Customer Reviews:
Golen Age of the Pharaohs: offical Book of the Exhibition .......2007-09-09
Fantastic book; saved money by purchasing it through Amazon. Shows all the exibits. Very pleased with the book. A fine edition to anyones collection.
Very good book.......2007-09-09
I bought the book before seeing the tour in Philly. The book is very well done, and very good representation of the tour. Beautiful photographs, plus good rich text around the history of the 18th dynasty.
Other reviews talk about the tour, which isn't really what the book is about. The tour was rather crowded, and I was somewhat disappointed that all the objects were small, and no Tut sarcophagus. Very little explanation of the layout, so my son was complaining about the lack of Tut objects; they included many from the 18th dynasty.
I recommend the official DVD, its great; bought it at the show.
yasangel.......2007-08-31
Beautiful book, great pictures. Great to have with you if you get to see exhibit.
Gollden Age of the Pharaohs.......2007-07-16
Purchased in anticipation of the opening of the exhibition in London in November, the book is a mine of information. Not only does Zahi Hawass describe the objects on display, but he places them in context and gives a vivid picture of life in Egypt at the time of Tutankhamun and before his accession to the throne. Not only a great read, a reference for future use and up to Dr Hawass usual enthusiastic and vivid style. A must-have book for anyone interested in Egypt.
absolutly stunning....a once in a life time chance...........2007-07-04
First and formost DO NOT miss the King Tut tour.....the artifatcs are absoutely astounding and incredibly beautiful beyond words..It it truly extremely hard to wrap your mind around that every peice is wll over 3000 yers old. As for the book itself it is nithing short of amazing...caputring the exibit almost in its entirety....but NOTHING compares to seeing the absoultly stunnig tour live...a truly once in a life time experience...after the US tour concludes it it will never leave Cairo again...The book is worth its weight in gold...the awsome photography and articles by renowned archiloghits and her HRH the Queen of Egypt her self...THis tour the book by National Geographic and the Official DVD are some of the greatest gifts ever bestowed opon the world. A gift from the heart of Egypt to the world that will never be go on tour again...A humbling experience live and most interesting reading a msater work indeed...Bravo!!!
Book Description
For millennia, the culture and philosophy of the ancient Egyptians have fascinated artists, historians, and spiritual seekers throughout the world. Now, with this deluxe edition, the legendary 3,500-year-old Papyrus of Ani—the most beautiful of the ornately illustrated Egyptian funerary scrolls ever discovered—has been restored in its original sequences of text and artwork, using the latest advances in computer-imaging technology. Four exquisitely illustrated gatefold spreads and an acclaimed translation by two noted Egyptologists showcase the Papyrus's elaborately bordered images and convey its intended sense of motion and meaning in a way that other books on the subject cannot begin to match. For both lay readers and scholars interested in a wide range of topics—from mysticism and philosophy to anthropology and astronomy—this sumptuous and accessible new volume will be an essential acquisition.??
Also check out www.bookofdead.com and www.studio31.com/botd.html for more information about this book.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome!!.......2007-09-16
I ordered this book as a birthday present for my partner, he has always wanted a copy of the book of the dead, he was absolutly thrilled with it. He loves the fold outs of the scrolls and having the english translation as well, and i was very thrilled at how quickly it was delivered and the quaility of the book, this was the first time i have ordered anything online and i will definatly be doing it again. ( we live in New Zealand and the book was delivered in 3 days!!!!!! thats fast)
Modern Translation With Some Lacking Overstanding and Obscure Structuring.......2007-09-13
Revised review: This book is even more difficult to rate than The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) and The Ethiopian Book of Life (aka An Ethiopian Book of the Dead). As it isn't only the ancient book and the modern revised translation to be considered. Because the so-called Ani Papyrus is ancient, yes, yet a faulty, abridged and erratically composed pre-manufactured work. For example, it had been forgotten twice to include the name of the customer, this papyrus had been purchased for, into the blank space provided for this purpose. Even in the unabridged and correctly structured version of the "(The Chapters of) Going Forth by Day and Night... to the Place he Might Desire to Be", as the complete real title translates as, the author of the edition, James Wasserman, writes about: "Much of the book is frankly incromprehensible, even for experts. No amount of exegesis can explain many passages. Images and allusians follow one another with bewildering force and frequency, lacking thematic and logical connection." In this "Ani Papyrus" (Ani being the Western version of the name of the deceased this papyrus had been purchased for) the vignettes and/or chapter titles do not necessarily match the text beneath them.
This "Book of the Dead" isn't really the/a full theology of ancient Egypt, but PRESUPPOSING full knowledge about it. Which is simply not obtainable to the modern reader by merely enjoying this text as a supposedly funerary object. In reality it isn't, but an INITIATION ritual of the new/renewed pharao. For a mystical approaches read Shamanic Wisdom in the Pyramid Texts: The Mystical Tradition of Ancient Egypt and Egyptian Yoga Vol. 1:: The Philosophy of Enlightenment.
As for the modern publication: The facsimile of the vignettes had been published originally in 1890 under the supervision of E. A. Wallis Budge and quality enhanced for this new edition. The translation is based on the 1972 version of Raymond Faulkner, and additional corrections have been included by other translators after that. The book was published first in 1994 and was then revised in 1998. The presentation of the papyrus is well done. However, the structure of the entire modern book leaves much to be desired. As I read from cover to cover as usual, afterwards, I wished I hadn't. I would have gotten more out of the book in a different approach: Glossary (at the very end of book), foreword-preface-introduction, commentary p.137-154, then in combination the individual Ani Papyrus plates + English translation with the explanations of those individual plates in the commentary p. 154-170, with the abridged chapters of the "Theben recension" p. 99-135 in between. It should be noted that the translation directly beneath the "Ani Papyrus" isn't a 100% match to the papyrus presented above, as some sections have been included or changed according to the "Theben recension". Sounds complicated? Exactly. And the book isn't really that easy to handle, for oversize also means overweight. What is missing is vignettes and most certainly comments of the "Theben recension". Be upwised that the "Ani Papyrus" is a mere fraction of the entire "Theben recension". In other words, to read the entire so-called (Egyptian) Book of the Dead, the "Ani Papyrus" qualifies as a trailer and this edition of the modern book makes for a major obstacle reading - which you find out only, after having read this book unsuspectingly for the first time.
Also considered has to be the content of the commentaries and introductions. Honestly, I wouldn't do without, no question. However, James Wasserman and his colleagues are orthodox egyptologists. For one thing, they are still working with the traditional Imes (time) frame for ancient Egypt, which is explainable in having worked on this book in the early 1990s. Sin-ce then, the Imes fakings of an early Berlin egyptologist have been exposed, who attempted to make the ancient Egyptian civilization appear to be much younger in order for less embarrassment for Europe in relation to that. The further you go back, the more additional Imes get accumulated. By the Imes of this specific Ani Papyrus, this is a bit more than a century of difference only, earlier it is about millennia. (Read more in When We Ruled: The Ancient and Medieval History of Black Civilisations.)
