First English-language edition, with revisions and additions by the author.This classic work by one of the world's most distinguished Egyptologists was first published in German in 1984. The Search for God in Ancient Egypt offers a distillation of Jan Assmann's views on ancient Egyptian religion, with special emphasis on theology and piety. Deeply rooted in the texts of ancient Egypt and thoroughly informed by comparative religion, theology, anthropology, and semiotic analysis, Assmann's interpretations reveal the complexity of Egyptian thought in a new way.Assmann takes special care to distinguish between the "implicit" theology of Egyptian polytheism and the "explicit" theology that is concerned with exploring the problem of the divine. His discussion of polytheism and mythology addresses aspects of ritual, the universe, and myth; his consideration of explicit theology deals with theodicy and the specifics of Amarna religion.

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The ancient Egyptians are an enduring source of fascination — mummies and pyramids, curses and rituals have captured the imagination of generations. We all have a mental picture of ancient Egypt, but is it the right one? How much do we really know about this great civilization? This second edition of Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction explores the history and culture of pharaonic Egypt, inlcuding ideas about Egyptian kingship, ancient Egyptian writing systems, and the history of Egyptology. Ian Shaw introduces the reader to issues relating to ethnicity, race, gender, and sexual relations; the latest ideas about death, funerary rites and mummification; and thoughts on religion and ethics in ancient Egypt. He also looks at the phenomenon of Egyptomania, whereby certain books and films have sensationalised aspects of Egyptian culture. Finally, Shaw takes the story to the present day by illustrating the impact of the Arab Spring on approaches to Egyptian museums and cultural heritage. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Literature and mythology From the New Kingdom, only ten narratives survive. These stories assume that their readers have a deep understanding of Egyptian mythology. It describes a prince who is doomed to die by a snake, crocodile, or dog, as the world's oldest fairy tale. There is no ending in the story, but it is likely that the prince was saved by the spirited princess whose hand he wins in a jumping contest.. As an extended version of the Osiris myth, Truth and Lies involves a dysfunctional family of deities whose son avenges his father, Truth, and defeats Lies' enemy. The plot revolves around a son who grows up to avenge his father, Truth, and beat his enemy, Lies. Isis is lustful and heartless, whereas the hero's mother is presented as passionate and cruel. This story contains a lot of mythological themes in a semi-disguised manner. As in the story of the Two Brothers, the female characters are also evil. A woman who the gods have blessed as a wife betrays the hero by falsely accusing him of raping his brother's wife. Anubis and Bata are two brothers with the same name as two gods (Anubis and Bata).. A time when it was still possible to meet gods and monsters just beyond Egypt's borders is depicted in the story. In both the Two Brothers and another New Kingdom tale about Seth's fight with an ocean god to save Astarte, the sea tries to capture a beautiful female. Astute is included under "Deities, Themes, and Concepts" as a partially Egyptianized myth. More fragmentary accounts describe a woman who becomes a lioness and the God Heryshef recruiting a human to help him fight a divine falcon. Contendings between Horus and Seth is the most controversial story from the New Kingdom. This is the most extended narrative that survives the conflict between the two gods and its resolution. But that does not mean it should be regarded as the only or standard version of the myth. Fables consist of all their performances, as many scholars have emphasized. This text was read aloud for entertainment, hence its narrative form. In addition to telling an ancient myth, the satire contains commentary about how difficult it is to obtain justice under New Kingdom legal systems and perhaps some veiled commentaries about recent problems with royal succession.

Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt offers a stimulating overview of the study of ancient Egyptian religion by examining research drawn from beyond the customary boundaries of Egyptology and shedding new light on entrenched assumptions. Discusses the evolution of religion in ancient Egypt – a belief system that endured for 3,000 years Dispels several modern preconceptions about ancient Egyptian religious practices Reveals how people in ancient Egypt struggled to secure well-being in the present life and the afterlife

We are not including in our history the stories of Herodotus and certain other writers who deliberately chose fables over facts and spun yarns for amusement only. We will, however, outline what the priests of Egypt wrote in their sacred records, which we have examined minutely and thoroughly. The author describes an arcane doctrine believed lost to time. It may be based on events that occurred more than 3,000 years ago, but Khaemwas still evokes the mystic heritage of Egypt. Traditional spiritual practices have always given people insight into their environments and allowed them to live harmoniously with them despite hardships that can only be imagined. Despite advancements in science and technology, we do not seem to be as equipped in the modern age. Undoubtedly, this is why we look to pass cultures such as Egypt for the elusive insights and powers we miss. We are like Khaemwas in many ways. We want to comprehend the mysteries of daily life and discover the source of all wisdom. Egypt's mystic heritage continues to attract our attention for these reasons. So many ancients spoke of a legacy. What is it? Egyptian legends freely circulated among travelers, as noted by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (60 B.C.E. ). Furthermore, the temples and tombs were regularly documented with similar stories. Some legends spoke of their gods, royal figures, sages, and adventurers who embodied the natural and supernatural forces of the world around them. A great deal of the information was gleaned from ancient texts. Yet they differed from myths of other cultures, including Greek myths, which viewed it as a symbol of natural phenomena or metaphor for the universe rather than a factual narrative. Ancient Egyptians were not so rigid in their philosophical thinking; they made no distinction between myth and legend. Chronicles they inherited from Antiquity were believed to be actual events, either during a historical time when their gods inhabited the Earth or in a dimension they called "timeless time," when human beings had direct access to divine powers. Because legends gave meaning and purpose to the past, present, and future, they were vital and practical.

