Ancient Egyptian Masonry: The Building Craft Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the same book as "Ancient Egyptian Construction & Architecture. I almost made the mistake of buying this one, then discovered it was one in the same. In any case, this is an indispensable book for serious Egyptophyles--it is chock full of pictures and information about the temples and sites before they were "repaired". Shows methods and details of construction--many many things that you cant find in any other books.

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Out of all the books on Egypt, this one reveals much of the highly detailed methods the Egyptians used in building their stone constructions.We often marvel at the incredible structures they built, not knowing exactly how it was done. The Great Pyramid's construction still remains a mystery to many people as far as the lifting of the stones to such great heights is concerned. To this day interesting theories abound, but no absolute proof, or a recreation of the true methods used, have ever been demonstrated. The authors openly state that their explanation of the Great Pyramid's construction is not the final answer and that many mysteries still remain, yet do a fascinating job in detailing how the huge stones were dressed and laid out.Even though the ancient Egyptians did not have high speed drills, they still had used drills that were adequate enough to do such absolutely perfect work -- as depicted in a 5th Dynasty temple in Abusir (found later in the book). Many mysteries are cleared up in this incredibly detailed book, which includes over 250 sketches and pictures that back up the author's claims.Any serious researcher into ancient Egyptian structures should not be without this book. It seems at first glance that many of the incredible monuments of Egypt were built and raised almost by magic. The structures are absolutely awe-inspiring, but the authors strip away much of the "magic" to reveal how hard work, creative ingenuity, and an advanced knowledge of mathematics and physics account for some of the amazing architectural feats performed in early Egypt. At the same time, when a mystery still remains for the authors, they do not hesitate in admitting it.

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The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind Review

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(More customer reviews)Fowden, as a writer, is admittedly no model of lucidity; at the same time, he is writing for academics, and is thus able to compress a huge amount into a small space. If you are not used to academic prose, you will find this book very difficult; it would also help if you know a certain amount about the reception of the Hermetica in 19th and 20th century historiography, and perhaps a bit about the late Classical era.
At the same time, this book has been reprinted for a reason: it's the single most important historical argument about the Hermetica. For a long time, the Hermetica were understood to be purely Greek, essentially Hellenic misappropriations of pseudo-Egyptian ideas, recast in Neoplatonic style. What Fowden does is to show that these texts do have an important base within the dying Egyptian traditions of their day.
For non-specialists, this may seem like small potatoes. But it changes everything. If you have read Frances Yates, for example, she argued that these texts were grotesquely misread by Ficino and the Renaissance tradition, on three counts: (1) they thought the texts were really, really ancient, more or less contemporary with Moses; (2) they thought the texts were Egyptian, not Greek; and (3) they thought the texts were really about magic (and not philosophy). Now there's no question that the Hermetica are from 1st-2d century Alexandria, but they are _not_ simply Greek; they are, in a sense, Egyptian formulations that draw on the then-influential Greek modes of philosophical thought. Furthermore, it means that the texts we usually think of as the Hermetic Corpus can and should be correlated with the PGM (the Greek Magical Papyri and their Demotic associates), changing the whole character of the texts by giving them a wildly different literary and ritual context. In other words, the Renaissance got the dating wrong, but in many respects got the rest more or less right; as a result, Fowden's book not only changes the way we read the Hermetica in their Alexandrian context, but also how we make sense of the Renaissance magical revival (Ficino, Pico, Agrippa, Bruno, etc.).
If, having read this review, you think, "Who cares?" then this book is certainly not for you. If you think, "Wow! That's fascinating," then this is essential. I have seen the odd quibble with small points in Fowden's arguments, but I have not seen any serious attack on the main thrust of the book. Considering when it was first written, that's extraordinary.
But you do need to be comfortable with academic prose.

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Sage, scientist, and sorcerer, Hermes Trismegistus was the culture-hero of Hellenistic and Roman Egypt. A human (according to some) who had lived about the time of Moses, but now indisputably a god, he was credited with the authorship of numerous books on magic and the supernatural, alchemy, astrology, theology, and philosophy. Until the early seventeenth century, few doubted the attribution. Even when unmasked, Hermes remained a byword for the arcane. Historians of ancient philosophy have puzzled much over the origins of his mystical teachings; but this is the first investigation of the Hermetic milieu by a social historian.

Starting from the complex fusions and tensions that molded Graeco-Egyptian culture, and in particular Hermetism, during the centuries after Alexander, Garth Fowden goes on to argue that the technical and philosophical Hermetica, apparently so different, might be seen as aspects of a single "way of Hermes." This assumption that philosophy and religion, even cult, bring one eventually to the same goal was typically late antique, and guaranteed the Hermetica a far-flung readership, even among Christians. The focus and conclusion of this study is an assault on the problem of the social milieu of Hermetism.