Next, the Western rendered names of ancient Egyptian names are used. Though currently, it isn't EXACTLY possible to produce the real pronouncation/Western transcription of names, much better approximations are possible and indeed used in more African centered books. (The Black African nature of the ancient Egyptian culture is attempted to get veiled by orthodox [= Euro centered] egyptologist. For example, there is no mention in the otherwise meticulous commentary of the various - and changing! - skin colors of the characters depicted in the vignettes. As is still the case in religious paintings of today's West Africans, some of the ancestors of the ancient Egyptians, these colors do not always represent the real skin color, but religious meaning according to the respective function of the situation depicted.)
Last not least the book isn't only averring a purely polytheistic religion, but directly denying any mysticism and monotheism of the ancient Egyptians. Thereby, the direct ancestry of the Judo-Christian-Islamic culture is attempted to get severed from (Black) Africa. On first sight, ancient Egypt APPEARS to be polytheistic. Yet, in reality, all the gods were considered to be facets of a single one. Even more: Everything is One, not only the god(s). At the Imes, this book had been written, it may have been quite easy to sweep away any claims of monotheism (or actually pantheism) for ancient Egypt, without even taking the time to go into those claims and attempting to disprove them. Today that approach simply cannot be done anymore. Too many mystics and progressive and African-centered egyptologists have come forward. Read for example Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are THE ONE or the books by Muata Ashby, such as The Mystical Journey from Jesus to Christ. The difficulty the author of this book experiences is that he doesn't know the mystic level of the Western religion, Christianity. By overstanding e.g. Master Eckhart of the 14th century, he would be capable of not blinding the monotheism of ancient Egypt better. Instead, James Wasserman says that it would sound hubris to us today that after death one becomes (a) god. Yet, mysticism all over the world - ancient or modern alike - knows that we already are, but have forgotten that until we "die". Accordingly, Wasserman blinds "denial of death" and vocabulary such as "passing on" instead of "dying" as euphemisms of supposedly avoided dealings with the inevitable perishing quality of the death concept. That is, because he is caught in the myth and rites level of his branch of religion. Which makes it difficult to REALLY translate and comment ancient Egyptian religious texts, especially this one. The literal words may come closer and closer, but the meaning will remain sphinxed. For example he gives the translations of the "prime" god Atum as "He Who Is Entirety" or "The Undifferentiated One", but can't see that this means that EVERYTHING is meant with that, as God is undifferentiated from anything and within. Which includes ourselves, returning to the state of this knowledge after "death", i.e. "becoming" God/Jah/the universe/etc., (Asar/Osiris in this case).
Besides all of that I find it interesting that this papyrus contains the odd gender bending in the text as well as the vignettes, but does NOT contain any amorist (homophobe) notions. Simply, because I have come across some books averring that. Referred to are the up to 42 "negative confessions" or rather "declarations of innocence" which are often compared to the Christain Ten Commandments. This may have been a result of the previous, faulty and prejudiced translation of E. A. Wallis Budge. I always wondered about that supposed Egyptian amorism, as it didn't really seem to fit either the "androgynous"/non-dualist religion and the Imes, as amorist interpretations of earlier holy texts occurred much later historically for the Egyptians really to have been able to be amorist in the first place. Instead I could find declarations of innocence of not making slaves, not making hungry, not building a dam on flowing water and not hunting animals. But also of not fornicating and at first sight strange appearing ones such as not copulating and not extinguishing fires.
New computer enhanced version of the Book of the Dead.......2007-03-24
The ancient Egyptian bible, everyone who could afford one was buried with one. This is a new version, and has English translations on each page with color images. It is a guidebook for the deceased person to follow to find his way to the afterlife to live on forever. The Egyptians were not obsessed with death but with obtaining the perfect afterlife. Sound familiar?
By the way I do agree with the excellent reviews already here. But, to make it accessable to Western eyes, I think NOT to refer to it as a sort of "Bible" is a bit confusing I think. The ancient Egyptians studied it, tried to memorize it, and took it with them in their sarcophagus if they could afford to, in order to have access to it when they awoke and needed to start their journey to the West (afterlife). It held all they needed to know to get there safely.
This version, I understand, is the best new one ever and most accurate translation. Fascinating just to go through, the art is wonderful.
Egyptian Book of the Dead.......2007-01-17
This was a gift to an Egyptologist.
Very much appreciated.
The Book of Going Forth by Day.......2007-01-11
A great reference of the original writings of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. A valuable read for anyone studying Ancient Egyptian History.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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Similar Items:
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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
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They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
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.
Book Description
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)
From Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz: the three magnificent novels—published in an omnibus edition for the first time—that form an ancient-Egyptian counterpart to his famous Cairo Trilogy.
Mahfouz reaches back thousands of years to bring us tales from his homeland's majestic early history—tales of the Egyptian nobility and of war, star-crossed love, and the divine rule of the pharoahs. In Khufu's Wisdom, the legendary Fourth Dynasty monarch faces the prospect of the end of his rule and the possibility that his daughter has fallen in love with the man prophesied to be his successor. Rhadopis of Nubia is the unforgettable story of the charismatic young Pharoah Merenra II and the ravishing courtesan Rhadopis, whose love affair makes them the envy of all Egyptian society. And Thebes at War tells the epic story of Egypt's victory over the Asiatic foreigners who dominated the country for two centuries.
Three Novels of Ancient Egypt gives us a dazzling tapestry of ancient Egypt and reminds us of the remarkable artistry of Naguib Mahfouz.
Customer Reviews:
some lovely writing, but maybe not the author's best work.......2007-05-30
Apparently these are the first three of the author's novels. This is a beautiful edition and it is also cheaper than buying the three paperback novels separately. There is an introduction, a chronology of the author's life, and then the three novels.
The introduction is a missed opportunity. I think that I might have appreciated these novels better with the help of some information about the culture in which they were written. However the introduction offers little more than plot summary. I recommend skipping it. The chronology is nice, but not tied in with the introduction.
The first novel, Khufu's Wisdom, seems to be about fate and moral choices. It tells the story of a king whose efforts to defy his fate only help to make that fate happen. It is set during the construction of one of the pyramids, but there is not much in the way of historical detail (and I think there are also some historical inaccuracies). It reads more like a biblical fable than a historical novel. It is beautifully written, but the story is somewhat simple by modern American standards.
The second novel, Rhadopis of Nubia, is much better than the first. It tells of a disastrous love affair between a king and a beautiful courtesan. It is also beautifully written, in a lavish, sometimes over the top style.
