Ancient Egyptian religion and mythology Books

Book SynopsisIntent upon letting the reader experience the pleasure and intellectual stimulation in reading classic authors, the How to Read series will facilitate and enrich your understanding of texts vital to the canon.

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Book SynopsisSpanning ancient Egyptian culture (ca. 3200 B.C.E. to C.E. 400), the Handbook of Egyptian Mythology is the only complete survey of Egyptian mythology of its kind available in English. In this comprehensive introduction to Egyptian mythology, author Geraldine Pinch shows how the mythology of Ancient Egypt must be pieced together from a variety of written and visual sources. Relationships between deities changed, and the Egyptian myths were never gathered by priests into an "authorized version." Handbook of Egyptian Mythology provides a brief discussion about the nature of myths; the concept of time in Egyptian mythology; a historical overview of the sources of Egyptian myth; and a dictionary of deities, themes, and concepts, which concentrates on the prominent gods and goddesses in Egyptian myth. The book also includes references to general works on Egyptian culture, religion, and myth; translations of ancient texts; and a selection of literature influenced by Egyptian myth.Trade ReviewStudents at the high-school level and above who are doing research on Egyptian mythology will find this volume interesting and helpful . . . This volume is recommended for medium-sized and large public libraries and academic libraries with lower-division mythology and Egyptology classes. * Booklist *Well-documented and written in clear and concise prose . . . Well organized and thorough, this is an excellent introduction to the complex world of Egyptian mythology. General readers; lower-division undergraduates. * Choice *

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Trade Review'The book requires careful reading, because the style is tight and the plot is complex, but there can be no doubt that it is one of the most challenging, creative, and convincing monographs written on the Mithraic Mysteries.' John R. Hinnells, Journal of Roman Studies, 1990. 'I hope that Beck will return to this general problem of interpretation in future work on the mysteries of Mithras.' S.R.F. Price, Phoenix, 1990.

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Trade Review'...of interest to many students of antiquity.' Ronald F. Hock, The second Century, 1989.

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Book SynopsisThe famous Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, ancient Praeneste in central Italy, dating to c. 100 B.C., is one of the earliest large mosaics which have been preserved from the classical world. It presents a unique, comprehensive picture of Egypt and Nubia. The interpretation of the mosaic is disputed, suggestions ranging from an exotic decoration to a topographical picture or a religious allegory. The present study demonstrates that the mosaic depicts rituals connected with Isis and Osiris and the yearly Nile flood. The presence of these Egyptian religious scenes at Praeneste can be explained by the assimilation of isis and Fortuna, the tutelary goddess of Praeneste, and by the interpretation of the mosaic as a symbol of divine providence.Trade Review"Meyboom’s monograph remains an indispensible resource for study of the Nile Mosaic at Praeneste. Students will benefit from the clear manner in which arguments are presented, and scholars familiar with these arguments still have much to gain from sifting through the goldmine of endnotes. It remains highly recommended." Joshua J. Thomas, University of Oxford, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2017.06.45

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Book SynopsisThe diffusion of the cults of Isis is recently again intensively studied. Research on this fascinating phenomenon has traditionally been characterised by its focus on L'Égypte hors d'Égypte, while developments in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt itself were often seen as belonging to a different domain. This volume tries to overcome that unhealthy dichotomy by studying the cults of Isis in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt itself in relation to developments in the Mediterranean at large. The book not only presents an overview of the most important deities, often based on new or unpublished material, but also pays ample attention to the cultural processes behind Isis on Nile, like relations between style and identity, religious choice, social- and cultural memory and Egypt’s view of its own past.Table of ContentsContributors include: Pascale Ballet, Laurent Coulon, Françoise Dunand, Geneviève Galliano , Angelo Geissen, Olaf Kaper, Pierre Koemoth, Michel Malaise, Frederick Naerebout, Klaus Parlasca, Kyriakos Savvopoulos, Marjorie Venit, Miguel John Versluys, Youri Volokhine

