History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

Average customer rating:

Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Religion in Ancient Egypt: Gods, Myths, and Personal Practice

Average customer rating:

A good resource; some parts better than others
Clarifies Much
disappointment
unique and informative

Religion in Ancient Egypt: Gods, Myths, and Personal Practice
John R. Baines , David Silverman , and Leonard H. Lesko
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0801497868

Customer Reviews:

A good resource; some parts better than others.......2003-02-19

Prof. Shafer of Fordham University put this book together in order to fill the need for an English-language survey of ancient Egyptian religion. The result is a relatively short introduction to the subject from three points of view, each addressed by a different author. John Baines writes about the gods, Leonard Lesko about myths, and David Sliverman about religious practice. The idea and organization of the book is commendable; however, I felt that stronger editing could have made the three portions of the book more cohesive and compatible in quality.

There was too much overlap between Baines' and Lesko's sections, and Lesko's chapter seemed to be aimed at a more specialized audience than were the other chapters. I felt that Baines dwelled too much on political history and took the focus off the topic at hand. His article would have benefitted from further subdivision; as it was, the overly long sections lacked clear direction. Baines handles concepts of divinity quite well, but I think he could have provided a better overview of the Egyptian pantheon. On the whole I would give his article a tentative 4 stars.

Lesko's rather short chapter also placed too much focus on political history, and this was doubly frustrating since he didn't say anything different from Baines. His discussion of myths seemed to lack organization and was befuddling for the newcomer to the field. The chapter mostly consists of lengthy and inadequately explained or connected quotations from Egyptian texts. These texts are interesting sounding but cryptic, and Lesko does not provide enough of an overview for one to understand either what they are saying or why he is quoting them. His article has two chief sections: one on cosmogonies, which is very long and opaque, and a much shorter and somewhat clearer section on cosmology. Overall, this article deserves a tentative 3 stars from a newcomer; someone with more specialized knowledge might find it more useful, but I am not sure.

Silverman's chapter was by far the most accessible and informative. Frequent divisions in the text underscored its points while providing strong organization and direction. Silverman's explanations started from basic concepts and worked up to address difficulties in modern methods of study in his field. His chapter came across as an interesting and informative social history of Egypt with particular emphasis on the origins of its structure and morality, both of which derive from religion. This article was engaging and clear, and earns an enthusiastic 5 stars from me.

On the whole, then, some parts of this book were more readable and useful than others. However, it seems to be the most scholarly and trustworthy introduction to the topic. I would not recommend it as pleasure reading, but if you need to know something about the subject it is a good resource.

Clarifies Much.......2002-11-17

This book is extremely useful for understanding the complex, multifaceted world of the ancient Egyptian Gods. One cannot simply list gods and myths and have them make sense; this book provides three Egyptologists' views on how the Egyptians saw the gods and the universe, how that view evolved in 3000 years, and how they were worshipped throughout that time. There are numerous illustrations, photos, and footnotes. The authors discuss theories about the Armarna period and the divine status of the Pharoah that cannot be found in other books on Ancient Egypt. This is a great book to read if you want to understand the religion as a whole and get the essence of what it was like.

disappointment.......2001-11-19

It is only a historical book.There is no useful information for pagans.

unique and informative.......2000-08-25

Four specialists - Shafer, Baines, Lesko and Silverman - took the difficult task of explaining the Ancient Egyptians' relation with religion. Through their art, their architecture and their literature, the Ancient Egyptians have left answers to all of their existential questions. Culture is religion; religion is culture : every aspect of life was influenced by the deep beliefs of the people. This is a very informative book recommended for all students of Egyptology.

