Akhenaten: The Heretic King Review

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(More customer reviews)The author portrays Akhenaten more as an atheist than a monotheist. A striking portrait is an outline of this fascinating 'worshiper of the sun', who is also one of the best known pharaohs. A good overview is provided of the Akhenaten Temple Project. Some of the author's comments are amusing which makes the book more enjoyable especially through the 'dry' moments. The book contains a short glossary, suggested readings, and many black and white illustrations and drawings. It is recommended for the open-minded lay person.

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Describes the world of Akhenaten, a ruler of ancient Egypt who attempted to introduce monotheism through worship of thesun.

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Out of Egypt: The Roots of Christianity Revealed Review

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(More customer reviews)I was intrigued by the thesis of this book; that the roots of both Judaism and Christianity were to be found in ancient Egypt. Amongst other ideas, the author suggests that the Pharaohs Thutmosis III, Akhenaten, and Tutankamun were the persons that the Bible calls David, Moses, and Jesus, respectively. He argues that the accounts in the scriptures held sacred by the Jews and by Christians, known as the Old Testament, and which were written down only after many centuries of oral tradition, are seriously flawed and ahistorical. Osman further suggests that there is no proof whatsoever, aside from the biblical account, that there ever was an important Jewish kingdom in Palestine ruled by David or Solomon. Essentially, he contends that Jesus did not live a mortal life in the first century AD, but rather that embellished accounts of a life from more than 1000 years earlier were used as a model in what amounted to a great deception. His book is a serious problem for either a believing Christian or a believing Jew, undercutting as it does the veracity of the scriptures, and basic tenets of both faiths. Nonetheless, the book might be a serious challenge to conventional scholarship, were it not flawed itself. Osman has an annoying and ultimately self-undermining habit of making a great many unsupported suppositions. He makes a claim, which he promises to prove "later", and then later he continues his argument with "As we have seen..." as though he has offered solid proof, when in fact he has offered nothing of the sort. There is far too much here that lacks substantiation, and the author relies far too heavily on the Bible itself (which he himself claims is completely unreliable) and his personal interpretation thereof, to measure up to even a weak academic standard. It IS an entertaining read; but far too many speculations are held together with very little solid evidence for Osman's argument to be taken completely seriously. Even his research was less than thorough. His bibliography, for example, does not include Immanuel Velikovsky, who wrote of a similar theory regarding the Pharaoh Akhenaten decades ago. To conclude, the book promised much, but failed to deliver. Ultimately, I was disappointed.

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Short Role-playing Simulations for Middle School World History Review

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(More customer reviews)The ideas for the role playing activies are good, some are new to me as well. I use the one where the kids set off on an exploration to set up a new colony (I adapt the lesson to fit my standards) and they roll a dice to see how the weather is, where they land, how the natives react to them, etc. However, the book itself looks self-published, the handouts are boring.

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An Introduction to the Ancient World Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a great introduction to the History of the Fertile Crescent, Greece, and Rome. Needless to say, the Romans get the most attention, but the coverage is good all around (Rome lasted longer anyway, right?). The translation into English is clear and, interestingly, flows well; you wouldn't know the book was originally in Dutch unless you read it in the copyright section. This is the text for the Greco-Roman civilization class I took at FSU, and most of the students in there paid like a hundred and twenty dollars for the hardcover edition. Can't say it's that great but buy this paperback if you would like a primer in Ancient History.