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Book SynopsisThis volume deals with the origins and rise of Christian pilgrimage cults in late antique Egypt. Part One covers the major theoretical issues in the study of Coptic pilgrimage, such as sacred landscape and shrines' catchment areas, while Part Two examines native Egyptian and Egyptian Jewish pilgrimage practices. Part Three investigates six major shrines, from Philae's diverse non-Christian devotees to the great pilgrim center of Abu Mina and a Thecla shrine on its route. Part Four looks at such diverse pilgrims' rites as oracles, chant, and stational liturgy, while Part Five brings in Athanasius's and an anonymous hagiographer's perspectives on pilgrimage in Egypt. The volume includes illustrations of the Abu Mina site, pilgrims' ampules from the Thecla shrine, as well as several maps.Trade Review'The volume is important and should be in every research library.' James E. Goehring, Religious Studies Review, 2000. 'Some aspects of pilgrimage addressed here, such as pilgrim chants, have only rarely, if at all, been discussed elsewhere…As we have learned to expect from David Frankfurter, this collection evidences a steadfast commitment to a "regional approach to Christianity and other developing religions". David Frankfurter is surely to be congratulated for bringing together a collection of essays representing a broad array of the fascinating new approaches to late antique pilgrimage.' Blake Leyerle, Church History, 2000. '…handsomely produced…an exciting collection.' Philip Rousseau, Journal of Ecclesiastical History.

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Book SynopsisThe famous Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, ancient Praeneste in central Italy, dating to c. 100 B.C., is one of the earliest large mosaics which have been preserved from the classical world. It presents a unique, comprehensive picture of Egypt and Nubia. The interpretation of the mosaic is disputed, suggestions ranging from an exotic decoration to a topographical picture or a religious allegory. The present study demonstrates that the mosaic depicts rituals connected with Isis and Osiris and the yearly Nile flood. The presence of these Egyptian religious scenes at Praeneste can be explained by the assimilation of isis and Fortuna, the tutelary goddess of Praeneste, and by the interpretation of the mosaic as a symbol of divine providence.Trade Review'...grâce à l'auteur...' Robert Turcan, Revue des Etudes Latines. 'Meyboom’s monograph remains an indispensible resource for study of the Nile Mosaic at Praeneste. Students will benefit from the clear manner in which arguments are presented, and scholars familiar with these arguments still have much to gain from sifting through the goldmine of endnotes. It remains highly recommended.' Joshua J. Thomas, University of Oxford, Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2017.06.45

