The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt: 3 Volume Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The most complete source that can be found on the subject of ancient Egypt. It contains everything one would want to know about the civilization in an easy to use fashion. Written by the who's who of egyptology and covering its entire history.
There are a couple problems with the encyclopedia. The first is that most of the pictures are in black and white and of a lower quality. The most frustrating problem is that different aritcles sometimes use different spellings for the same god or person for example, the goddess of Lower Egypt can be found spelled Wadjet, Wadjyt, and in one article she is reffered to as Uto and in the caption to the picture on the same page she is reffered to using Edjo. Each spelling has to be refferenced in the glossary seperately, only showing the the page indicating to that particular spelling and not the rest. This makes it somewhat more difficult to find certain information (familiarize yourself with as many spellings as possible).
These shortcomings are small and aren't enough to lower its score. What remains most improtant is that it is still the best, most up-to-date, and accessible reference work out there (a five all the way).

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt: 3 Volume Set

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt: 3 Volume Set

Read More...

Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten : Nefertiti : Tutankhamen Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)What a treasure! Whether you've seen the exhibition or not (I saw it and wrote about it at http://kate.stange.com/egypt/ps.htm), this is more than just a detailed catalogue of all the over 250 exhibition pieces. It is a full-colour, well-written wealth of Amarna information, including a wide variety of essays by all the most well-known Amarna scholars (Johnson, Redford, Lacovara, Mallinson, Reeves, Foster, Freed, Markowitz, Manuelian, Silverman, Kendall, D'Auria, Murnane), a glossary, list of excavations, miscellaneous reference information (such as cartouches of the royalty) and extensive bibliography (the bibliography alone is worth the purchase of this book). In the end, the over 400 colour plates (of sumptuous quality) probably show every Amarna piece I've ever heard of, and then some. They are the real treasure in this book.
If you've never heard of "Amarna" or these pharaohs, this is a fantastic introduction to their unique piece of history and the stunning, unusual (for Ancient Egypt) art! You'll love it. Only it's a little too large to take to bed.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten : Nefertiti : Tutankhamen

Click here for more information about Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten : Nefertiti : Tutankhamen

Read More...

The Egyptian Amduat: The Book of the Hidden Chamber Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a truly beautiful book and fully illustrated in colour with gorgeous pictures. You DON'T want to miss this one. It has the ORIGINAL text in Ancient Egyptian with the transliteration and the English. I do not know why people reviewed it so poorly. This is worth every dollar! ALL the pages have complete pictures. My best friend has a copy sitting on his table and every time I go to his place, I am always looking at it wishing for a copy of my very own. So today I decided to get it. If you are serious about Ancient Egyptian religious studies, you are going to LOVE this book. This is truly a book to treasure and beautiful to look it. It really comes to life. Be careful though. It also takes you into another world. I'm writing my series of books about the life of Osiris (Asar) called Lord of the Ashad and I realize that getting into these texts, I'll never be the same again. These texts impact my stories in such a way that makes me feel like I'm really there.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Egyptian Amduat: The Book of the Hidden Chamber

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about The Egyptian Amduat: The Book of the Hidden Chamber

Read More...

Seth, God of Confusion: A Study of His Role in Egyptian Mythology and Religion (Ancient Near East) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Overall, the author provides an excellent profile of the god Seth (or Set) and His place in the Egyptian pantheon. Discussed in detail is the symbology contained in the story of Seth's conflict with Horus, including Seth's homosexual rape of the child Horus, Seth's relationship to Isis, Osiris, and Nepthys, and His special position as a god of foreigners. In this latter area, Seth's relation to, and possible derivation from imported Semetic deities is covered thoroughly.
A main theme of this monograph is Seth's shifting place in the Egyptian pantheon of deities. Throughout ancient Egypt's long history, Seth was alternatively honored and despised, depending on the changing dominance of different religious, political, and social currents. Eventually, as Egypt came increasingly under the domination of foreigners, Seth, the god associated with foreigners and foreign things, became thoroughly demonized in the popular mind, and may well have been the prototype for the Christian Satan.
My only real criticism of this study, and this is only personal, is the highly specialized academic tone of the writing, along with the frequent inclusion of long untranslated quotations from German and French authors. The monograph is obviously written for the specialist in Egyptology rather than for the general reader. The untranslated quotations will, of course, pose no difficulty for readers who are fluent in both German and French.
I give the book a four star rating, only denying the fifth star for the reason metioned in the above paragraph.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Seth, God of Confusion: A Study of His Role in Egyptian Mythology and Religion (Ancient Near East)

Click here for more information about Seth, God of Confusion: A Study of His Role in Egyptian Mythology and Religion (Ancient Near East)

Read More...