The third novel, Thebes at War, did not grab my interest and I didn't finish it. Maybe I'll try again later.
The three novels have three different translators, but all of the translations read well and have a similar flavor.
If you have not read any of the author's work before, you might also consider starting with the Cairo trilogy.
Excellent.......2007-05-21
I am so happy to have read this book. Naguib Mahfouz is a master. The stories were unique, thought provoking and powerful. I could read his work everyday forever.
Book Description
This is an introduction to the writing system of ancient Egypt and the language of hieroglyphic texts. It contains twenty-six lessons, exercises (with answers), a list of hieroglyphic signs, and a dictionary, as well as twenty-five essays on the most important aspects of ancient Egyptian history, society, religion and literature. It also offers scholars of linguistics a complete grammatical description of the classical language of ancient Egypt.
Customer Reviews:
Essential Reading for Scholars and Enthusiasts........2007-08-28
Dr. Allen has really done a good job laying it all out in this book. Obviously, this is something of an esoteric subject, but for many budding scholars and amateur enthusiasts who are genuinely interested in learning this language, this book is essential reading. The grammer is clearly explained, and compared to contemporary languages, and the hierglyphs are easy to discern after a few lessons.
What is also commendable is the use of essays throughout the book that lay out the broader context of Middle Egyptian. Without that, the book would be noticeably drier. I think the only addition I would make to this book would be use of example dialogue to help reinforce the concepts. Otherwise, this is a good book to own.
Enough of the grammar already!!!.......2006-11-04
This is an excellent book, no doubt. Allen is quite obviously an academic when it comes to Egyptian and linguistics. Let me repeat, this is an excellent book: for people with a linguistic background. That said, Joe Blow (read people with the average educational background in grammar) will most likely, as I did, find this approach to Egyptian with its constant, non-stop emphasis on adverbial complement this and noun phrase that approach, overwhelming to say the least. The meanings of the exercise sentences are rather vague and not easy to translate. In 3000 plus years, some Egyptian somewhere must have written a sentence or two more suitable for use in a beginning language learning text. Add to this the fact that each chapter does not have a vocabulary list to prepare the student for the exercises, and doing the chapter-end exercises becomes a futile exercise in page flipping to look up answers in the key in the back of the book. Vocabulary items used in the sample sentences in the texts in the chapters are frequently not included in the dictionary in the back. It doesn't matter how much grammar you know if you don't know what the words mean. As a college text with an instructor, this book is probably excellent, however for the do-it-yourselfer who wants to learn at home, forget it! Like the old saying goes: I just want to know what time it is, I don't need to how to build a watch. Can anybody suggest a book to learn Egyptian, written for educated, interested adults, but who don't have degree in linguistics?
We want more of the kind..........2005-09-23
Probably the most pleasant book you will use, not just to learn about hieroglyphs, but also, to learn about ancient egyptian culture.
Excellent Book...but Gardiner still worth it!!.......2004-08-01
I am writing this review simply to clarify and answer a few of the questions and comments that the previous reviewer had about the textbook.
1) This is a textbook intended for college students and self-study and assumes no previous encounter with English or Middle Egyptian grammar; therefore, as one might expect, the book presents descriptions of nouns, as well as more complicated aspects of grammar such as prospective, subjunctive and relative forms. However, if one is privy to the definitions, than one can simply skip over the descriptions of these grammatical aspects and continue learning Middle Egyptian.
2) Rare usages or unusual translations are covered in the book and although they do not appear in an appendix, they do contain astericks or other diacritics or concise descriptions.
3) Enough examples are provided so that an intelligent person can build upon previous examples and construct the answer to the exercise, similar to a math book that provides some examples and then offers more complicated, but solvable exercises.
4) Although the book does lack grammatical paradigms (mostly since no one really knows what inflections Middle Egyptian contained) and vocabulary lists, it does provide references, a sign list, a dictionary, the answers to the exercises, and an index.
5) The paperback binding is actually quite good. I have used it for a while and, although borrowed from the local library (most of those books are usually mistreated or handled periodically), it has shown little signs of deterioration. More importantly, there is at least a half inch spacial blank gap between any word or hieroglyph at the inner edge any page, making the inner edges easy to read.
6) Although the chapter four essay argues that the "Western notion of religion [...] has seperated religion from spheres of [...] government, social behavior, intellectual pursuits, and science" p.43, it never states that this is how the western notion of religion always viewed and continues to view these concepts. The Egyptian religion embraced most things as the Gods themselves. For example, two people falling in love in Greek and Roman religion was an act of Eros, and love making a gift from Aphrodite; however, an ancient Egypian might argue that two people falling in love and making love is the personification of the love between Osiris and Isis.
That said, this is a wonderful textbook that will leave any serious student or amateur the craving for more since, unfortunately, it does not cover all there is to know about Middle Egyptian. A second step would be to purchase Sir Alan Gardiner's "Egyptian Grammar" a little outdated but unmatched in depth and coverage of Middle Egyptian. His book remains the "BIBLE" of Middle Egyptian of and for most egyptologists.
An good text book!.......2004-01-05
If you want to learn the basics of hieroglyphs. Dont buy this book first. Buy "How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-By-Step Guide to Teach Yourself". Then buy the text book by Allen.
Allens book is more a book for those that seriously wants to learn the language, not good as an introduction. But as a tool to learn hieroglyphs it is excellent and very detailed.
Average customer rating:
- Masterful Revelations of Egyptian Pharaonic Consciousness
- Luxor Revealed
- De Lubicz's masterwork in a stunning two-volume set!
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The Temple of Man
R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz
Manufacturer: Inner Traditions
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ASIN: 0892815701
Release Date: 1998-11-01 |
Book Description
The monumental Temple of Man represents the most important breakthrough in our understanding of Ancient Egypt since the discovery of the Rosetta stone. This exhaustive and authoritative study reveals the depths of the mathematical, medical, and metaphysical sophistication of Ancient Egypt. Schwaller de Lubicz's stone-by-stone survey of the temple of Amun-Mut-Khonsu at Luxor allows us to step into the mentality of Ancient Egypt and experience the Egyptian way of thinking within the context of their own worldview.Â
His study finds the temple to be an eloquent expression and summary--an architectural encyclopedia--of what the Egyptians knew of humanity and the universe. Through a reading of the temple's measures and proportions, its axes and orientations, and the symbolism and placement of its bas-reliefs, along with the accompanying studies of related medical and mathematical papyri, Schwaller de Lubicz demonstrates how advanced the civilization of Ancient Egypt was, a civilization that possessed exalted knowledge and achievements both materially and spiritually. In so doing, Schwaller de Lubicz effectively demonstrates that Ancient Egypt, not Greece, is at the base of Western science, civilization, and culture.Â
To understand the temple of Luxor, twelve years of field work were undertaken with the utmost exactitude by Schwaller de Lubicz in collaboration with French archaeologist Clement Robichon and the respected Egyptologist Alexandre Varille. From this work were produced over 1000 pages of text and proofs of the sacred geometry of the temple and 400 illustrations and photographs that make up The Temple of Man.Â
The Temple of Man is a monument to inspired insight, conscientious scholarship, and exacting archaeological groundwork that represents a major contribution to humanity's perennial search for self-knowledge and the prehistoric origins of its culture and science.Â
Â
Customer Reviews:
Masterful Revelations of Egyptian Pharaonic Consciousness.......2005-06-25
The Temple of Man
By Schwaller de Lubicz
Original French text translated to English
by Deborah and Robert Lawlor
Published by Inner Traditions International, 1998
Language: English
ISBN: 0892815701
Review by
Dr. Colette M. Dowell
I wonder what drives personal passion so rigorously that one's lifetime is spent pursuing it. Is it the ultimate goal of resolution and the final achievement of understanding that surpasses any other desire? Or what?