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Osiris and the Egyptian Resurrection, Vol. 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)This two volume set conveys both historical/mythical information concerning Eygptian religious practices and Budge's perceptions of how and why they were practiced. Budge is enamored of the Egyptians and it is demonstrated in his work not just an academician Budge attempted to reconcile his western upbringing with the beauty and philosophy of the Egyptians and their influence on the world. While there have been recent translations from the German and French which add to and perhaps change some of the concepts it in no way takes from the cosmology as interpreted by Budge. That Osiris and his myth was a major factor in the history of Egypt and its religious and philosophical growth is demonstrated by these two volumes from Budge. These were 5 star books when first published and they remain 5 star even with new findings and "new age experts" writing their own interpretations.

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Volume 2 of the most comprehensive, scholarly work on Osiris. Includes translations of numerous texts, reproductions of classical Egyptian art—iconography, the Heaven of Osiris, liturgy, shrines and mysteries, funeral and burial practices, human sacrifice, judge of the dead, links between Osiris worship and African religions, much more..

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The Secret History of Ancient Egypt Review

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(More customer reviews)As an avid student of lost civilization and technology, I truly appreciated this entertaining yet serious book. It effectively discards conventional "knowledge", places in front of the reader a variety of mind-bending mysteries regarding ancient Egypt, and then proposes plausible and exciting answers. The book efficiently covers a lot of territory. It left me wanting more information on some subjects but provided ideas about further study, including the author's other books, which I have ordered and look forward to devouring soon. This was a all-in-all a very satisfying read for this lover of lost knowledge.

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This work presents controversial theories on the rise and fall of Ancient Eygpt. It argues that the Eygptians were an advanced, high-tech civilization that tapped the earth's power to move massive granite blocks; and that ancient carvings depict helicopters and submarines.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Ancient Mesopotamia: The Sumerians, Babylonians, And Assyrians (People of the Ancient World) Review

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(More customer reviews)This attractive and informative book is part of the People of the Ancient World series of books by Scholastic, Inc. The book explains the culture of ancient Mesopotamia, describing the inhabitants' government, economy, science, and culture. Along the way, the reader is treated to many pictures and sidebars.
Overall, I found this to be a well made and informative book. Now, as you might expect with a book written for young readers, the book does not go into any great depth on any subject. But, it is nonetheless very broad in its reach, and it is an excellent resource for readers of any age who want an introduction in the culture of the peoples of ancient Mesopotamia. I highly recommend this book.

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Who were the people of the ancient world?What was it like to be a farmer, a soldier, or an artisan in ancient times?What did their experiences contribute to modern-day culture? Find out as you journey back in time for an extraordinary look at People of the Ancient World.--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Papyrus of Ani - The Egyptian Book of the Dead Review

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(More customer reviews)There are no hieroglyphs, phonetically written Kemetic words anywhere in this text. There is no foreword, editorial commentary, footnotes and citations on translation/ language nuances, etc.It's great if you just want to read the Pert em Hru (Book of the Dead) in English - no muss, no fuss. But from an scholarly standpoint, or for someone who wants to see the original glyphs as they read the translation, this Budge version is useless. I wish the book's description had made that clear to potential buyers.

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History Pockets: Ancient Egypt: Grades 4-6+ Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was very helpful and a great deal of fun! Although we would have loved to have used it for a homeschoolers teaching tool, we actually used it for a birthday party. My 6yo son had an Egyptian Archealogical Dig for his birthday and we used this book to make games about the Ancient Egyptians and learn a lot more than we thought. I will purchase more in the series for our History lessons this school year-- what a great find!

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The SBL Handbook of Style: For Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies Review

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(More customer reviews)This easy-to-use, inexpensive volume is a must-own for all who write in the fields of biblical and ancient near eastern studies. College and seminary students, graduate students, teachers, and researchers will find this book a fine substitute for Turabian and/or the CMOS for all but the most obscure situations. The discipline-specific nature of the work also allows greater depth of coverage without making it overlong. Get it today, or be behind the standard tomorrow.

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ancient Greece Review

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(More customer reviews)Wonderfully informative, well laid out. This would be a better and more useful book if there were maps included. There are only a few very small maps interspersed throughout the text.

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Ancient Science: 40 Time-Traveling, World-Exploring, History-Making Activities for Kids Review

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(More customer reviews)I love the projects in this book. As a homeschool mom, I like to teach about the "history" of subjects and not just the usual science basics. I want my kids to know how science was started, and who helped develop some of the modern day advancements in science that we use today. This book is great for teaching the beginnings of science. Measure the earth with Erastothenes, find out just what it was that made Archimedes cry "Eureka!". This is definitely worth owning if you'd like to help your children "see" what the ancient scientists saw.