The Temple in Man: Sacred Architecture and the Perfect Man Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Magnificent. This short book is work of genius. It is not surprising that academics ignored it when it was first published in 1949 - and continue to do so. Of course, most thinking people are dubious of Egyptologists - they still can't explain how the pyramids were built - but de Lubicz proves that a profound ideology underpinned Pharaoh's Egypt. Its focus was less on pagan deities and fanciful notions of the afterworld, and more on a comprehensive knowledge of the human being, physical and spiritual. This understanding was inherited by medieval hermeticists and alchemists. This is a positive and uplifting book, and though the language is somewhat dated, don't let that put you off.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Temple in Man: Sacred Architecture and the Perfect Man

Get 21% OFF

Click here for more information about The Temple in Man: Sacred Architecture and the Perfect Man

Read More...

Thebes in Egypt: A Guide to the Tombs and Temples of Ancient Luxor Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book differs from the usual guides, as it describes the historical evolution, from the Old Kingdom to the Late Period, of the tombs and temples of Thebes (modern Luxor). The authors provide detailed and accurate information about life in the city. Subjects covered include the Valley of the Kings, that of the Queens and of the Nobles. Issues such as tomb decoration and burials of private individuals are addressed. This is an excellent, recommended, must-read book for all.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Thebes in Egypt: A Guide to the Tombs and Temples of Ancient Luxor

Get 18% OFF

Click here for more information about Thebes in Egypt: A Guide to the Tombs and Temples of Ancient Luxor

Read More...

The Gods of Egypt Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have always considered Traunecker's work to be of the highest quality. He has an insight into the mechanics of ancient Egyptian cosmologies, theologies, and mythologies that is both direct and free of unnecessary random (and rambling) thought. His assessments are clinical but always interesting, and his work on the El Qa'la temple site is NOT to be missed by anyone who can get their hands on IFAO's pub. Be that as it may, this short book packs a scholarly punch. All of Traunecker's hard-earned, on-site assessments of the gods of ancient Egypt -- their cults, qualities, relevance, and destinies -- can be found in rather tidy, enlightening fashion. A must-have quick reference for many of its tidbits...though Dr. Traunecker does contradict at least one or two minor points he previously asserted in some of his published work. Bottom line -- Immortals (and Immortalettes) of Ancient Egypt from one of the best pros in the business! Get it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Gods of Egypt

Click here for more information about The Gods of Egypt

Read More...

Egyptian Mummies (Shire Egyptology) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In no fewer than 64 pages, this book provides a history of mummification from the Predynastic era to the Roman period. Tomb robberies, animal mummification, funerary customs and methods are discussed. Illustrated in black and white, it also includes a list of museums where mummies are exhibited, as well as a short bibliography. A must for everyone's collection.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Egyptian Mummies (Shire Egyptology)

Click here for more information about Egyptian Mummies (Shire Egyptology)

Read More...

Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Alfred Lucas' work is painstaking and very detailed. Although this edition was originally published in 1962, and some of the information may be dated, it remains an excellent resource. The research that went into this work was exceedingly thorough, and the methodology and data are described in great detail. The materials available to the ancient Egyptians and the items made with them are catalogued and described, as are the chemical analyses that Lucas used in his research. Alternative theories about these topics are explained as well. If you have an interest in the history of analytical chemistry, or if you are accustomed to reading very scholarly works on archaeology and Egyptology, you would probably find this book interesting. It gives the reader excellent insights into all of these fields as they were practiced in the first half of the 20th century. If you are looking for a general survey of the topic, be forewarned that this book might be far more detailed and technical than you want.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries

There are several periods of Egyptian history, lasting in some cases two or three hundred years, about which very little is known, and even of the periods that are better known the information is very partial. With such gaps in the existing knowledge, a final statement regarding the earliest or latest production of use of any material is impossible, and all that can be done is to give the dates for which the various materials have been recorded.