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Book SynopsisThe reign of the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten—the so-called Amarna Period—witnessed an unprecedented attack on the cult of Amun, King of the Gods, with his cult center at ancient Thebes (modern Luxor). A program to reinstate Amun to pre-eminence in the traditional pantheon was instituted by Akhenaten’s successors Tutankhamun, Ay, and Horemhab. Damaged reliefs and inscriptions were restored and new statues of Amun and his consorts Mut and Amunet commissioned to replace those destroyed under Akhenaten. In this study, over 60 statues and fragments of statues attributable to the post-Amarna Period on the basis of an inscription, physiognomy, and/or stylistic analysis are discussed, as well as others that have been incorrectly assigned to the era.Table of ContentsContents Preface Sources of Illustrations Introduction  Amun’s Iconography  Amunet and Her Iconography  Genres Documented among the Post-Amarna Period Statuary of Amun  Usurpation  Restoration of Pre- and Damage to Post-Amarna Period Statuary Catalogue  Alexandria, Cat. 1–2  Baltimore, Cat. 2bis  Berlin, Cat. 3  Bordeaux, Cat. 3bis  Boston, Cat. 4  Brussels, Cat. 5  Cairo, Cat. 6–20  Chicago, Cat. 21  Copenhagen, Cat. 22–23  Deir el Bahari, Cat. 23bis  Doha, Cat. 24  Hanover, Cat. 25  Houston, Cat. 26  Karlsruhe, Cat. 27  Karnak, Cat. 28–33ter  Khartoum, Cat. 34  Leiden, Cat. 35–36  London  Luxor  Mit Rahina, Cat. 46bis  Mougins, Cat. 47  New York City, Cat. 48–49  Paris, Cat. 50–54  Philadelphia, Cat. 55  Seattle, Cat. 56  Turin, Cat. 57  Warsaw, Cat. 58  Location not known, Cat. 59–65bis Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIn The Sacred Landscape of Dra Abu el-Naga during the New Kingdom, Ángeles Jiménez-Higueras offers the reconstruction of the physical, religious and cultural landscape of Dra Abu el-Naga south and its conceptual development from the 18th to the 20th Dynasties (1550-1069 BC). A wider insight into the Theban necropolis is provided, including the position played by the Dra Abu el-Naga cemetery within the Theban funerary context understood as an inseparable complex of diverse components. For this study, Ángeles Jiménez-Higueras has reconciled textual and archaeological perspectives with theories relating to Landscape Archaeology, which efficiently manages to compile and to link prosopographical-genealogical, archaeological and GIS (Geographical Information System) data.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Figures, Maps, Diagrams and Tables Introduction  1 What This Book Is About. Structure of the Book: Aims and Research Questions  2 Theban Necropolis and Dra Abu el-Naga: Main Characteristics and Development  3 Literature Review and Brief History of the Research in Dra Abu el-Naga Part 1 How the Tomb Owners Respond to the Landscape 1 Theoretical Approach: Landscape Archaeology 2 Distribution of the Tombs of Dra Abu el-Naga in the New Kingdom  1 Parameters and Methodology 3 A Cluster of Ramesside Tombs in Dra Abu el-Naga South  1 Chronology  2 Titles  3 Kinship  4 Architectonical and Archaeological Factors  5 Concluding Remarks 4 A Seemingly ‘Unplanned’ Territory  1 The Case of the Tombs Dated from the Co-regency of Hatshepsut-Thutmose III, and the Reign of Thutmose III  2 A Case of Territoriality Identity? Outsiders: Nobles of Non-Theban Origin  3 The ‘Courtyard of Amun’, a Ritual Space in Dra Abu el-Naga Reserved for the Officials of the Amun Temple in Karnak  4 Chronological or Administrative Entities’ Organisation of the Research Area? Part 2 How the Landscape Affects the Tombs 5 Organisation of Dra Abu el-Naga and Its Religious Connection with Other Areas of the Theban Necropolis  1 Parameters and Methodology 6 Visibility Analysis between Dra Abu el-Naga and the Main Areas of the Theban Necropolis  1 A Tomb with a View: The Case of the Ramesside Cluster of Tombs in Dra Abu el-Naga South  2 Views from a Seemingly ‘Unplanned’ Territory 7 Reconstruction of the Ancient Paths and Processional Routes  1 Tombs Orientated to Processional Ways and Festival Routes  2 Distribution and ‘Urbanism of the Necropolis’ Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe diffusion of the cults of Isis is recently again intensively studied. Research on this fascinating phenomenon has traditionally been characterised by its focus on L'Égypte hors d'Égypte, while developments in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt itself were often seen as belonging to a different domain. This volume tries to overcome that unhealthy dichotomy by studying the cults of Isis in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt itself in relation to developments in the Mediterranean at large. The book not only presents an overview of the most important deities, often based on new or unpublished material, but also pays ample attention to the cultural processes behind Isis on Nile, like relations between style and identity, religious choice, social- and cultural memory and Egypt’s view of its own past.Table of ContentsContributors include: Pascale Ballet, Laurent Coulon, Françoise Dunand, Geneviève Galliano , Angelo Geissen, Olaf Kaper, Pierre Koemoth, Michel Malaise, Frederick Naerebout, Klaus Parlasca, Kyriakos Savvopoulos, Marjorie Venit, Miguel John Versluys, Youri Volokhine

