Two Historic Books, One Question: How Did Europe View Ancient Egypt and Ethiopia?

I have two old books that raise a question about how Europe described Egypt and Ethiopia across different periods. The first is a 1578 Plantin edition of Julius Caesar’s Commentaries, printed in Antwerp. It includes maps and woodcuts of Roman military works, as well as references to ancient peoples and places. The second is a Victorian-era Family Bible, published around 1870–1875, with condensed commentaries by Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott. Its notes describe Ethiopia and Egypt largely through a biblical missionary lens. Both books portray Aegyptus and Aethiops as fallen or heathen lands. Yet first-century silver and gold bowls associated with Alexandria and Kush point to wealthy kingdoms with sophisticated royal imagery. A 1536 religious text also lists Aethiops as a kingdom, while the later Bible presents it as a mission field. How should these conflicting descriptions be understood? Did changing European religious and imperial attitudes shape how African kingdoms were represented? I welcome corrections and reliable historical sources. Attached images show the title pages, marginalia, index and Roman siege and bridge illustrations.

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