Get 24% OFF

Click here for more information about Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries

Read More...

The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II and the Temples of the Rising Sun Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The book by Zahi Hawass has a lot of information packed into it which I was surprised for such a small (88 pgs) book. It covers the history of Seti I- Rameses II dynasty, the UNESCO project to protect the Nubian monuments in the 1960s. The Aswan High Dam, the temples given away and where they are today. What was moved - to where. Even the Nubian Museum which opened about 10 years ago. Many books were written on this topic before the work was done, it is good to find one that elaborates exactly what WAS done as opposed to advancing theories. Excellent book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II and the Temples of the Rising Sun

The temples of Abu Simbel have fascinated travelers since they became known to the Western world in the nineteenth century. And since the 1960s when the rising waters created by the Aswan High Dam threatened to engulf the site, visitors' imaginations have been captivated by the elaborate international rescue operation, described by the author as ''a great moment that no one will ever forget: the most advanced technology of the twentieth century was used to save one of the most amazing achievements of a civilization that preceeded it by 3,300 years.'' Prepared by one of the world's best-known Egyptologists, Dr. Zahi Hawass, this lavishly illustrated book is the ideal companion on a visit to the unique monuments of Abu Simbel.

Get 19% OFF

Click here for more information about The Mysteries of Abu Simbel: Ramesses II and the Temples of the Rising Sun

Read More...

Egyptian Grammar (Dictionary) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As the student (or aspiring sesh-per-ankh) may have judged by the price, this is meant to be a college textbook. On the bright side, don't worry about backorders-- a fourth edition is on its way for next semester to provide the necessary kickbacks for the professors.
Where was I? Ah-- I own quite a few books on hieroglyphics, but this is truly the only one I would recommend to a fellow aspiring scholar. Other books are either impossible to understand or treat the student like a complete idiot while providing little useful information. This covers everything from sentence structure, to developing a proper handwriting style (they are sacred symbols, afterall), to (most importantly) exercises which emerse the student into the language gradually. And, thankfully, this book has the most complete sign lists, glossaries, and indexes I have seen.
Learning to read hieroglyphics is, of course, no easy task (I myself have just scratched the surface). With variations in the language starting from near-antedeluvian times, I would imagine it is much like a foreigner trying to learn all the idiosyncrasies of English merely by reading a book-- only with an alphabet consisting of more than 6,000 characters!
This is the book that the serious student should purchase. It is also the only one you will need.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Egyptian Grammar (Dictionary)

Although the first edition of the study appeared over seventy years ago, Gardiner's Egyptian Grammar remains the most comprehensive presentation of Middle Egyptian available, and is still an essential reference tool for all advanced work in the language. The latest, third, edition, appeared in 1957 and is now in its tenth reprinting. After each new element of grammar the learner is given a set of exercises, and the book also contains useful resources such as a list of hieroglyphic signs and information about the development of the language.

Get 14% OFF

Click here for more information about Egyptian Grammar (Dictionary)

Read More...

British Museum Book of Ancient Egypt Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In 240 densely informative, generously illustrated pages we get thorough overviews of ancient Egypt's religion, funerary customs, language and writing, art and architecture, and technology, along with chapters on the country's geography, history and relations with other powers. The information is authoritative--the editors and writers are members of the Museum's curatorial staff--and written in a plain, understandable style. Appendices include "Suggestions for Further Reading" (unfortunately not updated since the first printing in 1992), dynasty and king lists, and kings' names in hieroglyphics. (Aramco World

Click Here to see more reviews about: British Museum Book of Ancient Egypt

Click here for more information about British Museum Book of Ancient Egypt

Read More...

Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am big fan of Tyldesley, having read her other book 'Daughters of Isis', a study of women in ancient Egypt. She is a very well researched scholar who stays to the tradition of stating all the possible interpretations of her data.Overall I found her writing to be easy to read, but as a classics minor I sometimes forget most people are not familiar with the minute details of the Egyptian civilization. With this in mind, some might find her many references to other dynasties and kingdoms to be a little bit confusing. As most of this book is based on archeological reasearch it is almost impossible to consider this a biography. Those expecting firm facts about Hatchepsut's life will be dissapointed. Tyldesley manages to debate the many facts known to us and she compiles them into concise chapters.I recommend this book to anyone who has already been exposed to Ancient Egypt in some form. For those people who have yet to get their feet wet - read 'Daughters of Isis' first.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh

Get 33% OFF

Click here for more information about Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh

Read More...