Schwaller de Lubicz spent his entire lifetime pursuing his deep passion of figuring and comprehending the link between so-called cosmic realms and terrestrial nature including alchemy, physics, mathematics, geometry, art, astronomy, and, among his favorites, symbolism. He spent over fifteen years engaged in his studies of Ancient Egyptian Anthropocosmos Man and his temples. His work, The Temple of Man, reflects such skill and determination of comprehending Pharaonic Consciousness, it exceeds far beyond any other works of disciplined study along these lines I have ever encountered. The voluminous material in The Temple of Man is delivered with the great detail and gifted clarity for which Schwaller was so adept. Schwaller, however, did not achieve this great work of art by himself. Lucie Lamy, his stepdaughter and most indispensable lifelong collaborator, kept many research notes and drafted the graphics and illustrations. Deborah and Robert Lawlor demonstrated pure love in their translation of Schwaller's French text into English, (which must have been an incredible task). And Inner Traditions deserves applause for producing such a fine piece of art in book form. For the seekers of higher realms of consciousness and that of Ancient Egyptology, I know of no other book that contains so many variants of thought and data composing and revealing such a highly advanced way of thinking. The Temple of Man is a degree of education one would acquire after lifetimes of lessons.
I was positively astonished and overjoyed when I received the two volumes of The Temple of Man. The exceptional beauty in which they were bound was beholding to my eyes. The quality of graphics, illustrations and early historical photography of both the geographical nature and portraits of temples are themselves keepsakes alone. Schwaller's eloquent and scholarly way of dissecting mathematically-oriented spiritual philosophy and physics is masterful. Ancient Egyptian's Pharaonic concept of Man as the center of the Universe in physical expression as Anthropocosmos Man was not totally new to me, but the rich understanding I received from reading Schwaller's work was certainly new. When we read a few books on sacred geometry and a few books about spiritual values and divine principles, "we" (I am not speaking for all of us) tend to think we intellectually and spiritually understand our placement in the universe. I suspect, though, that we can't possibly grasp sacred geometry and divine principles until we dig to their roots and go through the deliberate deliverance of concepts and lessons that have been so deeply sculpted in the Ancient Egyptian architecture and hieroglyphics. I also suspect that we truly need to know and understand these lessons, for that is why they were given.
We have a tendency to view a mural or bas-relief of a man leading cows with nets and birds as just possibly a legend of how Egyptian people might have farmed; but particular hieroglyphic and "hieratic" writing is so much more than that. It reveals in its SYMBOLIQUE, tutorial lessons in both scientific and spiritual esoteric realms. These laws and lessons reflect knowledge of spirit manifesting into matter and the harmonic growth and relationship between the two. This lost wisdom, in a sense, is a form of physics. In modern terms we would label such equivocal philosophy as quantum physics and even holographic physics. "Pharaonic mentality rejected metaphysical and rational thought. The hieroglyphic form of writing makes the syllogistic system of such a rational science impossible. Pharaonic mathematics confirms this attitude."..."Duality within Unity, the incomprehensible truth of the Trinity." ("VOLUME and CONSCIOUSNESS")
Believing, learning and knowing are the three gates of entry into the Temple. The Temples are encoded with practical, physical and spiritual lessons. To the Anthropocosmos Man, the Universe is a projection of human consciousness. Consciousness is volume. The architecture in the Temples expresses volume in form. The Anthropocosmos Man interprets conscious gestation as volume and form and depicts various stages of gestation as particular proportions contained within a sphere. Proportionality creating form and rhythms in our daily life are functions known as neters in Egyptian language. An example of natural form and rhythm is the cycle of our hours based upon days, upon the revolution of the Earth, upon the lunar, around the equinoxes, around the solar calendar and so on. Neters have different implied esoteric terms pertaining to their functions, mathematical equations and geometric laws. The Pharaohs appointed distinct symbols and developed many items of measure befitting these neters, some of which are known as fathoms, cubits and canons. Architects enveloped the Temples with such engineering and design that when the entire complex or even just fragments of itself was viewed as a model, monumental points such as foundations, joints, bas-reliefs, transparencies, murals and hieroglyphics contained the philosophy and teachings of the Ancient Pharaohs. Anthropocosmos Man views himself as true physical expression of the genesis of functions and believes Man to be the center of the Universe.
Anthropocosmos Man had configured the vital moment of Genesis in mathematical terms and was able to express this creation by way of geometry propagating into greater proportions. They had realized the square roots of 2, 3, and 5, and the perpetual golden mean ratio "phi" associated with pentagonal and hexagonal geometry expressed in the physical development of organic creatures in relationship to the growth and size of their different body parts. The Temple of Luxor is architecturally rendered to exhibit within its design the same proportions as the proportions of Man, thus also exhibiting the mathematical and geometrical structure of the Cosmos and its locale within human consciousness. Pharaonic Consciousness not only recognized Man as the center of the Universe but was also able to formally equate it as well. In The Temple of Man, Schwaller addresses the famous Mathematical Rhind Papyrus's content and dissects it revealing their knowledge of mathematical and geometrical laws and functions.
Music to the ears engages the Universe. This Pharaonic conception divides vibrations into proportioned intervals known as tones. These tones coagulate and multiply into spherical volume resulting in resonant harmonics and unity of chords creating form, beauty and consciousness. The inner ear was therefore recognized as one of the main keys utilized to enter the gates of wisdom and knowledge. This natural form of creation is everywhere at all moments and has self-cognition. This innate knowledge is carried throughout all vibrations and travels everywhere through multiple harmonic passages creating, in effect, geometric structure and form. Therefore, in simple terms, Cosmic Man's interpretation of consciousness is vibrational volume expanding from the center of a sphere proportioned harmonically and containing innate knowledge.
