| The Gods of Ancient Egypt Contributor(s): Vernus, Pascal (Author), Todd, Jane Marie (Translator), Lessing, Erich (Photographer) |
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ISBN: 0807614351 ISBN-13: 9780807614358 Publisher: George Braziller OUR PRICE: $67.50 Product Type: Hardcover Published: October 1998 Annotation: This book by the renowned Egyptologist and linguist Pascal Vernus captures the very essence of ancient Egypt -- a civilization thoroughly impregnated by the multi-formed and continually inspirational presence of the divine. Accompanied by 150 color photographs of Egyptian artifacts and landscapes, Vernus' exploration of Egyptian divinity reveals the central role it played in this endlessly fascinating ancient culture. The ruling class and their interpretation of the divine fashioned Egyptian civilization's every aspect. The pharaohs and priests communicated the needs of the gods to their subjects: they dictated the principles of the cosmos, such as its genesis and the necessary rituals for appeasing the gods; and they determined the individual's quality of life in this world and the next. Through this symbiotic relationship over millenia, the Egyptian concept of eternal life was born. The author begins by introducing the three orders of being according to the Egyptians: mineral, plant, and animal, which participated in a kind of sacred ecology with the gods. Vernus also looks at their concept of world order and their creation myths, The elaborate after-death rituals, which have come to characterize the Egyptians in our minds, and the reasons for these rituals are fully detailed as well. How these beliefs and rituals were played out in daily life is also described. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Ancient - Egypt - Religion | History - History | Middle East - Egypt (see Also Ancient - Egypt) |
| Dewey: 299.31 |
| LCCN: 98-19524 |
| Physical Information: 1.03" H x 10.62" W x 12.97" (4.12 lbs) 202 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) - Cultural Region - North Africa |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: This volume by the renowned Egyptologist Pascal Vernus captures the very essence of Ancient Egypt-a civilization thoroughly imbued by the inspirational and multiform presence of the divine. Accompanying by 110 color photographs of treasures of Egyptian art and architecture, as well as impressive aerial views of the surrounding landscapes, Vernus's exploration of Egyptian divinity reveals the central role that religion played in Egyptian life and culture. |