Egyptian Scarabs Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This text is very outdated (early 20th century) but it is an interesting read. The author was actually present for the openings of some of the most famous tombs in the Valley of the Kings, so you know the info herein is not up-to-date. He's recorded a great number of scarabs and presents line drawings of them and their inscriptions. There are more illustrations and provenance listings than main text. A fun addition to the library of a student of Egyptology, but hardly an essential one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Egyptian Scarabs

Get 15% OFF

Click here for more information about Egyptian Scarabs

Read More...

Ancient Egypt: A Social History Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)An excellent supplement to a course on Egyptian history, it should be used with a more politically focused book or by an instructor who likes to spend hours going through the rulers and the major political/military events. The book does concentrate on a few periods in Egyptian history, but then the evidence does not allow for much detail. Written in a fairly clear manner, a good instructor will find it useful and students will find many sections of it more interesting than the lists of pharoahs.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ancient Egypt: A Social History

The rich and extensive floodplain of the River Nile can claim to be the cradle of one of the earliest and most spectacular civilizations of antiquity. Ancient Egypt: a social history presents a fresh and innovative perspective on the ancient societies which flourished in the Nile Valley from the Predynastic period to the conquest by Alexander the Great. From the introduction of a subsistence economy through the establishment of the first agricultural communities to the development of urban centres and the political state, this volume traces the process of political, social and economic change. The emphasis on the social and economic aspects of Egyptian society and the integration of archaeological and historical data mark a new departure in Egyptian studies.

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about Ancient Egypt: A Social History

Read More...

Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt (Penguin History) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Daughters of Isis," is a must from those who want to know the ins and outs of Egyptian civilization, which includes the often over-looked role of women. This book covers the life of women from birth to death and contains a wonderful chapter on female kings, including Maatkare Hatchepsut and Neferuaten Nefertiti along with other, lesser known great women. Changes in styles and beliefs through the history of Ancient Egypt are noted with wonderful detail. The plates are superb and portray a variety of household implements and portrayals the Egyptians, themselves, made of their women. Forming a wonderful compliment to other literature that examines the lives of those below Pharaoh as well as other works by Joyce, "Daughters of Isis" does those same daughters and their goddess quite the justice.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt (Penguin History)

In ancient Egypt women enjoyed a legal, social and sexual independence unrivalled by their Greek or Roman sisters, or in fact by most women until the late nineteenth century. They could own and trade in property, work outside the home, marry foreigners and live alone without the protection of a male guardian. Some of them even rose to rule Egypt as 'female kings'. Joyce Tyldesley's vivid history of how women lived in ancient Egypt weaves a fascinating picture of daily life - marriage and the home, work and play, grooming and religion - viewed from a female perspective, in a work that is engaging, original and constantly surprising.

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Daughters of Isis: Women of Ancient Egypt (Penguin History)

Read More...

Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I love this book--and let me tell you why. If you get the chance, pick it up. Feel that? It's light, easy to carry, and nicely transportable. If you've ever had to use the Wörterbuch der aegyptischen Sprache (Dictionary of the Egypian Language) by Erman with its seven lovely volumes (minus 'Belegstellen') you know what I mean. And best of all it's in English, elliminating the need to turn to the useless Budge dictionary if you don't happen to speak German. While Faulkner's dictionary will not have every single word you seek as you translate (hence 'A Concise Dictionary'), it contains more than enough to get you through a text. And most importantly there are citations within each entry as well as occasional examples of words within idiomatic contexts. Overall, highly recommended, as this is the best and most accessible Egyptian language dictionary around.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian

This concise dictionary of 'Middle Egyptian' - that phase of the Ancient Egyptian language which had the widest general application - contains 5400 carefully selected words most likely to be encountered by students and scholars in the course of their regular work on Egyptian texts. Each entry gives the most common hieroglyphic form of the word, accompanied by its transliteration, translation, references to texts where it occurs, its less usual hieroglyphic variants, and phrases in which it is used. First published in 1962 and incorporating addenda from 1966, this Concise Dictionary has become the standard work of reference and is now in its tenth printing.

Get 24% OFF

Click here for more information about Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian

Read More...