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt

Average customer rating:

Easy to Read but Packed with up-to-date Details
Ancient Egypt's Religious Heritage
A Plethora of Deities
About as good as you can get without a degree
Some controversial figures

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
Richard H. Wilkinson
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0500051208

Book Description

Worshiped for over three-fifths of recorded history, ancient Egypt's gods and goddesses are among the most fascinating of human civilization. The lives of pharaohs and commoners alike were dominated by the need to honor, worship, and pacify the huge pantheon of deities. From lavish tomb paintings and imposing temple reliefs to humble household shrines, countless tributes throughout Egypt reflect the richness and complexity of their mythology.

This book examines the evolution, worship, and eventual decline of the numerous gods and goddesses—from minor household figures such as Bes and Taweret to the all-powerful deities Amun and Re—that made Egypt the most completely theocratic society of the ancient world, and made Egyptians, according to Herodotus, "more religious than any other people."

• "Rise and Fall of the Gods" considers the origins of Egypt's deities, their struggles to control cosmic forces, and their eventual decline.
• "Nature of the Gods" examines the forms, appearances, and manifestations of the deities, as well as the transcendence of preeminent deities such as Amun.
• "Worship of the Gods" introduces the rituals and mysteries of formal Egyptian worship, including the importance of temples and festivals.
• "Kingship and the Gods" discusses the all-important position of the king, who served as a bridge between the gods and humanity.
• "The Many Faces of the Divine" is a unique catalogue of Egypt's gods and goddesses grouped according to their primary forms, discussing their iconography, mythology, and worship, and their influence over time.

With hundreds of illustrations and specially commissioned drawings, this is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the deities that lay at the heart of Egyptian religion and society. 400 illustrations, 170 in color.

Customer Reviews:

Easy to Read but Packed with up-to-date Details.......2007-07-15

I agree with the other reviewers - beautifully illustrated, mostly in full color. It is comprehensive yet particularly the first half of the book is easy to read in it's entirety. The first part of the book covers general concepts of Egyptian Religion and the deities. The second covers individual deities in detail.

I had been looking for a book on Ancient Egyptian religion and deities which was neither outdated in its ideas, nor sterile or boring, nor full of fluff, nor overwhelmed with dense detail, nor assumed detailed prior knowledge of anthropology, archeology or African/Near Eastern history and religion. This book is it. It is beautifully clear and explains how Egyptian views of each deity changed over time. It clearly presents for each deity what syncretism occurred (merging with other gods or the adoption of other gods' attributes) with time. It contains some of the most recent thinking on how the Egyptians might have viewed their own deities. My only minor negative would be that there are no references or footnotes in the text itself for the expert. However, within the body of the text, the author does mention which academics advanced which important concepts and coupled with the extensive and detailed bibliography arranged by subject matter at the end of the book, this minor gripe is assuaged.

The binding and quality of the book, its print, and illustrations are beautiful - it would make a lovely gift for someone.

Easy to read for both the beginner and the non-beginner in this area, but full of crystal clear detail for one who wants a good reference book even for more advanced students of religion.

Ancient Egypt's Religious Heritage .......2007-03-19

This is a terrific analysis and discussion of the varied and complex religious development and influence of the ancient Egyptians. I have been fascinated with the connections among the religious traditions of mankind and have found many seminal concepts and ideas in this book. This is written in plain language and can be easily used for personal as well as reference in the field of religion and religious iconography. Beautifully photographed and helpful in understanding the incredible complexity of ancient Egyptian religious development.

A Plethora of Deities.......2004-05-02

Richard Wilkinson's latest book (he has previously written "Reading Egyptian Art," "Symbol and Magic in Egyptian Art," and "The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt") presents the reader with an impressive selection of all the major gods and goddesses, and many of the minor ones, of ancient Egypt. Although hardly "complete" in the technical sense (Wilkinson discusses "only" 500 of Egypt's 1500 or so deities, and much more could be said about the ones he does discuss), the book is fairly "complete" in a practical sense: most gods that most readers want to look up, will get at least a brief mention. For example, you will find here the 24 Hours of the Day and Night, 12 (of 21) Gates of the Underworld, all 42 Gods of Judgement, and all 42 (hmm... there's that number again!) Nome Deities.

