Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)British Egyptologist Alison Roberts has blended history, religion, myth, and art in this first of projected two volumes. Focusing on Upper Egypt (especially Thebes) and the New Kingdom era, she follows the evolving role of the solar serpent goddess known as Hathor through the reigns of such famous pharaohs as Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, and Tutankhamun. Sprinkling her narrative with poems, hymns, myths, and folktales, Roberts avoids the common mistakes of books for the general reader. She does not treat the religion of Ancient Egypt as monolithic and static, nor does she allow Western biases toward monotheism to turn Akhenaten into a hero. She shows how Egyptian religion was already changing after the rise of Thebes and how a new emphasis on inward personal religious experience was manifested during the reign of Hatshepsut (150 years before Akhenaten). She points out the ironic fact that Akhenaten, personally close to the female members of his family (mother, wife, and daughters), made religious changes which actually decreased the role of female deity. The book is lavishly illustrated with black and white photograps and drawings, all clearly explained and tighly woven into the narrative. I look forward to the projected second volume, in which she intends to focus on Upper Egypt (especially Memphis) and the resurgence of female deity in the post-Akhenaten era.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Hathor Rising: The Power of the Goddess in Ancient Egypt
Get 22% OFF
Click here for more information about Hathor Rising: The Power of the Goddess in Ancient Egypt
0 comments:
Post a Comment