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Integrating the results of scholarly work from the past decade, the authors of An Introduction to the Ancient World, Lukas de Blois and R.J. van der Spek, have fully-updated and revised all sixteen chapters of this best-selling introductory textbook. Covering the history and culture of the ancient Near East, Greece and Rome within the framework of a short narrative history of events, this bookoffers an easily readable, integrated overview for students of history, classics, archaeology and philosophy, whether at college, at undergraduate level or among the wider reading public. This revised second edition offers a new section on early Christianity and more specific information on the religions, economies, and societies of the ancient Near East. There is extended coverage of Greek, Macedonian and Near Eastern history of the fourth to second centuries BC and the history of the Late Roman Republic. The consequences of Julius Caesar's violent death are covered in more detail, as are the history and society of Imperial Rome.Thisnew edition is:comprehensive: covers 3,000 years of ancient history and provides the basis for a typical one-semester course lavishly illustrated: contains maps, line drawings and plates to support and supplement the text, with updated captions clearly and concisely written: two established and respected university teachers with thirty years' experience in the subject areas well-organized: traces the broad outline of political history but also concentrates on particular topics user-friendly: includes chapter menus, an extensive and expanded bibliography organized by subject area and three appendices, an improved introduction and the addition of an epilogue.

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Ramses: The Son of Light - Volume I Review

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(More customer reviews)This book kept me entertained, which is usually all I ask from a book. In the historical fiction genre, however, I usually assume that the basic plot elements are either provable fact or at least in some way believable to historians. While I read the book, I was shocked to find out that much of what I thought about this period was wrong; when I finished and did research on the subject, I was disappointed to find out that I had been misled by someone who knew better.
I know that many will defend this work on the grounds that it is fiction, but I believe that someone with Jacq's credentials has a responsibility to his readers. Many people will read this book and 'learn' that Ramses II was contemporary with Helen of Troy, and that Homer was contemporary with them both - which is only the greatest of the wild inaccuracies in this book. One misguided reviewer on this site states, "The fact that the author, Christian Jacq, has a doctorate degree in Egyptian studies made me presume that the contents should not be too far from the truth". In actuality, the contents bear little resemblance to any defensible version of history. It's not just that conversations and minor characters are created, which is expected. It's not just that unexplained events are explained away in a controversial manner, which is reasonable. The problem is that established facts in history are actually contravened here. If you read this book and take for granted that anything you read is true, you are taking a great risk.
I am not telling you to avoid this book. It is very entertaining, and it may interest you in Egyptology. Certainly it propelled me to research the Trojan War, among other subjects. Just make sure that you understand; this is not historical fiction along the lines of George, Penman, and Shaara. This is closer to the alternate history novels of Harry Turtledove. Read and enjoy, but do not take it to heart.

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Ancient Egypt comes alive in this eagerly anticipated new series that's breaking sales records in Europe! "Ramses, Vol. I: The Son of Light" recounts the thrilling story of Ramses, the legendary king who ruled Egypt for more than 60 years. Chosen by the pharaoh Seti, the 14-year-year-old Ramses sets into motion a tapestry of royal intrigue, treacherous plots, and romantic adventures that will keep readers spellbound and hungry for more.

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The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt: 3 Volume Set Review

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(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).

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The Sacred Symbols of Mu Review

