The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead [Paperback]

Carol Andrews (Editor), Raymond O. Faulkner (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1990

The Book of the Dead is the name now given to a collection of religious and magical texts known to the ancient Egyptians as The Chapters of Coming-forth by Day. Their principal aim was to secure for the deceased a satisfactory afterlife and to give him the power to leave his tomb when necessary. Copies of The Book of the Dead written on papyrus rolls were placed in the tombs of important Egyptians, each roll containing a selection of chapters. Many examples have survived from antiquity, dating mostly from c. 1500 BCE--250 BCE. In this volume, the text translated by the late Dr. R.O. Faulkner is that found in the papyrus prepared for the scribe Ani which is one of the greatest treasures in the British Museum. The vignettes are taken from the many finely illustrated copies which are preserved in the collections of the British Museum.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Through this edition of the most popular and long-lasting funerary documents of Egypt emerges much of the character of her people. Through it also the student at home and likewise the tourist visiting the Theban tombs should be greatly enlightened, even if much of the religion of Egypt remains tantalizingly obscure. (Popular Archaeology )

Language Notes

Text: English

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292704259
• ISBN-13: 978-0292704251
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #977,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Book of the Dead (Egyptian)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Readable AND Resourceful, June 6, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Southwest Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (Paperback)

1)The main thing is that not only are translations matched with vignettes (pictures of the actual pages), but the text is not British English.... it is Americanized...... This makes it very easy to understand. 2)An interesting point to the translations is that, if you know anything about the actual vignettes, the translations of not just the black text, but the red text, is well defined. 3)Helps to understand the ancient Egyptian culture and gets rid of some myths about their actual religious structure, which was less an adoration than to make the gods serve someone that proclaimed themselves worthy.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting & Informative, June 28, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (Paperback)

The Book of the Dead, translated by Raymond Faulkner, is thouroughly interesting and equally informative, as Mr. Faulkner translates many deceased ancient Egyptians' spellbooks for traveling through the realm of the dead. It gives a slight glimpse at some lesser-known religous characters of ancient Egypt and a small insight to the ancients' daily life. I believe this book could be read and easily understood by any level Egyptologist, as there is a helpful glossary of people (well, gods mostly), places, and things described in the spells. This is a wonderfully translated book, based on an ancient book, and good for anyone interested in ancient Egyptian life, literature, or religion.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource and well put together work, December 17, 2000

By 

Raven Night (Appleton, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead (Paperback)

I found the work to be highly accessible not only in the translations and the prints of the actual source texts but also in the organization, especially the table of contents. It made the following of exactly what was being done in particular sections very easy, and also allows me to go straight towards particularly interesting sections without having to page through the work.