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Dig into the science of ancient times and unearth amazing discoveries!* Have you ever wondered where paper comes from, who made the first known maps, or how the ancient Egyptians were able to build the pyramids?* Would you like to make your own sundial, discover how to detect earthquakes, or learn to write in hieroglyphics?* Are you looking for great ideas for your next science fair project? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, then Ancient Science is for you! From Greek lighthouses and Roman bridges to Chinese kites and Mesopotamian soap, you'll investigate some of the greatest scientific discoveries and the people who introduced them to the world. Dozens of fun-packed activities help you see for yourself how the earliest humans cultivated plants, why instruments make different sounds, how fireworks get their explosive power, and much more. All of the projects are safe and easy to do, and all you need is everyday stuff from around the house. So step back in time and take an amazing journey with Ancient Science!

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History News: The Egyptian News Review

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(More customer reviews)As a homeschooling mom, I highly value books that inform my child about historical facts, while captivating them with exciting stories. I highly recommend this book as a supplement to any Egyptian studies. Written in "newspaper format", it is a joy to read aloud to my children. Using imaginative headlines and wonderful illustrations and photos, this book has definitely captured my child's attention. The plethora of historical facts presented are accurate and entertaining. I would recommend this book for children between the ages of 5-12.

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"These entertaining, deftly organized books will make terrific light-hearted additions to cirriculum units on ancient civilizations." — Publishers WeeklyStop the presses! What if ancient civilizations had daily newspapers? And they were amusing and compellingly informative? They might just look like this innovative series of historical nonfiction, presented in a unique, kid-friendly format.

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Studying the Ancient Israelites: A Guide to Sources and Methods Review

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(More customer reviews)Matthews enhances the understandability of his work by utilizing visual aids such as shaded boxes, maps, diagrams, graphs, and black-and-white photographs along with the main texts. He also provides a well-balanced summary of earlier and current scholarship on the ancient Israelites, providing the references.
One weakness in the book is the fact that Matthews only focuses on one time period in Israelite history. This book only includes sources and data in the second period of Israel, "the monarchy (1000-587 BCE)." But "early Israel (1250-1000 BCE)" is neglected. When one deals with the world of ancient Israel, one should cover this important foundational era in Israelite history as well. The reviewer looks forward to seeing another guide to this earlier time period with an equally well-balanced perspective to understanding the ancient Israelites. Matthews' work could also be strengthened with an inclusion of a description of the ethnographic aspects of the ancient Israelite society.
In chapter 5, the history and historiography of Western society is applied to reconstruct the society of ancient Israel. When Matthews discusses the benefits of the social sciences to the study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, he introduces a number of the basic issues to beginners. However, the sociological and anthropological terminologies and models (such as Emic/Etic distinctions, socially shared cognition, luminal, endogamy and exogamy, and structural-functionalist) are not clearly defined for the beginner. Thus, he provides the beginner little guidance (124.125, 130) in navigating these more difficult topics. Finally, a few minor corrections should be made to the reference section, such as the addition of diacritical marks on names (e.g., Ahlstrom; 199). However, this in no way detracts from the great value of this volume.
This book would be a useful supplement for assisting "students, laypeople, and their instructor" (9). It is highly recommended to anyone who seeks a clear, concise, easy to follow guide to the study of ancient Israelites before jumping into the deep ocean that is the study of the ancient Israelite world.


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The Ancient Romans (People of the Ancient World) Review

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(More customer reviews)This series is a must have for a simple reference guide. The chapters are easy to read to my elementary aged children and yet hold enough information to draw in my 5th grader. The pictures are fabulous and have inspired great works of art by the children. I am well on my way to owning all the books in this series. I use them as a spine unit book for homeschooling history and geography.

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Explore Within an Egyptian Mummy Review

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(More customer reviews)As you turn the pages you uncover layers of the mummy...the inner coffin, the burial mask, etc. until you get to the mummy and its withered body. There are also the four jars containing the internal organs, and these open up too to show the contents. The book includes descriptions of the process by which Egyptians transformed a body into a mummy and the rituals involved. My 5 year old loves this book. I don't read every word to her or she would get bored, but I select passages and the tactile aspects of the book keep her interested.

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Mummies are certainly tempting to touch, but that's not permitted in the museums where they're usually found. This interactive book not only allows but encourages young readers to touch — and learn all about — an Egyptian mummy. Each page provides another piece of the puzzle as children learn how Egyptians buried and entombed their dead — including making burial masks, giving amulets for an underworld journey, wrapping mummies from head to toe, preserving the body, and placing sacred organs in canopic jars. Along the way, the book offers fascinating background information on famous pharaohs and historical events, including the recent discovery of new tombs.