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(More customer reviews)It is sad to see derogatory reviews of James Churchward's well researched books. If you can't name the fifth President of the United States or say where Point Roberts is - forget about judging Churchward, a veteran traveller, philologist and student of human culture - virtually without equal today. These days - people study narrow fields. Churchward mapped the connections between these isolated fields or cultures - and traced them back to the lost continent or Motherland of Mu. He presented and deciphered Cara-Maya, the mother tongue of Mu, showing how its roots can be traced in a number of different languages and cultures located within or around 'The Ring of Fire.' He provided details of cultural artifacts - to illustrate his theory. Churchward claimed to have received much help in this regard, from an aged Indian Rishi.
Having lived in various bits of the Pacific rim, including odd visits to pacific islands, I can guarantee that anyone who does more than speculate from an armchair -would find Churchward's ideas backed up by substantial evidence scattered through dozens of pacific rim cultures - be it the Pacific N.W. of America, Japan - or wherever. Age-old symbols, in seemingly disparate and disconnected cultures share similar myth-motifs, tell related tales of a tragic, swallowing of a mother-culture beneath the ocean. Besides the Bible, such a deluge is also mentioned in the Chinese Shih-ching (Book of History).
Thor Heyerdal noted the phenomenon - again, not a man prone to expound on distant cultures - from an armchair. Many of Churchward's ideas challenge current scientific and academic 'orthodoxy' (alleging, for instance, that the earth's large mountain ranges were formed - long after mother earth, herself). Churchward also notes anomolous facts - like archeological artifacts that show the existence of technically advanced cultures - beneath the remains of other, less advanced cultures. In most cases, such anomalies cannot be accounted for by orthodox archeology and strictly linear theories of human cultural development.
It may be disturbing to consider that a sudden geological cataclysm might throw human civilisation and culture backwards - almost wiping the slate, but after the recent tsunami - it doesn't take much imagination to think what would happen - if whole techtonic plates broke up - effectively reducing a whole continent to nothing - save scattered islands and peripheral strips of land mass. Plato,for his own part, related similar events (Atlantis) in the Timaeus. Usually mocked as 'fiction' - the fact remains that Plato was absolutely serious about it.
Churchward was thoroughly serious. Given the fact that he reconstructed the hieratic sacred alphabet of Mu, and spent years deciphering the information yielded by hundreds of artifacts from cultures around the Pacific rim - and related areas, it is absurd to suggest that his theories were without proof and ill-founded.He has given us the evidence. The greater part of it is too compelling to ignore.

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Mu, as a lost Pacific Ocean continent, was later popularized by James Churchward (1851-1936) in a series of books, beginning with Lost Continent of Mu, the Motherland of Man (1926), re-edited later as The Lost Continent Mu (1931). Other popular books in the series are The Children of Mu (1931), and The Sacred Symbols of Mu (1933).Churchward claimed that "more than fifty years ago," while he was a soldier in India, he befriended a high-ranking temple priest who showed him a set of ancient "sunburnt" clay tablets, supposedly in a long lost "Naga-Maya language" which only two other people in India could read. Having mastered the language himself, Churchward found out that they originated from "the place where [man] first appeared-Mu." The 1931 edition states that 'all matter of science in this work are based on translations of two sets of ancient tablets:" the clay tables he read in India, and a collection 2,500 stone tablets that had been uncovered by William Niven in Mexico. p. 7Churchward gave a vivid description of Mu as the home of an advanced civilization, the Naacal, which flourished between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago, was dominated by a 'white race," p. 48 and was "superior in many respects to our own"p. 17 At the time of its demise, about 12,000 years ago, Mu had 64,000,000 inhabitants and many large cities, and colonies in the other continents.Churchward claimed that the landmass of Mu was located in the Pacific Ocean, and stretched east-west from the Marianas to Easter Island, and north-south from Hawaii to Mangaia. He claimed that according to the creation myth he read in the Indian tablets, Mu had been lifted above sea level by the expansion of underground volcanic gases. Eventually Mu 'was completely obliterated in almost a single night" p. 44: after a series of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, "the broken land fell into that great abyss of fire" and was covered by "fifty millions of square miles of water." p. 50Churchward claimed that Mu was the common origin of the great civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Central America, India, Burma and others, including Easter Island, and was in particular the source of ancient megalithic architecture. As evidence for his claims, he pointed to symbols from throughout the world, in which he saw common themes of birds, the relation of the Earth and the sky, and especially the Sun. Churchward claims the king of Mu was Ra and he relates this to the Egyptian god of the sun, Ra, and the Rapanui word for Sun, ra'a, which he incorrectly spells "raa."[8]: p. 48 He claimed to have found symbols of the Sun in 'Egypt, Babylonia, Peru and all ancient lands and countries - it was a universal symbol."[8]: p. 138Churchward attributed all megalithic art in Polynesia to the people of Mu. He claimed that symbols of the sun are found 'depicted on stones of Polynesian ruins," such as the stone hats (pukao) on top of the giant moai statues of Easter Island. Citing W.J. Johnson, Churchward describes the cylindrical hats as 'spheres" that "seem to show red in the distance", and asserts that they 'represent the Sun as Ra." p. 138 He also incorrectly claimed that some of them are made of "red sandstone" [8]: p. 89 which does not occur in the island. The platforms on which the statues rest (ahu) are described by Churchward as being 'platform-like accumulations of cut and dressed stone," which were supposedly left in their current positions 'awaiting shipment to some other part of the continent for the building of temples and palaces.": p. 89 He also cites the pillars 'erected by the Maori of New Zealand" as an example of this lost civilization's handiwork.: p. 158 In Churchward's view, the present-day Polynesians are not descendants of the dominant members of the lost civilization of Mu, responsible for these great works, but survivors of the cataclysm that adopted 'the first cannibalism and savagery" in the world.