The book begins with twelve brief essays (4-6 pages each) on Egyptian religion, covering such topics as creation myths, manifestations of divinity, temple and popular worship, and divine kingship. The essays are thoughtful, informative, and up-to-date with current scholarship. I wish they had been longer, because they deserve to be expanded at greater length than the book allocates to them.

The rest of the book, some 180 pages, is devoted to a "Catalogue of Deities," organized by biological shape (anthropomorphic male and female, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and inanimate objects). This is a great idea, but it could have been taken even further. A visual index of shapes would make lookup much easier, and would only take an additional page or two. A name index is, of course, provided. Why not give a hieroglyphic index as well?

Going to the individual entries, Wilkinson generally provides information about the mythology, iconography, and worship of each deity. The deities are generously illustrated, with line drawings and photographs. Again, I would wish that many of these entries could be expanded, both in terms of discussion and in terms of visual iconography. This is not a criticism of Wilkinson; it just reflects the practical limitations of the book.

To summarize, Wilkinson's "Gods and Goddesses" is a very well-written, thoughtful, accurate, beautifully produced and illustrated reference on the religion of ancient Egypt. In terms of coverage it is somewhere between a handbook and an encyclopedia. I am very glad to have it in its present form, and I only wish that it had been much longer, since it is clear that Wilkinson has more to say about this subject than could fit into the covers of the present book. I would gladly pay double the price to have a truly complete encyclopedia of Egypt's gods from this author.

About as good as you can get without a degree.......2004-01-02

First off, "The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt" is not a book you want to read cover to cover. I love Egyptian mythology, but I really just use it for refrence when I need it. Some of the other sections on the origins of the dieties and such are great information as well.
For $30, it is an excellent book, although if you really want some truly in-depth (and hard to digest) material, more academic books might appeal, although they tend to run significantly more.
For its price, I think this book is an excellent introduction to the roles and mythology of the Egyptian dieties. Despite how my review sounds, I enjoy it.

Some controversial figures.......2003-07-08

As I first starting reading this book, I noticed the dates were very very advanced from any other dates that I had seen with the corrosponding event. Sadly, after that I didn't really take in things said in the book to be of researched value. But it does have useful maps, and pictures of present Egypt to compare with drawings of ancient Egypt.

Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became an Excuse to Teach Myth as History (A New Republic Book)

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Pure Crap
What a Horrible Argument
An Important Corrective
Not for the Timid
An excellent book -- just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean it's racist

Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became an Excuse to Teach Myth as History (A New Republic Book)
Mary Lefkowitz
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Out of America: A Black Man Confronts Africa
Black Athena Revisited
Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization (The Fabrication of Ancient Greece 1785-1985, Volume 1)
Black Athena Writes Back: Martin Bernal Responds to His Critics
Civilization or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology

ASIN: 046509838X

Amazon.com

Wellesley classics professor Mary Lefkowitz takes aim at the basic claims of leading proponents of Afro-centrism, in this expansion of her New Republic article exposing flaws in the argument that black Africans were responsible for the great civilizations of Egypt and Greece that brought praise from historians and criticism from Afrocentrists. Lefkowitz argues that the Greeks' African heritage touted by Senegalese scholar Cheikh Anta Diop is based upon a single dubious source and that Egyptians never considered themselves black Africans, in fact, that they consciously disassociated themselves from blacks. She argues that the legacy of these two cultures remains so rich even foes of European civilization want to claim that legacy for themselves.

Book Description

Was Socrates black? How about Cleopatra? Was Greece colonized by Egypt? As absurd as these claims seem to be, they, and other "truths" are being taught today to college students across the country.