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Book SynopsisIn Ancient Egyptian Letters to the Dead: The Realm of the Dead through the Voice of the Living Julia Hsieh investigates the beliefs and practices of communicating with the dead in ancient Egypt through close lexical semantic analysis of extant Letters. Hsieh shows how oral indicators, toponyms, and adverbs in these Letters signal a practice that was likely performed aloud in a tomb or necropolis, and how the senders of these Letters demonstrate a belief in the power and omniscience of their deceased relatives and enjoin them to fight malevolent entities and advocate on their behalf in the afterlife. These Letters reflect universals in beliefs and practices and how humankind, past and present, makes sense of existence beyond death.Trade Review"This book is beautifully illustrated and includes a chart of extant letters to the dead and a glossary. All the texts quoted are translated, with full explanatory notes. While intended for specialists, it is by no means esoteric, providing us with a variety of perspectives on the ancient Egyptians." - Wilfred G.E. Watson, in The Society for Old Testament Study Book List 2022Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Figures Abbreviations Introduction  1 What Are the Letters to the Dead?  2 What Can We Infer from the Letters to the Dead? Part 1 The Senders 1 Orality and Intertextuality  1 Orality  2 Intertextuality 2 Where Were the Letters Composed, Performed, and Deposited?  1 Geospatial Indicators  2 The Use of Bowls and the mnṯꜣ.t Vessel Part 2 The Recipients 3 Characteristics and Abilities of the Akh  1 The Akh in the Letters to the Dead  2 Akh as Advocate  3 Adversaries and Malevolent Akh 4 Literacy in the Afterlife Part 3 Textual Analysis of the Letters to the Dead 5 Transliteration, Translation, and Text Notes  1 Cairo Linen  2 Qau Bowl  3 Chicago Jar Stand  4 Letter N3737  5 Letter N3500  6 Hu Bowl  7 Boston Jar Stand  8 Stela of Nebetitef and the Misplaced Letter to the Dead  9 Louvre Bowl  10 Berlin Bowl  11 Cairo Bowl  12 Qubbet el-Hawa Bowl  13 Papyrus Berlin 10481 and 10482  14 Horhotep Ostracon  15 Oxford Bowl  16 Moscow Bowl Conclusion Supplementary Texts Summary Chart of Extant Letters to the Dead Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis novel work uses case studies of both familiar and unfamiliar materials, expanding consideration of ancient Egyptian elite culture to encompass lived experience and exploitation of the natural environment.The opening chapter sets out the conceptual ground for the analyses that follow, arguing that the relatively ephemeral activities under investigation were centrally important to the actors. The first and largest study treats human organization of the landscape and its use to create and transmit elite meanings, especially through pictorial and encyclopaedic forms, and to mobilize emotional values. Next, a treatment of the planning of primarily third millennium settlements on the floodplain argues that Egypt offers a partly rural perspective that provides an alternative to the urban focus of many early civilizations but has parallels in elite culture in much of the world. The third study discusses how a single year's events were orchestrated to culminate in a celebratory hunt in which the king, his court, and high officials participated. The concluding chapter presents an initial synthesis of Egyptian treatments of elite experience, drawing in particular upon additional evidence from literary texts and attitudes to travel.Trade ReviewOne of the best aspects of this book [is] a stubborn focus not just on the evidence for elite experience in ancient Egypt, but on the human beings who lived this experience. If the point of archaeology is to move beyond the archaeological evidence toward an understanding of the people who produced this evidence, then this book is an admirable success;Ancient Near Eastern Studies;In the Introduction this carefully produced book sets out the methodological approach and the obvious challenges in a context where those expressing experience were limited by rules set up to define what was appropriate for being displayed (decorum). But as this book deals with sociology rather than the consumption of aesthetics, its author also convincingly shows that the leisured classes were striving for enjoyment, celebration and appreciation of the finer things of life;Egyptian ArchaeologyTable of ContentsPrefaceList of FiguresConventionsChronological TableMap1. Contexts and Representations of High Culture2. Egypt as a Physical, Social and Represented Landscape3. A Planned World? The Early City, Patterns and Meanings of Settlement4. Celebration in the Landscape: A Hunting Party under Amenemhat II5. Elite Experience

