including a nice statue of Julius Caesar. Prices were fair and they offered a AAA discount as well as senior and student discounts.