Not Out of Africa is the first book to debunk these claims made by the Afrocentric movement. Dispensing with political correctness in favor of historical accuracy, professor Mary Lefkowitz presents a fascinating and scholarly look at each of these myths, meticulously dismantling them and explaining why they have propagated despite an overwhelming lack of real evidence. At the same time, she sounds a ringing clarion call that warns us all about the social and intellectual dangers inherent in suspending academic standards to indulge a political agenda.

Customer Reviews:

Pure Crap.......2007-09-27

Whether Ancient, notice I wrote ANCIENT Egypt were African people is not even up for debate anymore, except among racist who can't allow themselves to concieve the notion that while eur-asians were bashing each other up-side the head in caves, Africans were building pyramids. African Civilization was established long before anyone concieved of someplace called Greece, Rome or before anyone named Abraham came along.

I saw Mary Lefkowitz in a Debate with a great scholar, John Henrik Clarke, in the early 90s when the debate was raging; she couldn't even defend her position even with help from one of her colleagues.

If Ancient Egypt was anything other than black people, Africans, then why is there such an effort to dispute it, when the greeks & romans acknowledged it in their own writings, such as the Illiad; and why was Cheikh Anta Diops' books banned in this country? Dr. Clarke had to literally fight just to get them published here, and most of the really important ones still can't be found in this country. If more Africans in the diaspora were aware of their true history, we wouldn't even have to entertain such non-sense as this waste of paper.

What a Horrible Argument .......2007-07-19

I read this book in 2002 because my professor had a problem with my statement that the Greeks stole their philosophy from Kemet (Egypt). This is some pure garbage under the guise of scholarly pursuits. She never discredits anything. She never discusses Gerald Massey or any other European Scholars who wrote about the influence of Kemet on modern civilization. She mentioned that one could say that Kemet is source of all the religious systems...duah...my point is if you are going to set out to crush an argument crush the some of the earliest writing about the topic. She also makes claims about Socrates being black...nobody says that...what we say is the his term "Know Thy Self" was around thousands of years before he existed. It is the white superiority complex that makes this claim so unbelievable which is sad. But as global cleansing is occurring this argument will soon be moot.

An Important Corrective.......2007-05-05

I have come to this issue of Afrocentrism late, and thus to this book late. As a teacher of ancient Greek philosophy, when I heard of these claims of Egyptian antecedents of Greek philosophy I felt compelled to look into them. I read two books: first Innocent C. Onyewuenyi's "The African Origin of Greek Philosophy," and Molefi Kete Asante's "The Egyptian Philosophers," and was unimpressed by the arguments (my reviews of both are on this site). I also read a part of the first volume of Martin Bernal's "Black Athena" and was equally unimpressed.

Mary Lefkowitz's book is unfortunate in two respects. It is unfortunate that in certain areas of academe political aspirations have motivated tawdry scholarship of the sort that she feels compelled to respond to. Postmodernist fantasies and certain elements of radical feminist studies serve as other sad examples. Secondly, it is unfortunate that Lefkowitz must divert from her own productive research to write a book that goes back to the basics of classical studies to refute the many absurd claims made by afrocentrists. Indeed I think the reason that many reputed scholars don't do this yeoman work is that they don't wish to be distracted from their own work for what they quite correctly regard as nonsense. But unfortunately the nonsense is growing in influence, and so all scholars owe Lefkowitz a debt of gratitude for her willingness to take on such a thankless task.

Lefkowitz is thorough in her approach. She doesn't simply correct the multitude of errors that afrocentrists make in the development of their arguments. In addition she does two other things to seal the case. For one, she tracks down the modern sources of the conceptualization of ancient Egypt which provide the framework for afrocentrist arguments. This framework is the so-called ancient Egyptian Mystery System-an imagined system of education administered by the Egyptians that was supposed to have branches throughout the ancient world. This she traces back to a fictional novel written in the 18th century by Abbe Jean Terrasson. Terrasson's fantasy was preserved as factual within Free Masonry since its publication, and is the "scholarly resource" upon which afrocentrists have based their arguments.

