The Death of God in Ancient Egypt: An Essay on Egyptian Religion & the Frame of Time [Paperback]

Jane B. Sellers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 1993

The chief mystery about ancient Egyptian religion is that the historical and archaeological record presents us with a fully fledged religion - so what were its origins? The book "Hamlet's Mill" proposed that all primitive religion began with astral lore and observation of changing celestial phenomena. This book could be described as a detailed demonstration of the validity of this thesis in the case of Ancient Egyptian religion as the author demonstrates remarkable coincidences between celestial phenomena and Egyptian religious practices and literature.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (January 5, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140153071
• ISBN-13: 978-0140153071
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,031,461 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is really a rebuttal to misinformation re: the book., September 8, 1999

By 

Jane B. Sellers (Portland, Me. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Death of God in Ancient Egypt: An Essay on Egyptian Religion & the Frame of Time (Paperback)

Out of print for over three years, the only information has been through such New-age writers as Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval, who I feel have misrepresented my ideas. This work is not about astrology, although the zodiac must be discussed, nor is it about any numbers being encoded by the ancient Egyptians, as reported by these writers. In fact I had written just the opposite, pointing out that the number 72 was inserted into the story of Osiris by Plutarch, which would be after the time of Hipparchus, which would mean that the information was 'out there.' I was trying to make quite a different point. Unfortunately, my reporting of the interest by ancient cultures in certain numbers, as discussed by writers such as Joseph Campbell, and my wondering about an alternative use for the outdated sky calendars buried with Seti I and Ramesses IV seem to have won me a place in the hearts of those whose ideas have no support from me. I have long felt I should defend my book,and to that end I have labored for a year to bring forth a revised and updated version. This version has additional illustrations and supporting computer images of the precessionally changed sky over key predynastic settlements. This is for those interested in seeking a verifiable origin, or basis, for the Egyptian belief system, and is a serious and thoughtful investigation.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must Read" for the seeker of origins, January 27, 2004

By 

Dawn L Millsaps (Winston-Salem, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Death of Gods in Ancient Egypt (Paperback)

I imagine that everyone wonders at some point in their lives how things originated to the point we are at today. In the realm of ancient egyptian mythology, Jane Sellers has taken what others have called complex or obscure and has put forth a simple, easy to contemplate and highly researched theory. Pulling from several ancient sources including the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead, among others, she equates the origins of their myths and beliefs with the observable effects of precession and total eclipses of the sun which would have been noticed by them in the same way that we notice these events today. She does not claim that they knew what precession was or what caused it but that they were aware of its observable effects and the changes in the sky that it caused. Surely, the myths and beliefs that developed were the ancient egyptian way of comprehending and understanding the world and skies around them and answering their own questions as to 'Who are we?', 'Where do we come from?', 'Why are we here?', and 'Is there life after death?' The path of the ancient egyptian, though it has been repaved many times, is the same path that we are on today in our quest for understanding the cosmos and our place within it. The point being that the theory Jane Sellers puts forth is very believable and very probable. The fact that the ancient egyptians did not have the technologies that we have today (e.g. television, computers, and all the other distractions) does not mean that their minds were inferior to ours. On the contrary, they had fewer distractions and more time to contemplate their surroundings. For all the details, if your looking to further understand the mind of the ancient egyptian, you must read this book. I for one, could in no way express Ms. Sellers theory in the way she so excellently does. An exceptional book!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another protest., March 29, 2007

By 

Jane B. Sellers (Portland, Me. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Death of Gods in Ancient Egypt (Paperback)

As the author of Death of Gods I wish to protest the inclusion of quite a few titles that my book is said to have cited. I have long struggled against being associated with certain ideas, and although I do not know these books, they are certainly ones that I did not consult. They are: Egyptian Pyramids by E. Longley, The Aztecs by P. Ardagh, Ancient Egypt, by V. Parker, Ancient Egypt by Boase, The Middle Kingdom, by Williams, Ms. Frizzle' Adventures by Cole, Book of the Dead by Russell, Book of the Dead by Preston,and History of the World by Carter. A new edition of Death of Gods will soon be available in a new size (6X9)and a new price.The Death of Gods in Ancient Egypt