Ancient Egypt

A journey into the world of the ancient Egyptians, with the clarity of an encyclopedia, the readability of a novel, and the appeal of a picture book.

Preface

7

(3)

General Background The land and the people/ The map of ancient Egypt/ The Egyptian environment/ Migrations of peoples/ The wealth of the land/ Flora and fauna

10

(16)

Memory, Writing, and Language

22

(4)

Myth and Religion The divine order of Maat/ Religion as ritual/ The origin of the world/ Three times three: divinity as plurality/ Isfet: The antithesis of Maat/ Afterlife and resurrection/ Life after death: Mythos and faith/ The house of the west/ Osiris as chief justice/ Sacred kingship: The bridge between heaven and earth/ The sed festival/ "The one and the many"--realm of the gods/ Plutarch's Isis and Osiris/ Horus and Seth/ Ritual and cult/ Priest and people

26

(30)

The Egyptians and Their Environment The people and their land/ Daily life/ Childbirth and child rearing/ Love and marriage/ Houses and homes/ The Egyptian peasant and agrarian culture/ Arts, crafts, and trades/ A priest by birth/ Priestesses--The god's wives of Amun/ Education for two worlds/ Of slaves and curiosities/ Strangers in the land/ The Greeks in Egypt/ War and peace/ Festivals, games, and amusement/ Food, clothing, and perfume/ Ghosts, evil powers, and protection against them

56

(34)

Women: Role, Influence, Significance

86

(4)

History as a Celebration Myth, history, and time/ Pre-history and early history/ The Old Kingdom/ The First Intermediate Period: Decline and anarchy/ The Middle Kingdom: Rise and regeneration/ The Second Intermediate Period: Foreign domination/ The New Kingdom: The golden age/ The Late Period

90

(36)

The Amarna Period and its Iconography

124

(2)

Art as Key The Key to cultural and intellectual history?/ The essence of Egyptian iconicity: The iconic mentality/ The icons of the Intermediate Periods/ Spiritual underpinnings of Egyptian symbols/ The human form as icon/ Color, media and method/ Egyptian arc --The temple/ Tombs: Pyramids, mastabas, eternal homes/ Mummies and coffins/ sculpture/ Literature

126

(24)

"Moving Pictures" in Ancient Egypt

148

(2)

Wisdom and Understanding What about the sciences?/ Astronomy or astrology?/ Mathematics and geometry/ Geography/ Mineralogy, metallurgy, and technology/ Botany and zoology/ Medicine, pharmacy, and chemistry/ Libraries: Collected wisdom/ Scholar or priest? The great Imhotep

150

(10)

Encounters with the Western World The birth of Egyptology/ Egypt and the biblical world/ Crete, the Aegean, and the "Sea Peoples"/ The Greeks/ "They came out of Egypt...": Gnosticism, alchemy, and other arcane knowledge/ The Magic Flute--The magic continues/ Cultural psychogram? Remembering the origin?

160

(16)

Chronology

176

(1)

Museums with Egyptian Collections

177

(2)

Selected Bibliography

179

(2)

Abbreviations

181

(1)

Index of Subjects and Places

182

(4)

Index of Names

186

(5)

Picture Credits

191

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

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Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials