Becoming Osiris: The Ancient Egyptian Death Experience (Paperback)

~ (Author), Stéphane Rossini (Author) "The ancient Egyptian mind was struck by the periodic regularity of certain phenomena: the sun that rises, shines, and disappears without respite every day of..." (more)
Key Phrases: alimentary offerings, setem priest, chthonian world, Becoming Osiris, Book of the Dead, Lower Egypt (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An exciting and original intellectual quest . . . important new facts concerning the mysterious origins of human civilization."
(Graham Hancock, author of Fingerprints of the Gods )

"A magnificently researched work; its starling conclusions will undoubtedly reverberate over the coming decades."
(

Nigel Jackson, author of The Horned Piper

)

"A fascinating piece of research which does much to bring the biblical world of Eden back into the historical spotlight . . . a major contribution to the study of the genesis of civilization."
(

David Rohl, Egyptologist and author of A Test of Time

)

"Tracking down angels both heavenly and fallen, Collins' detective work takes him through entire libraries. . . . His conclusion is that we humans are not the first race to live on the planet. Reading books like this one can be as much fun as reading Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie."
(

Barbara Ardinger, Whole Life Times, May 2002

)

"A fascinating and in-depth look at . . . how actual events inevitably evolve into the stuff of indecipherable legend as centuries pass."
(

Sandy Moss, The Daily Courier, June 2 2002

)

Product Description

An in-depth examination of the ancient Egyptian approach to death and its relevance to the modern near-death experience. * A thought-provoking account of the numerous initiatic stages of the * immortalization process * Examines the Ritual of Embalming and the Ritual of the Opening of * the Mouth, both central to the ancient Egyptian death experience. * Includes numerous illustrations from the rich field of Egyptian * funeral art.

In their well-known Book of the Dead, the ancient Egyptians left humanity one of the most comprehensive looks at the death experience and the afterlife. Without sacrificing the rich complexity of pharaonic thought, Stephane Rossini and Ruth Schumann Antelme provide an accessible, thought-provoking account of the numerous initiatic stages of the immortalization process and the magical self-defense techniques necessary for the soul to achieve its ultimate objective as a solarized being.

The true significance of the ancient Egyptian view of death cannot be entirely comprehended without knowledge of the practices that preceded those described in the Book of the Dead. Becoming Osiris presents an informative account of both the Ritual of Embalming, which transforms the deceased into a latent Osiris, and the Ritual of the Opening of the Mouth, which restores to the deceased his faculties. Though thousands of years old, these texts have an astounding contemporary relevance. With numerous illustrations from the rich field of Egyptian funeral art, Becoming Osiris presents a comprehensive guide to the fascinating Osirian odyssey that is the ancient Egyptian death experience.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Inner Traditions (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089281652X
• ISBN-13: 978-0892816521
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,174,154 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, September 6, 2006

By	Taranus - See all my reviews

The fact that one of the reviewers probably refers to a different book and by mistake assigned his/her review to this book does a great disservice to this remarkable work.

Only a superficial reader would assume that this book is a commentary of the "Book of the Dead". It is not. It is much more, and it is exactly what its title suggests : a review of the rituals used by the Egyptians to transform a dead person into an Osiris. The book therefore gives exactly what is lacking in many other books : a broad overview or the three main rituals of death used by the Egyptians : 1) Embalming, 2) Opening of the Mouth, 3) Methods of obtaining Immortality.

1) The book starts with the embalming of the corpse, the purpose of which is to transform the dead body into a statue. Although no complete text of the Ritual of Embalming is available, a detailed account is given of the complicated process at hand and of the reasons for it.

2) The book then describes the "Opening of the Mouth" ritual in much detail, and shows that it refers to the "Book of Statues" used to transform the mummy into a living statue.

3) As a last stage, the "Methods of obtaining Immortality" are described, with many references to the "Book of the Dead". The main chapters of this last section read : Return to the Universal Matrix, Teaching for Coming forth by Day, Magical Self-defense, Solarization of the Deceased, Magical Integration, The Vindicated explores the Cycle of the Beyond, Geography of the Beyond, Mystical Labyrinth and the Glorious Arrival.

There are numerous versions of the BoD. Most of them do cover the text in much detail, but unless one is proficient in the egyptian language and is knowledgable in egyptian myths, the true significance of the text remains extremely obscure. Not so in this book.
The text is very clear, factual, concise and to the point. Very Professional. The drawings are detailed and add much to the understanding. One can regret though that they are not available in color.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Short Summary, July 22, 2000

By A Customer

This is a good introduction book to the "Egyptian Book of the Dead". The book is somewhat like a commentary to the original text, and is a good source for those not aquatinted with the original. However the book does not cover the original text in great detail, and therefore falls a little short.

3 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Vampire Lestat, May 28, 2000

By	PandorasBlaze (Pheonix,Arizona) - See all my reviews

Anne Rice has mezmorized me once again with her captivating ability to write with such fine detail and with such thought provoking ways. I absolutely adore the way that she ties religion in with her story, she has me wondering in what I should beleive. Her Lestat is a witty, charismatic man, that steals the spotlight from any other character she has wrote about. I love all of her books, but by far this is my favorite. Take the time to read it, you will fall in love with it also!