Anthropocosmos Man, relating consciousness to volume and volume as spheres, and perceiving that our entire Universe functions under these principles, deduced that our solar system consisted of consistent terms of proportionality, and geometric structure. Their knowledge of the gearing system of our Universe was expressed through their Temples and measuring devices. The extent of accuracy associated with astronomical events and celestial time is uncanny. The geodetic Temples are also "consciously" oriented. Different aspects of the Pharaonic philosophy were encoded throughout their entire complexes-absolutely incredible. And here is this man in recent modern times, Schwaller de Lubicz, to come around and measure everything and read the hieroglyphics and figure out what they were communicating. We can now further understand the concepts and sciences of this historical advanced civilization. What a really far out thing to do.
Throughout The Temple of Man, you will find various passages of remarkable studies. Something very interesting to me was the bit about the Scarab. The Scarab is a beetle who is self-reproducing and "rolls" its home for a nest to re-create in. This union of singular duality expresses creation as a third sector for trinity. This in symbolique is consciousness. The human skull contains many bones that are bound together by sutural membranes. The top cross-section of the skull, viewed from the top, looks curiously suggestive of the back mantle of the Scarab beetle. This uppermost part of the skull, the crown, in both its physical characteristics and in its symbolic form pertains to consciousness. The Ancient Egyptians understood the functions of the human brain and depicted this in their choice of the Scarab insect as a symbol for representing a specific function, or neter, and their specific form of architecture. In architectural proportion, various rooms in the temples have specific monumental points referring to different functions, which have been located at precise points in the human body as well as the skull. The Temple of Man contains excerpts from the Smith Medical Papyrus of the Ancient Egyptians. This Papyrus is filled with case studies and intellectual dialogues of diagnoses and is at least indicative of the minimum degree of medical knowledge the Ancients had acquired.
After reading, re-reading and equating Schwaller's work, I realized how hard it must have been for Schwaller to pursue this knowledge. A person is either highly gifted or must have a passion which drives them so deep inside that they live their whole soul experience in search of resolution. There would be no greater honor or joy for Schwaller, besides already understanding what he knows, than for him to know that his work is being read, held in high regard and praised for the quality of passion and scope of discipline necessary to pursue and gain such insight into an ancient and forgotten past. The Temple of Man is a cocoon for me to grow through, to metamorphose into a more fully enhanced individual with enlarged capacity for conscious, spiritual and cosmic realms, as well as geometrical and mathematical laws. I finally conclude that if the entirety of our modern civilization knew and practiced the principles of the Anthropocosmos Man, our world would probably be a much more positive place to dwell. We would indeed be in touch with our God we all search for. This God as Spiritual, Natural, Mathematical and Geometric Laws are to all of Life.
Many thanks to Schwaller de Lubicz for his gargantuan endeavor and again to all those in this world who helped make this work a masterful piece of art. My life will be forever changed.
Dr. Colette M. Dowell
Luxor Revealed.......1999-11-22
R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz spent 15 years at Luxor attempting to solve the riddle of Egytpian civilization. His final considerations are expounded fully in The Temple of Man. Lovingly translated by Robert Lawlor, this book is at long last available in English.
From his premise the Ancient Egytpian Civilization was more advanced and complex that modern research admits, Schwaller uses the Temple Complex at Luxor to expound his theory of Sacred Science, a science based on Natural Law and personal discovery.
The information in this book requires a deep dedication to comprehend. It challenges the reader not only to diversify their own knowledge base, but also to look at the world through new eyes with a new heart.
Time will tell if Schwaller de Lubicz is right, already many of his notions are being realized as possible, and many researchers are beginning to look seriously at his work.
As his magnum opus, The Temple of Man presents his work as it was meant to be. Fully and completely. This book is destined to become a classic of independent research into the mysteries of the development of human thought.
De Lubicz's masterwork in a stunning two-volume set!.......1999-01-05
De Lubicz's masterpiece, available for the first time in English, has been giving a beautiful translation and presentation.
While not for the faint of heart, it is required reading for any serious student of esotericism, hermeticism, sacred geometry or ancient Egypt.
In all honesty, I haven't yet finished this two-volume set (it's a massive, dense, thought-requiring work) but it's impossible for me to imagine my opinion changing radically once I do.
Surely, this is one of the most important works of the 20th century.
Average customer rating:
- Frustrating
- I guess I'm the only one who didn't like our narrator
- Enter ancient Egypt life, prepare for a death blow
- The best I've read in years!
- I have the audiobook
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River God: A Novel of Ancient Egypt
Wilbur Smith
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
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ASIN: 0312954468 |
Book Description
For Tanus, the fair-haired young lion of a warrior, the gods have decreed that he will lead Egypt's army in a bold attempt to reunite the Kingdom's shared halves. But Tanus will have to defy the same gods to attain the reward they have forbidden him, an object more prized than battle's glory: possession of the Lady Lostris, a rare beauty with skin the color of oiled ceder--destined for the adoration of a nation, and the love of one extraordinary man.
International bestselling author Wilbur Smith, creator of two dozen highly acclaimed novels, draws readers into a magnificent, richly imagined saga. Exploding with all the drama, mystery and rage of a bygone time, River God is a masterpiece from a storyteller at the height of his powers.
Customer Reviews:
Frustrating.......2007-10-15
Well this book is OK. I bought it due to others reviews. My first and most important thing that I did not like was the fact that it was told in first person perspective by the slave Taita. He was very annoying in the fact that he was a slave yet seemed be the smartest man in Egypt history. He was the best at everything from medical situations to warfare to architecture. The story of Lostris and Tanus was beautiful and fulfilling. Yet it was stuck in the middle of a lot of other filler. There were many times when the story teller sidetracked his main idea. I would say to myself, what he is talking about, where is he going with this, and why is he talking about this. I enjoy lots of dialog and this book has much much more just straight story description. It was a good story and I'm glad I got through it. But I'm not sure I want to read another book like this.
I guess I'm the only one who didn't like our narrator.......2007-09-25
"I love brave and honest men, they are so easily manipulated."
Except for the last parts of this 528-page hardcover published in 1993, I found myself mostly captivated by Wilbur Smith's RIVER GOD: A NOVEL OF ANCIENT EGYPT. The book silhouettes a compelling tale of Egypt in 1780-B.C. embroiled in bitter war and eventually giving rise to a line of princes and pharaohs that lifts Egypt to the peak of its glory. Entirely written in a very unique first-person, we journey through two generations with our main character, a boastful and vain eunuch slave narrator. Although I can't say I really liked his character, Taita's first-person narration strikes a very fresh appeal: he's a eunuch slave, he's vain, he's brilliant, he's artistic, he's compassionate, he's vengeful, and he loves like a man. Ultimately, he's very human. In the epic RIVER GOD, we're privy to political intrigue, conspiracy, love, war, violence, kingdoms lost, despair and triumph. We read about an Egyptian civilization turned upside down with the advent of a new technology (wheel), and the introduction of a new animal (the horse). I enjoyed the battle warfare and the passionate moments of love between Lostris and Tanus. The book can be violent at times, and if you're sensitive to slavery, you may not like this historical tale of ancient Egypt.