This book offers a comprehensive, self-contained introduction to one of the oldest known recorded languages—Hieroglyphic Egyptian. Unlike other approaches, it is geared toward learning to read one of the masterpieces of Middle Egyptian literature, the story “Shipwrecked Sailor,” written around 2200 bce. The text’s eighteen lessons–organized around such topics as the body, flora, fauna, titles, administration, religion, sexuality, and warfare—cover all the basic grammar and syntax of Middle Egyptian. The book includes exercises for each chapter, sign lists, Egyptian/English and English/Egyptian dictionaries defining all the words and phrases used in the lessons, and a new edition of the tale “Shipwrecked Sailor” with facing commentary. Although the overall approach is literary, Hieroglyphic Egyptian can also be used as an introduction to reading other material, such as biographical inscriptions, religious texts, historical annals, and mathematical or medical papyri. The text is suitable for classroom use, as well as for those who want to learn independently.

The Gods of Egypt, first published in France in 1992 and now in its third French edition, is a short, elegant, and highly accessible survey of ancient Egyptian religion. The clarity and brevity of Claude Traunecker's book make it especially valuable to readers seeking an authoritative introduction to this complex topic. The Cornell edition, the first English translation, is enhanced by 23 illustrations. Traunecker begins with an overview of the source materials and a discussion of the historiography of Egyptian religion, a subject relatively neglected by scholars. He then describes the actual and metaphysical worlds inhabited by the Egyptian deities and the role that humans played in the Egyptian universe. Focusing especially on the diversity and number of approaches used by Egyptians to explain their world, The Gods of Egypt offers a succinct and highly readable presentation of recent interpretations of Egyptian religion.

"The Egyptians were people of flesh and blood, capable of both greatness and weakness, masters of ambitious projects but also slaves to banal preoccupations. They imposed their vision of the world on their environment, but they were weighed down by the burden of the human condition. In short, they were like any of us. And like ours, their society had its affairs, its scandals, its uncertainties, and its rifts."--from the Preface Drawing on ancient texts, archaeological reports, and other sources, Pascal Vernus focuses attention on the human failings of the too-often-mythologized Egyptians. Affairs and Scandals in Ancient Egypt treats instances of significant corruption--which, according to Vernus, constitute a crisis of values--in New Kingdom Egypt. His discoveries afford sobering new insights into the tension between stated beliefs and actual behavior in ancient Egyptian civilization. The examples of corruption Vernus describes run the gamut from graverobbing to labor unrest, from embezzlement to palace intrigue. The first chapter deals with the tomb robberies in the Theban necropolis during the Twentieth Dynasty. The second outlines the economic context and events associated with strikes carried out by the workmen of the royal necropolis. The third chapter uses a certain Paneb as an exemplar of corruption in the area of Thebes. Chapter 4 considers the theft of government property and attempted cover-ups in the Aswan region. The last example may be the most dramatic--the conspiracy in the royal women's quarters in the last year of Ramesses III aimed at affecting the succession to the throne. In the book's final chapter, Vernus analyzes the historical contexts and the main issues surrounding each scandal.

Torah and Nondualism is a commentary on the Torah, or Pentateuch, meaning “five books,” written in the form of five essays—one for each book. It reconciles modern biblical scholarship with the Jewish hermeneutical techniques recorded in the Zohar and shows that the meanings these interpretive techniques reveal are so consistent and illuminating throughout the Bible that they must have been intended by its redactors. By combining these traditional methods with modern insights, the book uncovers hidden themes in the Bible that other commentaries have overlooked. Specifically, Torah and Nondualism discovers a syncretistic subtext in the Pentateuch aimed at reconciling two religious cultures: one rooted in Egyptian esoteric tradition and the other in Canaanite mythology and practice. In later times, these two religious cultures corresponded roughly to two rival kingdoms, Judah and Israel. The Torah ingeniously harmonizes this spiritual and political rift. When this subtext is fully appreciated, it is recognizable in all the Torah’s most obscure rituals. Even those priestly rites associated with temple worship are understandable. The bitter rebellion against Moses and Aaron’s leadership is presented in terms of the Torah’s effort to harmonize conflict, sometimes by demanding great personal sacrifice. Illustrated to make the complexities of scribal hermeneutics readily accessible to the nonexpert, Torah and Nondualism requires no prior knowledge of Hebrew and introduces the reader to an esoteric level of Bible interpretation previously known only to a small group of trained Hebrew scribes. Its intelligent and well-supported analysis promises to change the way you think about the Bible.

This absorbing reference covers everyday life in ancient Egypt, spanning a period of more than 5,000 years—from the Stone Age to the advent of Christianity. The mysteries surrounding ancient Egypt continue to pique interest and prompt study thousands of years later. Intriguing questions—such as "Why were certain Egyptians mummified after death, while others were not?", "How were the pyramids constructed?", and "Were sexuality and courtship accurately portrayed in movies about the period?"—incite curiosity and inspire the imagination in the modern world. This comprehensive encyclopedia addresses these questions and more, revealing fascinating facts about all aspects of daily life in ancient Egypt. Starting with the beginning of the First Dynasty to the death of Cleopatra, this compendium explores the family life, politics, religion, and culture of the Nile Valley from Aswan to the Delta, as well as the peripheral areas of Nubia, the Oases, the Sinai, and the southern Levant. Each topical section opens with an introductory essay, followed by A–Z entries on such topics as food, fashion, housing, politics, and community. The book features a timeline of events, an extensive bibliography of print and digital resources, and numerous photographs and illustrations throughout.