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Legacy of the Elder Gods Review

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(More customer reviews)When the crazy world around me gets me down, I turn to this book. As I question what it's all about and why we are here, this book gives me explanations. It's about Ancient History, Exterrestrials, UFO's, why we are here, how we came to be what we are, and much more, including the potential future of the human race.
If these subjects interest you, please read this book. My copy is almost worn out.

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Sign and the Seal: The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant Review

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(More customer reviews)Hancock's book is an entertaining account of an enthusiast who, from his own admission, was largely ignorant of his subject when he set out to discover the truth about it. The book has three main flaws. Whether by design or cultural self-centeredness, Hancock is too interested in searching for Knights Templar involvement, although the so-called Templar crosses in Ethiopia/Eritrea date from the 5th century AD. Linking the Ark to medieval Europeans sells books [Munro-Hay's Aksum (1991) and The Ark of the Covenant (1999) are far more informative but don't sell outside academia because European historical romanticism is absent in his works]. Secondly, Hancock had little understanding of the Kebra Nagast, which is a combination of two separate works, the Sheba-Menelik Cycle dating from oral (10th century BC) and written (pre-400BC) Semitic sources (Josephus summarises it (ca.90AD); and the Caleb Cycle (ca 518 AD). When Isaac's team compiled the Kebra Nagast around 1314 AD they used an Arabic Sheba-Menelik Cycle and a Ge'ez Caleb Cycle and then put in their own comments to try and make sense of the bizarre geography of the Sheba-Menelik Cycle. This included references to Cairo and Alexandria, which didn't exist in Solomon's day, something Hancock overlooked.Hancock is hardly alone in his third and major miscalculation. It is now generally accepted in mainstream archaeology that no evidence exists in Israel/Palestine of the events and places described in the Old Testament up until the Babylonian captivity. The site of modern day Jerusalem in Solomon's day was covered by a few small villages. There was no great city and nothing has been found of Omri's even more magnificent capital in Samaria. Historical linguistics, Tamil trade words in Hebrew, the lack of Egyptian words in Hebrew, the history of the Iron-Age (The Hebrews of Joshua were iron-age invaders of Canaan but were supposed to have fled bronze age Egypt), 11th century BC political-economic conditions, the name for the Ark in Ge'ez, the pattern of ancient Jewish settlement, the Saudi Gazette of Place Names, inscriptions on the Ethiopian plateau, remnant Judaic populations in northern Somalia and Eritrea, the history of the Queen of Sheba (three are mentioned in the Tigre inscriptions) and the extraordinary geographical references all point to the true location of Solomon's kingdom being between Taima and the Yemen border, in West Arabia, not Israel/Palestine. The Ark was probably stolen from a sanctuary near Abha in Arabia. If Hancock's hypothesis of a theft from the site of present Jerusalem it is difficult to accept that the Ark, reputedly the most dangerous weapon on the planet and in the hands of a small group of hunted desperadoes, would be casually waved all the way through tightly controlled Dynastic Egypt which was ruled by Solomon's own father in law. Hancock suggests the Ark was in the hands of the Elephantine Aramaic-speaking Jewish garrison in the 5th century BC who many commentators believe introduced Judaism to Ethiopia. However the Tigre inscriptions testify to a mixed Hebrew/Sheba population ruled by kings and queens of Shebans around 700 BC, which seems to corroborate the events in the Sheba-Menelik Cycle. Personally I believe the Sheba-Menelik Cycle pre-dates the Old Testament, which was first written around 400 BC without vowels and eventually standardised with vowels between 500-950 AD. Nevertheless, Hancock's work on the Ark in Ethiopia is very informative. What he has missed is a chance to show that the history of the Ark is the key to the true location of the Old Testament.
Dr Bernard Leeman Ethiopian Research Council Former Deputy Head of History, Asmara University sheba@archaeologist.com