Possible SPOILERS ahead.
Although Wilbur Smith packs some page-turning enthralling moments, I found the last 50 pages overwhelmingly melancholy. After a heart-wrenching love story spanning most of the first half in this novel, I couldn't take the sad ending. Taita's self-aggrandizing commentary wearied me and his love for his mistress Lostris as a man irked me. Granted, these are very human emotions especially for a handsome, brilliant man castrated after he's enjoyed a woman's passion, but I was begging for some other perspective in this 528-page Egyptian epic. I especially wanted Tanus' perspective. From Taita's point-of-view, everyone else is too one-dimensional: Tanus the redoubtable honorable warrior, Lostris the stubbornly passionate Queen, Kratas the jocular ruffian, and even Prince Memnon seems drab. For most of the novel, Lostris affectionately considers Taita her father and brother. At the end, Lostris wishes for a different kind of love with Taita in the next life. Considering the fact that Lostris and Tanus had to hide their passion and love for each other in this life and they never knew each other as husband and wife, I found this last wish of Lostris' especially sad. More so than the deaths. Did she love Taita more than she led on in the beginning? Had Taita not been a eunuch, would she have eventually cast aside Tanus intimately? After a gripping battle in the middle where the invading Hyksos thoroughly rout a well-trained and disciplined Egyptian army, I found our protagonists' retreat back through the cataracts south of the Nile very, very protracted. Only to arrive at a very unsatisfying conclusion. But alas, such is history.
I'm not sure who is the River God in RIVER GOD. Ostensibly, it may refer to Tanus' role in the first half when he's acclaimed Akh-Horus, an Egyptian God. However, our narrator's influence overshadows all other characters here and his love for his mistress Lostris eclipses that of Tanus' love for Lostris... at least from Taita's perspective. The book firmly belongs to our eunuch-slave narrator Taita: playwright, inventor, surgeon, economic investor, astrologist, architect, singer, scholar, and most of all, devoted slave to his mistress Lostris. Since Taita appears to be behind every vital event and innovative thought for Egypt, if there's any god here, it's Taita. What else can you expect from the author of these scrolls?
Mostly captivating and enjoyable warfare/love, I could have done without the second half and the sad, overwhelmingly melancholy conclusion to this novel. Yes, I'm probably a sucker for some semblance of a happy ending.
More ramblings...
One of my biggest problems had to do with the plot device that has Taita scheme to pass off Lostris & Tanus' son as Lostris & the Pharaoh's son. First, I didn't like how Lostris was so amenable to sleep with the Pharaoh after she and Taita discover she's pregnant. I had hoped she would recoil from going to the Pharaoh's bed after her dreamy lovemaking with Tanus, . Eventually, Taita could convince her that sleeping with the Pharaoh would best serve the unborn child's interests and she could begrudgingly acquiesce. As it is, she's too ready to go to another man (the Pharaoh) after Tanus. Secondly, you would think one of Pharaoh's hundreds of other wives would have already attempted to pass off another man's son as Pharaoh's! Taita notes how the sexual appetites of some of Pharaoh's wives knew no bounds, so you're telling me not one of them thought to pass of another man's son as Pharaoh's? Seriously, why does it work for Taita and Lostris?
Worst, the second time Lostris is pregnant, Taita divines a dream to explain her condition without implicating Tanus. Taita dissembles that he dreamed the old Pharaoh resurrected from his sarcophagus in spirit form to impregnate the Queen Lostris. First, it seems ludicrous that this deception wouldn't work on the late Pharaoh during Lostris' first pregnancy yet will work like a charm on a hundreds of others. Secondly, I love how Tanus is too proud and honorable for kingship yet will consent to passing off illegitimate children of his as the previous Pharaoh's. Talk about hypocrisy, I didn't see how Wilbur Smith is able to credit Tanus' character. He won't even marry Lostris after her second pregnancy and assume regency for a short while until Memnon is of age. Tanus' character reeks of a duplicitous air of self-important morality. I just don't get how Tanus justifies deceiving the Egyptian crown with his own children yet won't take a temporary regency? He doesn't care that he'll never be able to acknowledge his own children, and that nevermind other people, but even his own children will not know their own true father? It's actually quite sad, to his last dying day, none of Tanus' children know him as their true father and Tanus makes Taita promise not to reveal it.
Enter ancient Egypt life, prepare for a death blow.......2007-09-06
A most egaging novel. I have just ordered the next two books in the series. I couldn't get enough. Taita, the eunich, a genius in arts, mechinations, life and the other world beyond ours guards and influences Lostris and Tannis a couple destined to be together but seems to be at odds with what the "Gods have planned". Linked with the evil Lord Intef and the Immortal Pharoah, their lives are filled with war and love. The author brings us into the life of ancient Egypt as if we have actually been there. The descriptions of everyday life and death are startling lifelike. I was unexpectedly impressed and hooked.
The best I've read in years!.......2007-08-22
A friend gave me a copy of Elephant Song when I was a teenager, and I was immediately hooked on Wilbur Smith. I bought River God when it first came out, ostensibly to do a book report in my grade 12 English class when I started going to night school. But I really just wanted to read the book.
This is the first book in the Egyptian trilogy, and, in my opinion, the best of the three. While all three are excellent novels, River God shines. I fell in love with Lostris, Taita, Tanus... These characters really came alive for me and I missed them horribly once I had finished reading the book. While these characters are featured in the other two books as well (The Seventh Scroll and Warlock), they're not as vivid or as real in the latter volumes.
Taita is a politician, economist, chemist, physician, servant, and mentor in his various guises throughout the book. It's impossible to dislike him. The rich descriptions of Egyptian culture, art, and costume are breathtaking, and I also learned a lot about their strategies, agriculture and politics.
I would definitely recommend River God to fans of historical fiction, adventure, and mysteries.
I have the audiobook.......2007-07-28
I'm not really a big fan of audiobooks because I get distracted too easily to pay attention to the reading. I listened to River God while I was at work and it is the only book I've ever finished through audiobook format. This is first the book I've ever "read" by Wilbur Smith and I'm looking forward to reading all his other books.
Although the story is historically inaccurate as everyone has already mentioned, his writing style and descriptions are absolutely amazing! I could not stop listening to the audio book even though they're not really my thing. I had to listen to it at work, in the car, at home and get very into the story. Smith's descriptions are very vivid and I felt immersed in the story. It's a wonderful, exciting, creative adventure with a good balance between romance and violence. I feel fascinated by this book because there aren't very many stories based on Ancient Egypt.
