The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion [Hardcover]

Donald B. Redford (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2002

Incorporating the latest and best scholarship in the area, The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion provides over 90 in-depth articles ranging from Anubis, the dog-headed god of the underworld, to the Opening of the Mouth, the cultic ceremony of reanimation. Readers will find informative and fascinating entries on deities, burial practices, cults, demons, fantastic animals, magic, oracles, sacred writings, festivals, and other facets of Egyptian belief and practice. Each entry is written by a noted Egyptologist and contains the most up-to-date information gathered from years of study and research. The guide includes 35 photographs and illustrations, a detailed index, and a further reading section for those wanting to explore in more detail.
With an insightful introduction by world-renowned Egyptologist Donald B. Redford, this definitive resource is essential for anyone interested in ancient Egyptians and the world they inhabited. It is the guide for the student, the scholar, and the general reader.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Derived from the Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Donald Redford's The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion offers more than 90 articles explaining various features of ancient Egyptian beliefs, including ideas about death and the afterlife, the role of cultic animals and the pantheon of deities. The tone can be dry at times, and one wishes for more illustrations, but serious readers will learn a great deal about this ancient religion.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt (LJ 12/00) has quickly become the authoritative reference work on ancient Egyptian archaeology, culture, and religion. Now its editor, Redford (classical and ancient Mediterranean studies, Pennsylvania State Univ.), has gathered the cream of the crop from that three-volume work into an affordable one-volume guide to ancient Egyptian religion. In this collection of nearly 100 signed (and very readable) articles by noted Egyptologists (vs. 600 in the original), Redford gives the reader a tour of the key elements of Egyptian religion, from belief in the afterlife and burial practices to articles distinguishing the ba, the ka, and the akh from one another. Entries on deities, demons, magic, sacred writings, and legends show that Egyptian religion is one of the chief reasons that everyone from children to scholars are fascinated with ancient Egyptian culture. Moreover, the new introduction for this collection is one of the finest general summaries of Egyptian religion this reviewer has encountered during 30 years as an ancient studies librarian. Move over E.A. Wallis Budge, Adolf Erman, Henri Frankfort, Siegfried Morenz, W.M. Flinders Petrie, and Jan Zandee: a new 21st-century standard reference for Egyptian religion is now available. Highly recommended for both academic and public libraries of all sizes. Gary P. Gillum, Brigham Young Univ. Lib., Provo, UT
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (May 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195154010
• ISBN-13: 978-0195154016
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,602,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caution!, May 4, 2002

By 

Lee Coats (Trabuco Canyon, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion (Hardcover)

This is an excellent collection of articles. However, potential purchasers should be advised that the articles are pulled from Donald Redford's Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, but without the extensive bibliographies, and with fewer illustrations. (The Introduction by Redford is, I believe, original to this volume.) If you already own the Encyclopedia, you might want to think twice before purchasing this book. If you don't already have the Encylcopedia, The Ancient Gods Speak will be an important addition to your shelf on Egyptian religion.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Egyptologists Speak: A Great Little Guide, December 6, 2007

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Ashtiri "Ashtiri" (Orem, Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion (Hardcover)

This unassuming little volume is a veritable who's who of modern Egyptology. The articles are very well researched and thoughtful, and the depth of knowledge that informs them makes this a valuable reference for those who want to understand ancient Egyptian beliefs and related practices. It is true that these articles are intended for an academic audience, so don't expect cotton candy. Consider this a reference work: it may be a slow read, but quite worthwhile.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hard Read!, September 14, 2007

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C.Reed(Hardliner,FL,NJ,PA) "saspgmer" (Tri-state) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion (Hardcover)

I purchased this book here through Amazon, and I have to say that I cannot knock the contents of the book per say only that it was a difficult Read. I would say more for a University Setting. This one will take time to finish