The society was founded in 1882 by Amelia Edwards and Reginald Stuart Poole in order to examine and excavate in the areas of Egypt and Sudan.

In 1873, the English writer Amelia Edwards was led to the sites of Egypt while encountering cold, wet climates in Europe.

It ended up becoming a bestseller due to this increased interest, which prompted Edwards to think about continuing her studies of ancient Egypt.

[1] After announcing their intentions in The Times, they started off being funded by individuals such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, the poet Robert Browning, and Sir Erasmus Wilson.

His goal was to find the route of the Biblical exodus as the Fund had decided to broaden its interests in order to appeal to a wider audience.

[2] During the second excavation, the Fund sent Flinders Petrie, an English Egyptologist, who went to Tanis, a site linked to the Biblical city of Zoan.

[2][4] By the time of the third excavation, and the third year since the Fund was established, the society was able to send Edouard Naville, Flinders Petrie and Francis Llewellyn Griffith to Egypt.

[5] Today, the EES continues to publish its annual organ, the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, which details the society's findings, for all of its members to read.