The main character is an Egyptian eunuch who is in love with the pharaoh's daughter who is in love with the eunuch's student. Somewhere in the third chapter he starts talking about how the pharaoh "likes" boys. It also describes a scene where the main character gets his bits cut off in great, graphic depth. These are only some of the many interesting parts of the book.
The only thing I have a problem with is how the main character seems to be some kind of a genius, always coming up with brilliant ideas to solve every single problem. It a little hard to believe that one person would be able to come up with so many inventive solutions. However, this little annoyance can be easy to overlook. This book is completely worth the price and time spent reading.
Book Description
This volume makes available some of the most important discovered source material for the historian of the ancient Near East.
Customer Reviews:
A useful compendium of original source material.......2004-10-01
I obtained this volume of translations of Ancient Near Eastern texts and pictures along with its companion Volume I - An Anthology of Texts and Pictures which was first published in 1958. This volume, which was published in 1975, includes translations of more recently discovered material selected from the 1969 anthology of Supplementary Texts and Pictures Relating to the Old Testament.
This volume contains 72 texts and about 110 black and white photographs of artefacts from various and states and cities of Ancient Near East. The documents include myths, laws, treaties, inscriptions, hymns, letters, wisdom literature etc, from Egypt, and from the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and later periods of Mesopotamia.
The format is similar to that of Volume I with cross references to the ANET text number. Translations have been made by 13 eminent scholars, most of whom have provided some explanation of the content and meaning of the texts they have translated. In general, however, there are fewer notes than in Volume I, and no cross references to illustration number or to any biblical passages.
I found the translations to be generally quite readable, but, in the same way as for Volume I, they definitely had to be read with full care and concentration to understand them, and some, being somewhat fragmentary, are rather more difficult to follow than others. In reading the texts, I was, of course completely dependent upon the translations and the interpretations of the scholars themselves. In particular, I found the comments and notes by Professor S N Kramer on the various Sumerian Texts to be most helpful.
I am happy to have read this book and its companion, because they have given me some direct insight into the cultures of the Ancient Near East. Whether it is better to obtain the larger parent anthologies is, I think, a matter of whether you are prepared over US$250 for the latest editions of these two volumes ( ISBN 0691035032 for the texts, and ISBN 0691035024 for the pictures). But if these smaller volumes are anything to go by, then they are probably worth it.
I didn't want to spend that much on this subject at this stage of my studies. So for the moment, I have decided to be selective about next set of texts to read, and as a next step, will be studying Volume II and III of Miriam Lichtheim's translations of Egyptian texts, and William L Moran's translations of the Amarna Letters.
A useful compendium of original source material.......2004-10-01
I bought this book along with its companion: Volume II - A New Anthology of Texts and Pictures, because it was time for me to see for myself what the the original sources had to say about the Ancient Near East.
This volume, which first was published in 1958 contains over 70 ancient texts and about 280 black and white photographs of artefacts from the Ancient Near East. The ancient documents include those from Mesoptamia, Egypt, Canaan, Israel, Assyria from the period about 2500BCE to about 500BCE. The editor states that the selection of texts was made from the point of view of relevance to the biblical Old Testament, having been taken from the original larger anthologies of texts (ANET) and pictures (ANEP) which were originally published in 1955 and 1954 respectively.
The texts themselves have cross references to the original text number, the relevant illustration number, and the specific biblical passages where there seems to be some point of contact, The translations were made by 11 eminent scholars, all of whom have provided an explanation of the content and meaning of the texts which they have translated, as well as providing useful notes on aspects of the text which might require clarification
I found the translations to be generally quite readable, but they definitely had to be read with full care and concentration to understand them. Some, being somewhat fragmentary, are rather more difficult to follow than others. In reading the texts, I was, of course completely dependent upon the translations and the interpretations of the scholars themselves, but at least I am now starting to have a fuller understanding of the cultures of the Ancient Near East.
3 of the 18 Egyptian texts in the book were included in Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature Volume 1: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, and I noticed that the translations in this book had been somewhat shortened. Except for a difference in style, however, I did not notice any significant differences and found it very interesting to compare the two translations.
All in all, I am very happy to have read this book, which will probably serve me as a useful reference from now on. As so much work has been done on ancient text translations in the 35 years since the two parent volumes were published, and the price of these full anthologies was in excess of US$250, I am glad I chose to buy the shortened versions. That is not to say that I won't buy them sometime in the future, but in the meantime, I want to be selective about the next set of texts to read, and have decided, as a next step, to read Volume II and III of Miriam Lichtheim's translations of Egyptian texts, and William L Moran's translations of the Amarna Letters
A Stimulating Resource.......2002-10-19
Volume II or "The Ancient Near East" is a good companion to Volume I, containing mythic, legal, and monumental information from the Middle East Bronze and Iron Ages. It really puts you back there to read actual letters and contracts, or to see the developments in poetic, narrative and visual arts. The only real problem is the lack of consistent dating infomation, particularly for the artwork. It makes it difficult to form a conceptual picture if things are presented in what appears to be a random order.
Indispensible Guide.......2002-04-08
Absolutely recommended for anyone who is interested in studying the culture and writings of the ancients in the near east. Many documents are translated and there is a gallery of photographs of items and what they are/signify. Some of the language used in translation is a tiny bit dated (the occassional thee and thou and so forth) but that doesn't diminish an excellent resource.
Just a little bit boring.......2002-01-06
I love ancient history and found the book interesting, but just a little bit stale.
Amazon.com
People love secrets. Ever since the first word was written, humans have sent coded messages to each other. In The Code Book, Simon Singh, author of the bestselling Fermat's Enigma, offers a peek into the world of cryptography and codes, from ancient texts through computer encryption. Singh's compelling history is woven through with stories of how codes and ciphers have played a vital role in warfare, politics, and royal intrigue. The major theme of The Code Book is what Singh calls "the ongoing evolutionary battle between codemakers and codebreakers," never more clear than in the chapters devoted to World War II. Cryptography came of age during that conflict, as secret communications became critical to both sides' success.
Confronted with the prospect of defeat, the Allied cryptanalysts had worked night and day to penetrate German ciphers. It would appear that fear was the main driving force, and that adversity is one of the foundations of successful codebreaking.
In the information age, the fear that drives cryptographic improvements is both capitalistic and libertarian--corporations need encryption to ensure that their secrets don't fall into the hands of competitors and regulators, and ordinary people need encryption to keep their everyday communications private in a free society. Similarly, the battles for greater decryption power come from said competitors and governments wary of insurrection.