The second thing Lefkowitz does is to point out various errant methodological principles upon which afrocentrists rely. There is what Lefkowitz calls "the argument from silence": the absence of any texts of Egyptian origin that might confirm the afrocentrist's argument is thought to bolster their view. Technically in logic this is ignoratio elenchi, or argument from ignorance. Martin Bernal argues in this manner when he insists that the traditional creation myths of ancient Egypt "must" have been for popular consumption, and there "must" have been a more abstract and theoretical basis for them preserved by the priests of Egypt. Where are the texts? Not only is this argument from ignorance, but it ignores the implausibility that any abstract interpretation of the myths would undoubtedly require written expression. Abstract and complex conceptualizations can only be developed in writing. Lefkowitz also notes the tendency of afrocentrists to use the fallacy of post hoc, propter hoc, that is, if someone in Egyptian culture says something that sounds like what the later Greek philosophers said, then there must have been influence. This ignores the difficulty of justifying the claim of influence. Comparative studies between western and eastern modes of thought have been an ongoing concern for some decades, centered in Hawaii's East/West Center, and their journal. Fascinating parallels have been discovered, but the issue of influence has never been raised. What appears to be clear from these studies is that human thought can converge at times, without any influence.

Lefkowitz has done all scholars of ancient thought the great service of setting the record straight. The myths of a massive influence, or even identity (cf. Onyewuenyi) are dispelled. What I wish is that the efforts of African and African-American scholars cease to concentrate on this quixotic search for Egyptian antecedents of Greek philosophy and give all of us some insight into the viewpoints, customs, ideas of African people throughout the continent. Culture never fails to offer fascinating and important cognitive fruit. It is the time for this to come to light.

Not for the Timid.......2007-04-24

After having had enough caffeine to float a ship, I finished Mary Lefkowitz's "Not Out of Africa." The arguments of the book are compelling; it was the author writing like an academic that required shots for the attention span. Nevertheless, her scholarship and knowledge of ancient Egypt is obvious.

Her reason for writing the book was simple. She saw history being revised to enhance racial and cultural esteem by the introduction of fantastic and nonsensical theories that she enumerates in detail.

The revisionism taking place today follows an inductive pattern of thought. Egypt is in Africa; therefore it was a Nubian culture. Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt was obviously black because one of her parents probably conceived with a slave. "Proof" of her African heritage comes from a nineteenth century painting by a black artist depicting her as being black, and a description of her in William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" where she is described as being "tawny brown."

Professor Lefkowitz correctly counters that Cleopatra was a Ptolemy, not Egyptian, a descendent from a Macedonian conqueror who ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great. William Shakespeare's description of her had nothing to do with her skin color, and that the Bard had never left England, let alone traveled to Egypt. (How would he have known?) She refutes the theory that Cleopatra was (likely) conceived by a slave.

She presents compelling arguments against the notion that the Greeks stole the alphabet and philosophy from Egypt pointing out the obvious evidence that both cultures had contrasts on every level. It is like the other theory that Plato stole the African philosophy and ideas from the library at Alexandria and then burned it to the ground, quite a feat since the library wasn't started until Plato was long in the tooth, and then took years to complete. Besides, how do you steal ideas and thought? Even if you do, don't more ideas simply return to those who thought of them in the first place?

Some charge Lefkowitz and her supporters with racism. This is an act of desperation that is tantamount to academic extortion. It is the same as saying that if you don't support the president, you are hurting our troops. Both challenges are nonsense. The good professor is not intimidated.

Warning: the book is not an easy read for those looking for lively narrative. This is very scholarly but academic, and may give new meaning to the word dry.

An excellent book -- just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean it's racist.......2007-03-03

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I think it put historical fact into perspective. There is no doubt that the Egyptians were a great society, but so were the Greeks. It points out how week the Afrocentric arguments are. I am surprised people have referred to Ms. Lefkowitz as racist. One could argue those same people are racist as well (and based on some of the comments, some are definitely anti-Semetic). When has honest debate become racist?

