Customer Reviews

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt

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3 star:		(1)
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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.

Compiled and written by Richard H. Wilkinson (Professor and Directory of the University of Arizona Egyptian Expedition), and enhanced with 338 illustrations (132 in full-color), The Complete Gods And Goddesses Of Ancient Egypt is a straightforward introduction to Egyptian mythology and iconography, offering comprehensive details about both major and minor deities. Organized into five general categories (Rise and Fall of the Gods; Nature of the Gods; Worship of the Gods; Kingship and the Gods; and The Catalogue of Deities), The Complete Gods And Goddesses Of Ancient Egypt is a first-rate, strongly recommended resource and reference for writers, historians, and lay readers curious about the mythologies of the Egyptian culture over a period of more than two thousand years.

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.

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.

Wilkinson's treatment of the pantheon of Egyptian dieties is truly encyclopedic. Beginning with dieties of the pre-dynastic era, he not only provides information about the specific gods and goddesses, but the book is rich with prints of reliefs and statues of them. I am not an Eyptologist, but I do teach a survey on ancient civilzations. This book has been of tremendous value in "filling in" minutae and details of Egyptian religion and, by extension, Egyptian society. Recommended.

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.

This is a wonderful presentation of ancient Egyptian religion. Wilkinson opens with a detailed account of religious practice and the ritual of death, tracing its regional variants and historical development. Next, he presents a complete, detailed encyclopedia of the pantheon. Each entry features information on the mythology, artistic representations and worship of the deity. The book is complete, thorough and easy to read and reference.

I bought this book for my husband as one of the presents for his birthday. He loves ancient history, and reading is one of his favorite hobbies. I have not looked at the book too much myself, but he tells me it is terrific! If you like history (and especially anything to do with Egypt), I would recommend getting the book, particularly where it is at such a reasonable price.

This is a beautifully illustrated book with very thorough explanation of who the different deities are; gods, and goddesses, during this amazing high point in African civilization. I recommend this book to any one who is at the beginner level because it gives you a clear description of how deities assume various roles at different times; and how they influenced later concepts of divinity.

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.