Judgement of the Pharoah: Crime and Punishment in Ancient Egypt [Paperback]

Joyce Tyldesley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001

Joyce Tyldesley's original book carefully unmasks for the first time Ancient Egyptian crimes and criminals. She meticulously recreates a series of crimes, from grave robbing, false embalming, necrophilia and bestiality to a superb recreation of the murder of Tutankhamun (which reassesses the evidence for his murder and rejects it). She also introduces us to some of the inhabitants of the town of Dair et Medine, the dwelling place of fifty craftsmen and their families who worked exclusively in the nearby Valley of the Kings. Their crimes and misdemeanours were carefully recorded, and give a vivid insight into Ancient Egyptian attitudes towards sex and death, property and punishment.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Lively, lucid, thoughtful.” -- CHOICE

From the Publisher

In the popular imagination, Ancient Egypt exists as an idyllic place where, for 3,000 years, wise Pharaohs governed a peaceful and plentiful kingdom. Historians, although skeptical of this image, have struggled to explain for the lay reader the realities of life for ordinary Egyptians. Here, archaeologist Joyce Tyldesley meticulously recreates a series of crimes—from grave robbing, false embalming, necrophilia, and bestiality to a graphic recreation of the “murder” of Tutankhamen. These crimes, which were meticulously recorded, provide an eloquent record of Ancient Egyptian attitudes towards sex and death, property and punishment. Inventive and human, lucid and authoritative, this original work adds greatly to our understanding of how Ancient Egyptians lived. Joyce Tyldesley has a doctorate in archaeology from Oxford University; among her many books are Daughters of Isis and Nefertiti: Egypt’s Sun Queen.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 199 pages
• Publisher: Orion Books (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753812789
• ISBN-13: 978-0753812785
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,062,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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