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Lost Star of Myth and Time Review

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(More customer reviews)Walter Cruttendon has done a vast amount of research on the subjects of ancient and modern astronomy, scientific findings of extinct cultures, and the many surviving myths and legends of the past. From these studies the author developed unique insights. His perspective of the earth, time, and its place in space ... is a very fascinating reading experience. His hypothesis is based on connections he has made from ancient and modern astronomical and scientific discoveries. He noted one main distinguishing difference between ancient and modern man is the concept of time. Modern man is obsessed with a linear focus - seeming to view events and discoveries on the basis of evolution, going from the simpler to more complex level. Ancient cultures however, viewed time as cyclical, even the Old Testament speaks of a time and season for every purpose and event. The ancient Babylonians, the Egyptians who built the pyramids, the shamans of the Hopi Indians of North America, the Mayan Indians of Central America, and the oldest civilization in the world which existed in India - all had an obsession with time. They demonstrated this knowledge by tracking the stars in the heavens and leaving monuments which are often records of their discoveries. Noting the abundant scientific evidence for the cyclical nature of many biological, physiological, and chemical life processes ... the author noted that ancient people had recognized patterns and cycles of the stars and its causes. The author describes how modern scientists view the concept called "celestial motion of precession" and its causes. The author provides detailed explanations why his view supports what the ancient Arabic, Sumerian, Mithraic, and Vedic traditions hinted at ... that our sun is influenced by another star. This other star (or sun) could affect many aspects of life on earth through its orbital cycle, gravitational pull and magnetic energies. This other star could be the cause of the cyclical nature of many natural events from the ancient past, the modern present, and future life on earth.
The author obviously loves his subject and does a phenomenal job of sharing his knowledge and deep insights. He has a wonderful grasp of the science of astronomy. He lucidly explains and describes difficult concepts and ideas on this subject. Each suspense filled chapter is an adventurous read which unfolds fascinating ancient scientific knowledge of astronomical observations comparing it to the modern scientific view. The author includes a very helpful glossary for complicated terms and unfamiliar concepts. He provides a wonderful bibliography referenced by footnotes in each chapter where supporting data and the ideas can be verified by any curious reader. There is a terrific appendix with eight sections which is an added bonus that includes otherwise difficult to obtain information. The author created the four tiered Galileo Awards each with a substantial monetary award attached, in order to challenge the scientific community to provide the scientific evidence required to prove once and for all ... the existence of the binary twin associated with our sun. I give 10 stars to this book as recommendation for anyone interested in ancient cultures, myths, and astronomy.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

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The myth and folklore of ancestral peoples around the world hints at a vast cycle of time, with alternating Dark and Golden Ages. Plato called it the Great Year. Long believed to be a fairytale, there is now new astronomical evidence to show it has a basis in fact. Moreover, because it is caused by the acceleration of our Sun around another star, we learn that the Earth should soon be carried into a region of space that will have a beneficial affect on our atmosphere, nudging mankind into a higher age of consciousness.Lost Star of Myth and Time weaves together some of the latest archaeological evidence with cutting-edge astronomy to reveal a history of the world that finally fits with myth, folklore and the archaeological record. While this book explores some of the most interesting aspects of a once advanced civilization that covered the Earth, it is really about what happens to the Earth and consciousness as our solar system moves through space in the mysterious motion known as the "precession of the equinox". This astronomical phenomenon has since Newton been attributed to local gravitational forces wobbling the Earth s axis. Lost Star now shows us in no uncertain terms that the Earth s axis does not change orientation relative to objects inside the solar system at the same rate that it changes orientation to objects outside the solar system, meaning precession must be due to our Sun s binary motion around another star.Chapter by chapter it becomes clear that ancient cultures knew of precession, used it as the clock of the ages, understood it to be due to the solar system s motion through space, and realized this subjects the Earth to a cycle of waxing and waning stellar influences. It is these forces that affect our magnetosphere, ionosphere and indirectly create the larger seasons of the Great Year. As you will see this not only gives cause for a major rethink of human history and potential, but indicates we are approaching a tipping point in the awakening of consciousness.

