Gods of Ancient Egypt [Paperback]

Barbara Watterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

The main characteristics of ancient Egyptian religion were animism, fetishism and magic. The myriad deities worshipped by the ancient Egyptians fell into three main categories: local gods, the inanimate objects (fetishes) of animals, birds and other living creatures associated with a particular locality; universal gods, the cosmic deities who represented the forces of nature - the sun, moon, stars, wind and storm; and personal gods, the objects chosen by men and women to be the recipients of their own individual worship. This study traces the origins of all the major deities of ancient Egypt and links each of them to a particular time and place. It is, however, more than a gazetteer of gods: the text recounts the sometimes racy, sometimes amusing, mythological stories associated with the major deities and, since the basis of religion in ancient Egypt was not belief but cult, particularly the local cult, there are sections of personal religion and temple ritual. The significance of the religious artefacts of ancient Egypt, from the smallest amulet to the largest temple, is also explained. In addition to a range of photographs and line illustrations, many in colour, there is a map of the principle cult centres, a list of localities giving their modern, classical and ancient Egyptian names, and a useful chronological table and glossary.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barbara Watterson is a lecturer on Egyptology and the author of "Introducing Egyptian Hieroglyphs," "More About Egyptian Hieroglyphs," and "The Egyptians."

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Alan Sutton Publishing, Ltd. (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750922257
• ISBN-13: 978-0750922258
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,525,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, informative, insightful reading., February 3, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

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

Barbara Watterson's Gods Of Ancient Egypt explores the main characteristics of ancient Egyptian religions and provides the first book to trace the origins of all the major deities of ancient Egypt. Photos and illustrations provide lavish embellishment for a treatise linking Egyptian history of cultural and spiritual change.

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine book, July 7, 2000

By 

Dm Deetlefs "estraven" (Table View South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

A really enjoyable book. It has colour as well as black and white illustrations, which is always a plus. The writing isn't the best, but not so bad as to be off-putting. A good buy.