For ancient Egyptians, death was the beginning of an elaborate journey into the afterlife, and their tombs and burial chambers became treasure troves of spectacular craftsmanship.

Witness the grandeur and allure of one of the oldest civilizations in recorded history in the internationally acclaimed exhibition "The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt presented by the Northwestern Mutual Foundation," at the Milwaukee Public Museum March 28-Aug. 8, 2004.

More than 100 art and funerary objects will be displayed, spanning more than 2,000 years of history and featuring treasures from the reigns of more than a dozen kings. The exhibition has the largest selection of Egyptian antiquities ever to travel to the United States and twice the number of artifacts displayed in the 1970s blockbuster exhibition "Treasures of Tutankhamun." The Milwaukee Public Museum is the exclusive Midwest venue for "The Quest for Immortality."

Organized by a consortium of the Egyptian government, a Danish exhibition group and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the exhibition was a year and a half in the making. When the exhibition completes its nine-city U.S. tour, the artifacts will return to Egypt and are not expected to travel outside Egypt again.

Excavated from the tombs of kings and nobles, the breathtaking artifacts in "The Quest for Immortality" chronicle the ancient Egyptians' struggles to achieve eternal life and showcase the exquisite treasures that were buried with them as part of elaborate rituals, all a direct reflection of their complex religious beliefs.

Social status and political position were reflected in royal tombs. Affluent Egyptians began accumulating funerary objects as soon as they were financially able, buying coffins, statues and other fineries and storing them in their homes. A 10-minute film in the exhibition features interviews with eminent Egyptologists who will unravel the intricacies of the ancient Egyptian view of the afterlife.

"This is not a show about mummies but rather why mummies existed," Betsy Bryan, curator of "The Quest for Immortality" and Johns Hopkins University professor of Near Eastern studies, said. "This is a show about religion and its force in people's lives."

"The Quest for Immortality" focuses largely on the New Kingdom (1550-1069 B.C.), Egypt's imperial age. Beginning with the 18th Dynasty, this 500-year span was the era of ancient Egypt's greatest wealth and power. Artifacts for the exhibition were selected from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Luxor Museum and archaeological sites in Egypt to depict the beliefs of the period.

The exhibition's climax is a full-scale re-creation of Pharaoh Thutmose III's burial chamber with the sacred hieroglyphic text of spells and instructions for gaining eternal life painted on the wall. The 50-foot-long room—oval shaped, to mirror both the universe and the path of the sun's daily voyage across the sky—is dramatically lit, replicating an Egyptian tomb. A 25-foot-long, faux-limestone passageway created by Museum artists will replicate the long passageways often found carved into the Egyptian landscape.

To bring meaning to these artifacts, Carter Lupton, Milwaukee Public Museum curator of ancient history, has arranged the exhibition into sections that tell the story of the Egyptians' pursuit of eternal life.

"'The Quest for Immortality' features objects of startling beauty and craftsmanship," Lupton said. "As an historical museum, it's important that we present the pieces not only as striking works of art but that we explain to visitors why a society like ancient Egypt would commit the resources to create them."

Admission to "The Quest for Immortality" includes a free state-of-the-art Antenna X-Plorer Audio Tour, narrated by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons. Offering the flexibility of random access, the tour comes complete with re-created period music that sets an authentic Egyptian ambiance. Child and adult tracks are offered on the X-Plorer.

Due to anticipated large crowds, the Museum is offering timed entry to guarantee exhibition entrance. Same-day tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is: adult (16-61), $18.50; senior (62 plus), $17.50; and child (3-15), $11.50. Advance tickets are recommended. Member and group discounts are available.

Tickets can be ordered online at www.mpm.edu or by calling 414- 278-2728 or toll-free at 888-700-9069 (handling fees apply). Tickets are also available at Milwaukee Public Museum stores in Brookfield and Milwaukee.

To accommodate visitors, special evening hours will be offered to view "The Quest for Immortality" from 5-9 p.m. Thursdays, April 1, May 6, June 3, July 1 and Aug. 5, and Friday, Aug. 6.