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Ancient Israel in Sinai: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Wilderness Tradition Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're looking for evidence that Israel really did make the wilderness journey described in Exodus, Ancient Israel in Sinai is the best scholarly case to be found anywhere, including the best collection I've seen of Egyptian linguistic evidence found in ancient Israel's cultic apparatus. But if you're looking for an examination of the wilderness route, not only from the Nile to Mt Sinai, but also from Mt Sinai all the way to Transjordan (as I was hoping to find), you may be disappointed. Hoffmaier does a wonderful job examining the first half of the journey, but devotes little attention to the second half. He does do a good job refuting the theory that Mt Sinai is in modern Saudi Arabia. I give it 5 stars for its scholarship, and 3 stars for the in-depth travel guide I was also hoping for.

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In his pathbreaking Israel in Egypt James K. Hoffmeier sought to refute the claims of scholars who doubt the historical accuracy of the biblical account of the Israelite sojourn in Egypt. Analyzing a wealth of textual, archaeological, and geographical evidence, he put forth a thorough defense of the biblical tradition.Hoffmeier now turns his attention to the Wilderness narratives of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. As director of the North Sinai Archaeological Project, Hoffmeier has led several excavations that have uncovered important new evidence supporting the Wilderness narratives, including a major New Kingdom fort at Tell el-Borg that was occupied during the Israelite exodus. Hoffmeier employs these archaeological findings to shed new light on the route of the exodus from Egypt. He also investigates the location of Mount Sinai, and offers a rebuttal to those who have sought to locate it in northern Arabia and not in the Sinai peninsula as traditionally thought. Hoffmeier addresses how and when the Israelites could have lived in Sinai, as well as whether it would have been possible for Moses to write down the law received at Mount Sinai. Building on the new evidence for the Israelite sojourn in Egypt, Hoffmeier explores the Egyptian influence on the Wilderness tradition.For example, he finds Egyptian elements in Israelite religious practices, including the use of the tabernacle, and points to a significant number of Egyptian personal names among the generation of the exodus. The origin of Israel is a subject of much debate and the wilderness tradition has been marginalized by those who challenge its credibility. In Ancient Israel in Sinai, Hoffmeier brings the Wilderness tradition to the forefront and makes a case for its authenticity based on solid evidence and intelligent analysis.

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Fighting Pharaohs: Weapons and Warfare (None) Review

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(More customer reviews)The "Fighting Pharaohs" text is still striving to compile what little information we have in the archaeological record for the military in ancient Egypt and put it into a comprehensive whole. However, I have serious doubts about the aims of this book. It tries to draw conclusions that are simply not there - who were the 'enemies of Egypt', the khepesh sword as a weapon etc. It concerns me that someone would take this book too literally. So if your interested in warrior pharaohs, I recommend this title but also get Shaw's 'Egyptain Weapons and Warfare', Healy's "armies of the pharaohs", and read the 'military' section in Redford's Oxford Encyclopedia of ancient Egypt - this will give a better rounded view of the material and what can be drawn from it.

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The image of a Pharaoh smiting the enemies of Egypt is a recurring one throughout the Dynastic Period of Ancient Civilisation. Fighting Pharaohs looks in some detail at the range of weapons used, the training of troops and the tactics for battles and sieges, before looking at the military campaigns of the Pharaohs. Drawing on contemporary evidence, over three thousand years are covered, from Narmer to Cleopatra.