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Book SynopsisThe Egyptian Book of the Dead, and other papyri and paintings, have long held a fascination for modern people but are easily dismissed as superstitions and fanciful poetry. In recent times, however, serious interest in them has reawakened. What is their origin and could they still hold wisdom for us today?Frank Teichmann has researched Egyptian civilisation for over forty years and in this beautiful, highly illustrated book he shows that a deep understanding of the sacred mysteries of Egypt is key to illuminating the texts and images of the time. Egyptian mystery centres were places of spiritual initiation where trainees had powerful, direct contact with spiritual beings. It was then their task to bring their new-found knowledge to the wider population, through the use of texts like the Book of the Dead.The sacred mysteries that the trainees experienced are also borne out by the spiritual research of Rudolf Steiner. Teichmann explores the mysteries in compelling detail, to show their enduring significance in the present day.Trade Review'This book is beautifully illustrated with 200 colour photographs and is as solid as an Egyptian statue…'-- Margaret Jonas, New View

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Book SynopsisSchweizer guides the reader through the Amduat, offering a psychological interpretation of its principal textual and iconographic elements. He draws on Jungian archetypes to identify similar expressions about the afterlife in other world cultures.Trade ReviewThe Sungod's Journey Through the Netherworldis a unique examination of the Egyptian concept of the afterlife. It provides a window into the thought processes of this ancient civilization and their mythology.. Indeed this book opens new possibilities for examining the psychological foundations of ancient mythologies and the texts that describe them. -- Robert D. Bates * Near East Archaeological Bulletin *

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Book SynopsisUsing as his sources the Egyptian texts and the testimony of classical authors, Serge Sauneron illuminates the role of the priesthood in Ancient Egypt.Trade Review"Lorton's new translation fills a substantial need for students of Egyptian religion. The book is aimed at non-specialists as well as students and is written in a highly accessible style."—Denise M. Doxey, Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Religious Studies Review, Vol. 27, No. 3, July 2001"This 1957 classic originally written in French is finally made available in English, thanks to David Lorton's excellent translation. Widely illustrated in black and white, this book should be recommended reading for everyone."—Frankie's Bibliography of Ancient Egypt.

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Book SynopsisIn the winter of 1922-23 archaeologist Howard Carter and his wealthy patron George Herbert, the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, sensationally opened the tomb of Tutenkhamen. Six weeks later Herbert, the sponsor of the expedition, died in Egypt. The popular press went wild with rumours of a curse on those who disturbed the Pharaoh''s rest and for years followed every twist and turn of the fate of the men who had been involved in the historic discovery. Long dismissed by Egyptologists, the mummy''s curse remains a part of popular supernatural belief. Roger Luckhurst explores why the myth has captured the British imagination across the centuries, and how it has impacted on popular culture. Tutankhamen was not the first curse story to emerge in British popular culture. This book uncovers the ''true'' stories of two extraordinary Victorian gentlemen widely believed at the time to have been cursed by the artefacts they brought home from Egypt in the nineteenth century. These are weird and wonderfulTrade Review[An] alluring book ... The story of the mummy's curse, unsurprisingly, is far more revealing of attitudes and anxieties prevalent in 19th century Britain than of anything in Ancient Egypt. * Thomas Jones, London Review of Books *The Mummy's Curse is a thoughtful and thorough exegesis of an enduring popular myth. * Irish Times *A fascinating account ... There are some absolutely laugh-out-loud moments in this consistently insightful and well-written study ... This is the kind of academic volume which impresses you with the ideas found on each page, and at the same time sparks off new ideas in the reader. * Stuart Kelly, The Scotsman *Here is a topic with a variety of themes, some farcical, some darkly serious, some complex, and others which are beyond silly. It takes a particular skill to balance such a range of ideas, and Roger Luckhurst possesses this skill. * John Ray, Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsPART ONE: CURSE STORIES; PART TWO: CONTEXTS

