Gods And Men In Egypt

In their wide-ranging interpretation of the religion of ancient Egypt, Françoise Dunand and Christiane Zivie-Coche explore how, over a period of roughly 3500 years, the Egyptians conceptualized their relations with the gods. Drawing on the insights of anthropology, the authors discuss such topics as the identities, images, and functions of the gods; rituals and liturgies; personal forms of piety expressing humanity's need to establish a direct relation with the divine; and the afterlife, a central feature of Egyptian religion. That religion, the authors assert, was characterized by the remarkable continuity of its ritual practices and the ideas of which they were an expression.Throughout, Dunand and Zivie-Coche take advantage of the most recent archaeological discoveries and scholarship. Gods and Men in Egypt is unique in its coverage of Egyptian religious expression in the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Written with nonspecialist readers in mind, it is largely concerned with the continuation of Egypt's traditional religion in these periods, but it also includes fascinating accounts of Judaism in Egypt and the appearance and spread of Christianity there.

First Published in 1998. This volume brings together for the first time in a single volume the highly significant works on ancient Egyptian religion by Aylward Manley Blackman (1883-1956). Blackman's knowledge of Egyptian religion was unrivalled. He was best known for his series of studies on Egyptian religion which have long been regarded as essential reading in the subject, and which forms the content of the present collection. Unusually, Blackman did not publish his writings in book form, but preferred to place them in a wide range of publications that are extremely difficult to obtain. Blackman's studies on Egyptian religious belief and particularly religious practice focus on areas of fundamental concern and are models of meticulous, sympathetic and penetrating scholarship. They should remain required reading for all students of Egyptian religion well into the next century. All those with an interest in the subject should welcome this volume which makes Blackman's writings accessible in a convenient form. A select bibliography provides an update and key to more recent work on topics discussed by Blackman.

Explores how Egyptians conceptualized with remarkable continuity their relations with the gods over a 3500-year period.

Illustrated in colour, this is an introduction for the general reader to Egyptian mythology and its mysteries. It includes a concise introduction to general aspects of Egyptian religion, followed by specific sections devoted to the most important of the gods. With sections on personal religion and temple ceremony, there are also accounts of mythological stories associated with the gods, and a map of the principle cult centres.

Provides definitive coverage of the ancient Egyptian gods, mythological figures, religious cults, priesthoods, and esoteric practices and beliefs

Provides definitive coverage of the ancient Egyptian gods, mythological figures, religious cults, priesthoods, and esoteric practices and beliefs

Three-fourths of the monuments of ancient Egypt are directly concerned with the religious beliefs of this enigmatic people. Alan W. Shorter discusses the most important facts about the Egyptian gods, their mythology, and more. Includes an expanded bibliography by Bonnie L. Petry.

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.