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The New Pyramid Age: Worldwide Discoveries of New Pyramids Challenge Our Thinking Review

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(More customer reviews)Coppens is obviously on top of his subject matter and his criticisms of the traditional approach to pyramids are well founded. His argument for a `New Pyramid Age' is sound. From what I have read in Coppens' book, and others, we need to revisit, and rethink, pyramids. Coppens is no doubt correct in his approach and is prepared to think outside the box.


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This is the first book to cover the new landscape of pyramids found worldwide. It describes the changed nature of the pyramid debate and offers science a challenge, but equally tries to answer some of the key messages that the last decade of pyramid discovery has brought us. It is a series of discoveries that has changed the archaeological world and extended all our horizons.

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The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasonry, and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Jesus Review

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(More customer reviews)I read The Hiram Key a few months ago and I cannot in any number of words say how interesting it was. I was raised in a very strict church that believed only in a literal translation of the Bible. The content of The Hiram Key shocked me. Instead of being turned off, I read hungrily. Believing the authors to have honorable intentions, I finished the book and then researched every avenue I could via the footnotes,etc. It all proved out.I was amazed at how long some of this knowledge has been out there and how long it took to come to the eyes of the general public.I am 48 years old and feel released for the first time in memory. I finished The Second Messiah last week and last night started Uriel's Machine. Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas are refreshing, intellegent, courageous and so much more. I will read anything they write and wish I could share with them the dept of effect they have had on my family and many of our friends. Of course, I read the other reviews that would make them out to be of the devil or some such nonsense as that and surely there are many who would agree. It is threatening to read substantive material that flys in the face of all the beliefs that make up our eternal retirement plan. Truth doesn't set everyone free. Everyone can't handle the responsiblity. Hurray for these men and thank you so very much.

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The Hiram Key is a book that will shake the Christian world to its very roots. When Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, both Masons, set out to find the origins of Freemasonry they had no idea that they would find themselves unraveling the true story of Jesus and the original Jerusalem Church. As a radically new picture of Jesus started to emerge, the authors came to the startling conclusion that the key rituals of modern Freemasonry were practiced by the early followers of Jesus as a means of initiation into their community.

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Literary Texts and the Roman Historian (Approaching the Ancient World) Review

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It is one of the great wonders of the modern world that we have as many texts surviving from the ancient world as we do. This book examines in great detail histories done by the ancient romans, trying to piece together additional information from the fragments which we do have. This book is definitely not easy reading, but its thoroughness will satisfy scholars and it is full of enough information to satisfy the interested reader.Literary Texts and the Roman Historian (Approaching the Ancient World)

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Monarchs of the Nile Review

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(More customer reviews)This book provides a compact chronicle of the most significant Egyptian monarchs from the earliest times to the end of Nektanebo II's reign. The lives and achievements of these rulers (famous or lesser-known kings and queens) are clearly summarized and accurately detailed. Well illustrated in black and white, this book is mostly recommended for students.

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This book presents a concise account of the lives and times of some of the more significant occupants of the Egyptian throne, from the unification of the country around 3000 BC down to the extinction of native rule just under three millennia later. Some, such as Tuthmosis III, had a major impact on their time, and were remembered by their own people until the very civilization collapsed. Others, such as Tutankhamun, were soon forgotten by the Egyptians themselves, only to burst into popular culture thousands of years after their deaths, as a result of the labors of modern archeologists. Still more remain unknown outside the small circle of professional archeologists, but led lives that call out for wider dissemination. This book sets out to provide a mix of all three categories, in an attempt to present a balanced view of Egyptian kings and their range of achievements.