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Warlock: A Novel of Ancient Egypt Review

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(More customer reviews)In 'River God' Wilbur Smith created magic, intrigue and character with Taita - the slave, eunuch, Pharoah's confidant, artist, architect and bombast. Readers could not get enough of him, and salivated at the prospect of his return, finding glimpses of him in 'The Seventh Scroll'.'
In Warlock, Taita returns : ancient, arcane and mystic from his hidden desert cave, where he'd been communing with his beloved mistress Lostris-she's now a Goddess in the pantheon and his protector. She wants him to return to action and save her grandson, Nefer Memnon-the boy pharoah from the turmoil and intrigue that will arise with the assassination of her son and present pharoah Tamose.
It's open season for the slaying of gods as both Tamose and Apepi, the Hyksos pharoah are brutally murdered by rivals who plot to rule both the upper and lower kingdom and rule the world. From this turmoil, Taita extricates Nefer and Mintaka-Apepi's daughter and smoothens their ongoing romance, even as they rebuild their lost kingdoms in the deserted city of Gallala.
In the midst of the battles and the political intrigue, Taita's formidable new weapons of magic and his shadowy presence overlook all the principal characters: he is 'the magus'- the warlock and adversary to his enemies, and 'Tata'- the father figure to his friends.
The 'River God'is by far, the best book that Wilbur Smith has written and you can see him trying hard to replicate his success by building on the character of Taita. But without Tanus and Lostris-Taita's god and goddess, he struggles to find inspiration. Or, did Wilbur Smith make the fatal mistake of forgetting that we liked Taita when he told us his story in a first person narrative, so that we could laugh and cry with his charms and foibles?
Wilbur Smith's fans all over the world will find it strange that 'Warlock'is the first book that is not dedicated to his wife, Danielle. Instead he has a new love in his life, and I suspect that his present romance kept him from fleshing out the characters of Nefer and the villain Naja in better detail. Still, a page-turner for all of us Taita fans and Egyptologists. Let's just appeal to Wilbur Smith and say : 'Make Warlock the second part of your trilogy (ignoring 'The Seventh Scroll'which is set in modern times) and we'll ensure that it is compulsory reading, before he comes out with the concluding book in the Taita series.

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Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt: The Erotic Secrets of the Forbidden Papyri Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an entertaining and informative book about sex, drugs and rock and roll in ancient Egypt. I am happy to recommend it for amatuer Egyptologists.
I wish it included a more comprehensive presentation though with more detailed footnotes and much less conjecture (presented as fact).
The presentation also suffers from repeated and tiring comments demeaning men and the dronning insistance of ancient Egypt as really a matriarchal society. The tenor and tone of this book is rich in 1980's feminism.
For example, the author spends considerable verbage attacking female circumcision precisely BECAUSE the Egyptians DID NOT practice it.
Nevertheless, these objections aside, this book is a great coffee table conversation starter and fun to read.

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' The first book to fully explore the sexual philosophy and practices of the ancient Egyptians' Lavishly illustrated with erotic scenes from papyri that have long been hidden from the public' Clarifies the connection of sacred sexuality to Egyptian cosmic symbolismUntil recently the forbidden papyri, whose explicit illustrations of Egyptian sexual practices were judged too shocking, were off limits to all but a few scholars. In this book, the first to fully explore Egyptian sexual philosophy and practices, Egyptologist Ruth Schumann-Antelme provides us a new view of the provocative sexual life of the ancient Egyptians. Richly illustrated throughout, Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt explains the symbolism of the erotic images found on the inner walls of the temples and tombs as well as those carved into pieces of limestone and sketched on papyri. The authors cover in detail the astonishing erotic scenes illustrating the Turin Papyrus, which have long been kept from public view. These papyri reveal in great detail Egyptian attitudes about love, religion, and even medicine, as well as specific sexual practices. Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt reveals the intimate details of a society in which sexuality was the dynamic principle of the divine world, and the cosmic symbolism of religion imbued every level of Egyptian society with sexual significance.

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The Birds of Ancient Egypt Review

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(More customer reviews)This rather expensive (but worthy) book aims to be an all-covering research on all of the bird-species existing at the times of the Pharaohs. The author have had recourse to every representation and hieroglyphic sign, in order to provide good-grounded identification with present-day nomenclature. But he has not limited himself to that; he also has researched in the role that birds played in ancient Egyptian religion and everyday life. Moreover, he has provided us with a systematic list of modern Egyptian birds, their Arabic names and even with a comparison between their present range with that in ancient times. Last, but not the least: it is profusely illustrated, so as to be a joy for the eyes. A very valuable manual, both for "birds-enthusiasts", general reader and students/professionals of ancient Egypt.

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