Just because someone disagrees with the Afrocentric theories, it does not mean they are racist. Awhile back, the Detroit Institute of Arts had an exhibition on ancient Egyptian treasures. One of the items on display was a sarcophagus. On the sarcophagus was a white face. The exhibition indicated that the sarcophagus was from the Roman-era. I was amazed that there were people who objected to that piece being part of the exhibition because it was racist. Interestingly enough, that same piece is part of the DIAs permanent collection. It was not brought in specially for the exhibition. It was a true artifact that was thousands of years old from Egypt. Did it really matter that the person on the sarcophagus was white? The purpose of the piece in the exhibition was to demonstrate how different a Roman-era sarcophagus was from earlier periods. It was not about race.

Egyptian Mythology: Myths and Legends of Egypt, Persia, Asia Minor, Sumer and Babylon

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Egyptian Mythology: Myths and Legends of Egypt, Persia, Asia Minor, Sumer and Babylon
Rachel Storm
Manufacturer: Lorenz Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Egypt | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Fairy Tales | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0754806014

Book Description

Contains powerful tales from Egypt and West Asia with an immediately accesible A-Z structure, fully cross referenced throughout. Includes over 150 color pictures of sacred animals, gods, heroes, angels, djinn and holy places, all taken, wherever possible, from original sources.

The Egyptian Trilogy (Man, Myth & Magic RPG)

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The Egyptian Trilogy (Man, Myth & Magic RPG)

Manufacturer: Yaquinto Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000EVCYP4

Product Description

Adventure 2, Episodes 1-3 for Man, Myth & Magic RPG. "IT IS SPRING, 1375 B.C. You stand before an ancient stone monument at Giza. Though dwarfed by the great pyramids, it possesses the answer to a mighty mystery. For hidden inside, in some secret, long forgotten, chamber rests the power to destroy the old gods and to allow one man to rule Egypt. Yet, as you seek to gain entrance, your thoughts are not of the danger that lurks within; but rather of how you became caught in this deadly intrigue, of how a simple journey turned into a nightmare in the barren Sinai and eventually brought you to this silent statue, a hunted criminal, with no choice but to brave what ever evil lies ahead and to discover ... * What powerful artifact was stolen from the Pharoah, Akhenaton? * Why Raneb, the loyal Chief Khemia to the House of Pharoah, took the artifact? * Why the one-armed Nomarch, Kephren Tes, seeks Raneb; but not what he stole? * Why Sek Met, the High Priest of Ra, will stop at nothing to possess the missing item? * Why the Pharoah's beautiful but estranged wife, Nefertiti, searches for both? * And finally, why you are a threat to all of them? In addition to all three Episodes of Adventure Number 2 this module expands the MAN, MYTH & MAGIC system by adding ... * 31 New Character Classes, including Physicians and Alchemist! * Nearly 70 new Magic Spells, Charms, Amulets and Concoctions! * New Poisons! * Dozens of new weapons and armor classes! * Rules for Charioteers!"

Average customer rating:

Look elsewhere for real information
know what you're getting
A well-written comprehensive study.
Great Souce of Egyptian Mythology Information

Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends
Lewis Spence
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian Magic
Ancient Egypt
Principles for a Catholic Morality: Revised Edition

ASIN: 0486265250

Book Description

This superb in-depth survey explores animism, totemism, fetishism, creation myths, Egyptian priesthood, cult of Osiris, numerous deities, Book of the Dead, alchemy, Egyptian art and magic, legends, and a host of other fascinating topics. An erudite, clearly written work, enhanced with over 50 photographs and illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Look elsewhere for real information.......2005-10-12

This book is not only sadly out of date, the author admits most scholars would consider it absolutely wrong and spends much time defending his own credentials. Indeed, his entire preface is a plea to take him seriously even though he's writing for the popular market because his contemporary scholars would reject his work.