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Abydos: Egypt's First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris (New Aspects of Antiquity) Review

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(More customer reviews)David O'Connor has been excavating at Abydos since 1967 -- probably his most famous find is the series of boats near the enclosures of Khasekhemwy (Shunet el Zebib) and the Western Mastaba -- and so is well-qualified to author this valuable and comprehensive work on the site. O'Connor pulls together the history of the development of the site and its excavation, as well as discussing the significance of various discoveries. It is an excellent, and well thought out compendium. The book is easy to read and well written, but intended for those with at least some knowledge of the subject matter, not absolute beginners.
Especially valuable, and sometimes difficult to find elsewhere, is the information on more recent discoveries and theories. To provide a few examples: he discusses the excavations by Stephen Harvey at the Ahmose complex, Janet Richards at the North and Middle Cemeteries, Josef Wegner at the Senwosret III complex, Mary-Ann Pouls Wegner's survey of the cultic landscape, the Akhenaten talatat found at the Ramesses II temple, and the theories of Gunter Dreyer regarding the early hieroglyphic signs from Tomb U-j. This is almost priceless information - much of it is only available in more expensive, subscription or foreign language publications. The discussions here are, of course, often much briefer than are available elsewhere, and O'Connor does supply a bibliography for further reading (and I've added a few links at the end of this review).
O'Connor deals with many theories (tomb development, the meaning of various symbolic elements such as mounds and pyramids, etc.), and he is one of the few Egyptologists who seems willing to say that in many cases the limited data available is sometimes open to more than one interpretation. He fairly treats competing theories, but this is also quite a personal work by him, and he is not hesitant to offer his opinion. He also points out that excavations are ongoing and there is still much work to do, and so it is only proper to expect new information to change many ideas.
The subtitle of the book refers to "Egypt's First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris." O'Connor deals extensively with those topics, but makes it clear to the reader how the later history of the site adds to our understanding of the earlier history. In fact, much of the information on the first kings comes later in the book, after the groundwork is laid. That may sound confusing, but it makes perfect sense in the context of the book.
Below is a list of the chapters and, in parentheses, my notes on some topics discussed in each.
1.The Discovery of Abydos (early excavations).
2.Osiris - Eternal Lord Who Presides in Abydos (the Osiris mythology).
3.The Temple of Seti I (the history of the beautiful temple and the Osireion).
4.The Rediscovery of Abydos (the second wave of excavations, including those of O'Connor himself).
5.The Evolution of a Sacred Landscape (the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period).
6.The Expanding Landscape of the Middle Kingdom (Abydos in the Middle Kingdom, including the Senwosret III complex and the memorial chapels).
7.The Landscape Completed: Abydos in the New Kingdom (the Ahmose complex, Thutmose III, Akhenaten (who may have had a structure at Abydos), the "Portal" Temple of Ramesses II).
8.The Climax of the Osiris Cult (the Late Period).
9.The Royal Tombs of Abydos (The Dynasty 0 and Early Dynastic tombs at Umm el Qa'ab).
10.The Mysterious Enclosures of Abydos (a fascinating chapter on the Shunet el Zebib and other enclosures - with some equally fascinating theories).
11.Boat Graves and Pyramid Origins (how the finds at Abydos relate).
12.Abydos: Summing-Up.
O'Connor ends with useful and current information on visiting Abydos.
Let me finish by thanking the publisher, Thames & Hudson, for another excellent work at a reasonable price. I have an extensive Egyptology library (over 700 books) and I am shocked at how many recent Egyptology books cost $100-$500, and so many are out of my price range. Of course, I understand that more people will buy a book like this than a specialized report, but still, the price tags on many other new books, and some reprints, are beyond explanation.
By the way, some other current publications referenced, available at Amazon, include Janet Richards' Society and Death in Ancient Egypt: Mortuary Landscapes of the Middle Kingdom and Josef Wegner's The Mortuary Temple of Senwosret III at Abydos (Publications of the Pennsylvania-Yale Expedition to Egypt). Also invaluable is The Archaeology and Art of Ancient Egypt: Essays in Honor of David B. O'Connor (Cahier).

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