The Code Book is an excellent primer for those wishing to understand how the human need for privacy has manifested itself through cryptography. Singh's accessible style and clear explanations of complex algorithms cut through the arcane mathematical details without oversimplifying. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
In his first book since the bestselling
Fermat's Enigma, Simon Singh offers the first sweeping history of encryption, tracing its evolution and revealing the dramatic effects codes have had on wars, nations, and individual lives. From Mary, Queen of Scots, trapped by her own code, to the Navajo Code Talkers who helped the Allies win World War II, to the incredible (and incredibly simple) logisitical breakthrough that made Internet commerce secure,
The Code Book tells the story of the most powerful intellectual weapon ever known: secrecy.
Throughout the text are clear technical and mathematical explanations, and portraits of the remarkable personalities who wrote and broke the world's most difficult codes. Accessible, compelling, and remarkably far-reaching, this book will forever alter your view of history and what drives it. It will also make yo wonder how private that e-mail you just sent really is.
Customer Reviews:
The Code Book.......2007-09-25
I found it interesting and well written. Relize Simon is a Brit, so slightly a different type of sentence structure. I found sometimes that I just could not put the book down. I found out about the book from MAA. It's a college Math Mag playing with Hamming Code. Got interested in the artical about the book and then purchased it. Out of the three cyrpto books I bought this was the best. Others focused on the mathmatics and were not translated well from German.
Interesting, informative, geniously narrative, fascinating & enlightening........2007-08-22
This great book might on one hand be seen as an introduction to
cryptography (producing codes) and cryptanalysis (breaking codes), and on
the other hand as an anthology of slightly dramatized biographies of
certain individuals, throughout the whole history of codes and ciphers,
related to corresponding major events.
The style of the book is a successful and well-structured mixture of
popular science at its best and somewhat rigorous descriptions of
concepts and algorithms of various complexity. It starts off with telling
the story of the so called 'cipher of Mary Queen of Scots', then
successively deals with, for instance, the initial invention of a
theoretically unbreakable code (through using random numbers) and its
practical drawbacks, the rise and fall of the Enigma code, the usage of
codes in the form of unusual (hopefully unknown to the enemy or opponent)
languages, the analysis of ancient forgotten languages, privacy issues
including safe transfering of code keys and, finally, ends with
discussions of modern, and possibly future, cryptography/cryptanalysis-
techniques based on quantum computers and theory.
Moreover, additional interesting, and in some instances somewhat more
technical, material is referred to several appendices.
Note: The swedish translated edition includes quite a lot of Sweden-specific
information. (Translator: Margareta Brogren.) In all respects this is a
most impressive piece of work!
Fun Read.......2007-08-10
Great Book! A fun read and very interesting. A history of code making and code breaking from the beginning until now.
A History of Ciphers, With Proper Credit for the Cracking of ENIGMA.......2007-08-07
Singh has provided the reader a delightful history of encryption, beginning with 16th-century codes, proceeding with the mechanized ones, and concluding with modern computer-based systems. He points out how modern encryption is being used to thwart the counterfeiting of dollars, and rejects the so-called Bible Code.
Singh also touches on the intricacies of language, and discusses the difficulty of deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphics. This involved the decoding of a language that no one speaks today, and one which has no close relatives among modern languages. He also has a fascinating account of the Navajo Indians and their unique language, and how their conversations were used to keep the Japanese in the dark during WWII.
When in comes to the German ENIGMA code of WWII, and in contrast to some English-language books on this subject, Singh gives credit squarely where it is due. He traces the Polish successes with code-breaking, beginning with the cracking of Russian codes by the Biuro Szyfrow (the Bureau of Ciphers) during the 1920 Polish-Bolshevik War (p. 144). In the years before WWII, a Polish team of mathematicians headed by Marian Rejewski recognizably solved the ENIGMA (p. 155). The Poles were ten years ahead of anyone else in this field (p. 160). The later successes of the British at Bletchley relied on Rejewski's work (p. 170), and followed the lead of the Poles (p. 243). Alan Turing followed Rejewski's strategy (p. 171).
great book.......2007-07-28
this book is one of the best books i have read in a while. it explanes everything you want tok now about cryptography and how to break the codes. this author knows his stuff.
Average customer rating:
- History of Interiors
- A definitive must for ID Students studying the History
- Outstanding Book -Dont miss it
- Underwhelming and overpriced
- Better for furniture/antiques dealers than designers
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History of Interior Design and Furniture: From Ancient Egypt to Nineteenth-Century Europe
Robbie G. Blakemore
Manufacturer: Wiley
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ASIN: 0471286761 |
Book Description
This book is the only current publication of a dedicated history of interiors and furniture. For designers who need stylistic information regarding historic periods, this book is very well organized and thorough. For students, this book offers the possibility of owning a history text without purchasing a general text that makes history only a small part of the information. —Marianne Beecher, Assistant Professor, Iowa State Robbie Blakemore has undertaken a monumental and ambitious project. She has accomplished her goal with zeal and good organization, along with excellent research and scholarship. —Joseph Braswell, Interior Designer, New York City
Customer Reviews:
History of Interiors.......2007-09-14
This book is very helpful for students and professionals seeking to further knowledge on the history of architecture and interior design. Very detailed information.
A definitive must for ID Students studying the History.......2007-01-26
Well, I youre thinking between this and Piles' History of ID then this is a much better book. Each style is explained with great details, and black and white photos and sketches are really helpful, and in the middle of the book is about a dozen of color photos of interiors.
I used this book a lot for my studies of the history of id.
If you're looking for a book full of photos of interiors and fancy words then just don't bother buying it since you wont find them in this book
Outstanding Book -Dont miss it.......2003-06-10
This is an outstanding book, with plenty of pictures - great insider material on furniture and architecture. And I already have a design MA with my own firm.
Underwhelming and overpriced.......2002-02-02
The text of this volume is decent and well organized but in the area that most designers are interested in, visual examples, it is sorely lacking. A very minimal section of color photographs (which jump from Roman to the Renaissance. No sign of the Gothic)and a series of low contrast black and white ones are augmented with a series of uninspired drawings. All of this might still be helpful and useful were it not for the price. There are many volumes on furniture and decor that have come on the market recently which are superior in their content and priced more reasonably.
Better for furniture/antiques dealers than designers.......2001-03-27
This book is a good encyclopedia of the history of interior design going back to ancient era- it catalogues the general overview for each period chronologically, explaining the function and materiality of a space or piece of furniture. The book is particularly nice for classifying particular styles of furniture and may be more suited to an antiques dealer or furniture dealer than a professional interior designer. The major problem i have with the book is that most if not all of the photographs are black and white, and it completely skips the modern era of design, pretty much ending with the turn of the 19th century. No mention of my favorites like Mies van der Rohe or Mr. Wright. This absence somehow makes this book seem incomplete.
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