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Book SynopsisIllustrated in b/w with 109 figures, 69 plates and 9 tables. Collections of scenes and texts designated variously as the "Book of the Earth," "Creation of the Solar Disc," and "Book of Aker" were inscribed on the walls of royal sarcophagus chambers throughout Egypt's Ramessid period (Dynasties 19-20). This material illustrated discrete episodes from the nocturnal voyage of the sun god, which functioned as a model for the resurrection of the deceased king. These earliest "Books of the Earth" employed mostly ad hoc arrangements of scenes, united by shared elements of iconography, an overarching, bipartite symmetry of composition, and their frequent pairing with representations of the double sky overhead. From the Twenty-First Dynasty and later, selections of programmatic tableaux were adapted for use in private mortuary contexts, often in conjunction with innovative or previously unattested annotations. The present study collects and analyses all currently known Book of the Earth material, including discussions of iconography, grammar, orthography, and architectural setting. Trade Review Table of ContentsContents List of Figures, Tables, and Plates Acknowledgements Abbreviations 1. Introduction 1.1 General remarks 1.2 Underworld Books 1.3 The Designation of "The Book of the Earth 1.4 Definition of the Corpus 1.5 Outline of Sources 1.6 Content and Internal Structure of the Book 1.7 The Notational System Used in the Present Study 2. Architecture 2.1 Development of the Royal Tomb in the Valley of the Kings 2.2 Underworld Cosmology and Architecture 2.3 Considerations on the Evolution of the Ramesside Royal Tomb: Precursors and Prototypes 2.4 Internal Orientation in the Mature Ramesside Royal Tomb 2.5 Catalogue of Monuments 2.6 The Symbolic Significance of the Ramesside Sarcophagus as akhet and Divine Birth Station 2.7 Excursus: The Sarcophagi 3. Orthography 3.1 General Remarks 3.2 Orthographic Variation among Individual Signs 3.3 Phonetic Change 3.4 Adaptations from the Hieratic 3.5 Shape Substitutions 3.6 Superfluous Signs 3.7 Miscellaneous 3.8 Cryptography 4. Grammar 4.1 General Remarks 4.2 The Introductory Formula 4.3 Pronouns 4.4 Prepositions 4.5 The Proclitic Particle 4.6 Circumstantial 4.7 Noun + sdm=f Construction 4.8 sdm.hr=f 4.9 Subject + Stative vs. Pseudo-Verbal Construction 5. The Vignettes 5.1 General Remarks 5.2 Catalogue of Scenes 5.3 The Merneptah Template 5.4 The Aker Group 6. The Texts 6.1 General Remarks 6.2 The Cenotaph of Seti I at Abydos 6.3 Merneptah 6.4 Tawosret 6.5 Ramesses III 6.6 Ramesses IV 6.7 Ramesses VI 6.8 Ramesses VII 6.9 Ramesses IX 6.10 Twenty-First Dynasty Mythological Papyri 6.11 Osorkon II 6.12 Pedamenopet 6.13 Mutirdis 6.14 Padineith 6.15 Horira'a 6.16 Sarcophagus of Nakhtnebef 6.17 Sarcophagus of Tjahorpta 6.18 Sarcophagi Inscribed on the Model of Ramesses III 7. Closing Remarks 7.1 The Internal Structure of the Books of the Earth 7.2 Date of Composition 7.3 The Original Function of the Books of the Earth, from the Later New Kingdom (Dynasties 19-20) 7.4 The History and Evolution of the Books of the Earth from the Third Intermediate Period and Later Appendix 1, Tables Appendix 2, Black and White Plates Appendix 3, Text Plates Bibliography Indices

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Book SynopsisIn this work, Jan N. Bremmer brings together articles on Greek and Roman myths and rituals of male initiation, which have all been updated and, where necessary, revised and translated into English. The preface sketches the rise of the initiatory paradigm within a wider anthropological and Indo-European perspective and discusses the problem of noting ritual elements in mythical reflections. The first of two following sections concentrates on initiatory motifs in a series of famous myths, such as education by shepherds and 'wild men' (Heracles, Centaurs), travesty (Dionysos and Kaineus), the defeat of a monster (Odysseus vs. the Cyclops, Oedipus and the Sphinx) and warring and wandering groups of young men (the Trojan War, Meleager, Orpheus, Theseus and Peirithoos). The second section focuses on historical rituals, beginning with pederasty and the symposium. The author then moves on to the importance of the maternal family and fosterage in the initiatory process before ending with an archaic Latin inscription that reveals the contours of a group of young men in action in the full light of history.

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