He gets a lot of stuff wrong. For example, he has a photo of Ahkenaten sitting on his throne with the hands of the solar disk Aten holding anks to him and this is labelled as being an image of the Aten. The figure is most certainly not the deity, but the pharaoh. He spends pages on animal worship and completely ignores the Apis bull. He makes connections where there are none (between Osiris's coffin being caught in a tree and a type of vegetation worship for which we have no evidence). If you want to know about Egyptian mythology, look elsewhere.

know what you're getting.......2004-10-05

This book is great for lovers of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody novels---it shows the state of knowledge about ancient Egypt in the early 20th century. This book was published originally in 1915. It's a classic. But it's NOT a good source for up-to-date scholarship on ancient Egyptian religion. The author's thesis is that ancient Egyptians were just as barbarous in their primitive beliefs as any other savages are. This can be very amusing to read, but. . . . Much of the information is outdated, some of it is just plain discredited; it's also occasionally quite insightful. It's more likely to confuse somebody who doesn't know much about ancient Egypt than to help, though.

A well-written comprehensive study........1999-05-08

The details this book gives are extraordinary and the accompanying plates and illustrations are wonderful, though on occasion their quality is waning. I particularily found fascinating the study of the five parts of the being and their capabilities when the body containing them was alive or deceased. The influence of dreams is also looked at, albeit briefly. My only real complaint might be that since it was written in the early twentieth century, Pharaoh names and place-names are rendered differently, which is a bit odd, and the authors habit of referring to the ancient Egyptians as savage and primitive gets a bit annoying. I realize that this is only a reflection of the attitude of his day, and thus I will not hold such against Mr. Spence as the rest of the work more than makes up for these blemishes of preference.

Great Souce of Egyptian Mythology Information.......1997-09-04

Ancient Egyptian Myths and Legends is the best collection of Egyptian myths I've found anywhere. Every aspect of Egyptian gods and dieties was mentioned in full detail. You have a question, I promise it will answer. Definitely a book to add to your shopping cart if you love Egyptian myth

Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt

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A Wonderful Reference Work

Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt
Geraldine Pinch
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Egypt | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Africa | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
Popular Stories of Ancient Egypt
Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs
How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself, Revised Edition
The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day

ASIN: 0195170245

Book Description

From stories of resurrected mummies and thousand-year-old curses to powerful pharaohs and the coveted treasures of the Great Pyramids, ancient Egypt has had an unfaltering grip on the modern imagination. Now, in Egyptian Mythology, Geraldine Pinch offers a comprehensive introduction that untangles the mystery of Egyptian Myth. Spanning Ancient Egyptian culture--from 3200 BC to AD 400--Pinch opens a door to this hidden world and casts light on its often misunderstood belief system. She discusses the nature of myths and the history of Egypt, from the predynastic to the postpharaonic period. She explains how Egyptian culture developed around the flooding of the Nile, or the "inundation," a phenomenon on which the whole welfare of the country depended, and how aspects of the inundation were personified as deities. She explains that the usually cloudless skies made for a preoccupation with the stars and planets. Indeed, much early Egyptian mythology may have developed to explain the movement of these celestial bodies. She provides a timeline covering the seven stages in the mythical history of Egypt and outlining the major events of each stage, such as the reign of the sun God. A substantial A to Z section covers the principal themes and concepts of Egyptian mythology as well as the most important deities, demons, and other characters. For anyone who wants to know about Anubis, the terrifying canine god who presided over the mummification of bodies and guarded burials, or Hathor, the golden goddess who helped women to give birth and the dead to be reborn, or an explanation of the nun, the primeval ocean from which all life came, Egyptian Mythology is the place to look.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Reference Work.......2006-04-19

This book is a great reference work, with detailed researh and opinions based on a deep knowledge of the life, work and religious traditions of Ancient Egypt.

