• The first book to fully explore the sexual philosophy and practices of the ancient Egyptians
• Lavishly illustrated with erotic scenes from papyri that have long been hidden from the public
• Clarifies the connection of sacred sexuality to Egyptian cosmic symbolism
Until recently the forbidden papyri, whose explicit illustrations of Egyptian sexual practices were judged too shocking, were off limits to all but a few scholars. In this book, the first to fully explore Egyptian sexual philosophy and practices, Egyptologist Ruth Schumann-Antelme provides us a new view of the provocative sexual life of the ancient Egyptians.
Richly illustrated throughout, Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt explains the symbolism of the erotic images found on the inner walls of the temples and tombs as well as those carved into pieces of limestone and sketched on papyri. The authors cover in detail the astonishing erotic scenes illustrating the Turin Papyrus, which have long been kept from public view. These papyri reveal in great detail Egyptian attitudes about love, religion, and even medicine, as well as specific sexual practices. Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt reveals the intimate details of a society in which sexuality was the dynamic principle of the divine world, and the cosmic symbolism of religion imbued every level of Egyptian society with sexual significance.
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(
John Anthony West, author of The Traveler's Key to Ancient Egypt
)". . . the first book to explore the sexual philosophy and practices of the ancient Egyptians. A truly intriguing study."
(
The Midwest Book Review, January, 2002
)“. . . clearly and in great detail shows a part of the human side of ancient Egyptian civilization; that sexual intercourse was something that was seen as physically gratifying, spiritually gratifying and necessary not only for species survival, but also for spiritual and cosmic well-being.”
(Cristina Rizen, Cup of Wonder, Issue #7 )
From the Back Cover
SEXUALITY / ANCIENT EGYPT
"Utilizing material sequestered away in museum and university archives and rarely seen, evidently because of its explicit sexuality, Ruth Schumann Antelme reveals an aspect of Egypt that many have suspected but no one to date has demonstrated: an intense and joyous eroticism that plays out in the human sphere but is intimately tied to a profound metaphysical and cosmological Egyptian understanding--sex as a sacrament."
John Anthony West, author of The Traveler's Key to Ancient Egypt
Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt is the first book to fully explore the sexual philosophy and practices of the ancient Egyptians. Until recently the papyri, whose explicit illustrations of Egyptian sexual practices were judged too shocking, were off-limits to all but a few scholars. Now Egyptologist Ruth Schumann Antelme provides us with a new view of the provocative sexual life of the ancient Egyptians, revealing the intimate details of a society in which sexuality was a dynamic principle of the divine world.
Richly illustrated with more than 160 black-and-white reproductions and 23 color plates, Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt explains the symbolism of the erotic images found on the inner walls of temples and tombs, as well as those carved into pieces of limestone and sketched on papyri. They reveal the Egyptians attitude toward love, as well as specific common and uncommon sexual practices. Schumann Antelme and Rossini also examine in great detail the astonishingly erotic scenes illustrated in the Turin Papyrus, images that have long been kept from public view. The authors show us the connection of sacred sexuality to Egyptian cosmic symbolism as well as demonstrate that every level of Egyptian society was imbued with sexual power.
RUTH SCHUMANN ANTELME is an Egyptologist, an eneritus researcher of the CNRS in France, and a former professor at the Ecole du Louvre. She is author of Becoming Osiris and and is a resident of Paris. STEPHANE ROSSINI illustrated Becoming Osiris and Reading and Writing Hieroglyphics. He lives in Paris.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bits-n-Pieces,
By
This review is from: Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt: The Erotic Secrets of the Forbidden Papyri (Paperback)
This is an entertaining and informative book about sex, drugs and rock and roll in ancient Egypt. I am happy to recommend it for amatuer Egyptologists.I wish it included a more comprehensive presentation though with more detailed footnotes and much less conjecture (presented as fact). The presentation also suffers from repeated and tiring comments demeaning men and the dronning insistance of ancient Egypt as really a matriarchal society. The tenor and tone of this book is rich in 1980's feminism. For example, the author spends considerable verbage attacking female circumcision precisely BECAUSE the Egyptians DID NOT practice it. Nevertheless, these objections aside, this book is a great coffee table conversation starter and fun to read.
25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Touches the surface...,
This review is from: Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt: The Erotic Secrets of the Forbidden Papyri (Paperback)
This book is a great source of information for life in ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphic explanations are offered (from a mundane point of view), clothing and hairstyles are explained, food and artistic cultures are discussed. All of these are explored within sexuality and its expression through Egypt's creation/origination stories. I learned very much about Egypt's pantheon and many questions were answered which I haven't found in other works on Egypt. My only complaint with this beautiful book is the lack of spiritual application. Sexual energy is a necessary part of awakening and enlightenment, and the ancient Egyptians were fully aware of this. The practice, study and employment of sacred sex was a vital piece of their esoteric learning. I was disappointed to find the authors ignoring this aspect completely. After reading the book, the title is misleading. It is "sacred" sexuality only in the sense that the practices studied were originated in the religion of that era.
7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Considers the sexual life of the ancients,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sacred Sexuality in Ancient Egypt: The Erotic Secrets of the Forbidden Papyri (Paperback)
Ruth Antelme and Stephane Rossini's Sacred Sexuality In Ancient Egypt is the first book to explore the sexual philosophy and practices of the ancient Egyptians, considering the sexual life of the ancients and revealing the social and personal influences of sexuality in their society. Over 160 black and white photos pepper this informative survey of the symbolism of erotic images found in temples and on papyri. A truly intriguing study.
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