I love Geraldine Pinch's work, so maybe I am biased, but there is in my opinion no better work available today that provides as much information and insights on the Gods, Goddesses and spiritual ways of Ancient Egypt.

Thus, I recommend this book to all and sundry who are interested in the spirituality, magic and life of ancient Egypt, without reservation. A great book!

Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead

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Life after death in ancient Egypt
Becoming
Osiris Would Be Proud
good book
Beyond the Soul

Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead

Manufacturer: Phanes Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book of the Dead (Egyptian) | Bible & Other Sacred Texts | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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The Passion of Isis and Osiris: A Gateway to Transcendent Love
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The Sacred Tradition in Ancient Egypt: The Esoteric Wisdom Revealed

ASIN: 0933999747

Amazon.com

Osiris, the god of the dead, is an image of renewal, a seed waiting to erupt into life. His death at the hands of his brother, Set, the god of destruction---who hacked him into 14 pieces---and his regeneration through the hands of his wife, the goddess Isis, illuminates the spiritual path from unconsciousness to enlightenment. In psychological terms, Osiris represents the recollection of the diverse aspects of oneself into a unified whole. These issues are as pertinent today as they were when these texts were compiled millennia ago from pyramid walls and coffin inscriptions. The "Book of Coming Forth by Day," as it was called in ancient Egypt, is lovingly rerendered here by Normandi Ellis in her celebrated 1988 translation of a work that took over 4,000 years to evolve. This is a beautifully poetic tome extrapolated from hieroglyphics--the translator attempts to revive the sense of literature and song lost in literal translations and through devolution to phonetic hieratics (simplified hieroglyphs that represent sound units). Words such as these melt time, "Mine is a heart of carnelian, crimson as murder on a holy day--I am I. I will what I will. Mine is a heart of carnelian, blood red as the crest of a phoenix." --P. Randall Cohan

Book Description

is one of the oldest and greatest classics of Western spirituality. Until now the available translations have treated these writings as historical curiosities with little relevance to our contemporary situation. This new translation made from the hieroglyphs approaches this text as a profound spiritual document capable of speaking to us today.

Customer Reviews:

Life after death in ancient Egypt.......2007-10-06

Ms. Ellis translates the components of what is known as the "Book of the Dead" with poetic zest. It is more a book of life after death, than of death. The scenes painted in this material are beautiful and haunting; the ideas uplifting. In spite of references to historic and geographic concepts foreign to me, the ideas and ambience remain applicable to daily life and create an afterlife of pure bliss. I would have liked more references to Isis, but perhaps there are very few extant works to translate.

Becoming.......2007-04-30

This has to be one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. It has awakened the Osiris within me and inspired my own becoming.

Osiris Would Be Proud.......2006-10-03

This literary gem is much, much more than a "new and improved" translation of the Coffin Texts, or The Going Forth By Day (Egyptian Book of the Dead). It is a mystic and poetic interpretation of great personal depth with so many beautiful & comforting layers of collective application. Every page of AWAKENING OSIRIS is a humanist and sacred testament (a product of Gnosis), utilizing simple words to evoke complex poetic images, opening the mind to profound and illuminating vistas. AWAKENING OSIRIS is a hymn and a challenge--a statement so personal as to be universal.

No, this is not a new literal translation, but it is a true Work of Spirit.

Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Ani
Initiation

good book.......2003-10-28

Awakening Osiris is a good book. Allay the question of the trueness of the translation and envelop yourself in the reading. The invocations and prayers, praises and prose are simple and fluid. The passages are down to earth at times and lofty at others. Enobling, the work is sympathetic to the contemporary soul. I read Awakening Osiris years ago and it still has a place in my heart and a well deserved home on my bookshelf among the more scholarly works of ancient Egypt.

Beyond the Soul.......2003-07-31

When I read this book several years ago, I found myself extremely drawn to the chapter on Becoming the Phoenix... And it has taken me this long to re-find the book, as I had problems finding it in my local library system.

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