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Title: Religion in Ancient Egypt: Gods, Myths, and Personal Practice by Byron E. Shafer, John R. Baines, David Silverman, Leonard H. Lesko ISBN: 0-8014-9786-8 Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr Pub. Date: July, 1991 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (4 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A good resource; some parts better than others
Comment: Prof. Shafer of Fordham University put this book together in order to fill the need for an English-language survey of ancient Egyptian religion. The result is a relatively short introduction to the subject from three points of view, each addressed by a different author. John Baines writes about the gods, Leonard Lesko about myths, and David Sliverman about religious practice. The idea and organization of the book is commendable; however, I felt that stronger editing could have made the three portions of the book more cohesive and compatible in quality.
There was too much overlap between Baines' and Lesko's sections, and Lesko's chapter seemed to be aimed at a more specialized audience than were the other chapters. I felt that Baines dwelled too much on political history and took the focus off the topic at hand. His article would have benefitted from further subdivision; as it was, the overly long sections lacked clear direction. Baines handles concepts of divinity quite well, but I think he could have provided a better overview of the Egyptian pantheon. On the whole I would give his article a tentative 4 stars.
Lesko's rather short chapter also placed too much focus on political history, and this was doubly frustrating since he didn't say anything different from Baines. His discussion of myths seemed to lack organization and was befuddling for the newcomer to the field. The chapter mostly consists of lengthy and inadequately explained or connected quotations from Egyptian texts. These texts are interesting sounding but cryptic, and Lesko does not provide enough of an overview for one to understand either what they are saying or why he is quoting them. His article has two chief sections: one on cosmogonies, which is very long and opaque, and a much shorter and somewhat clearer section on cosmology. Overall, this article deserves a tentative 3 stars from a newcomer; someone with more specialized knowledge might find it more useful, but I am not sure.
Silverman's chapter was by far the most accessible and informative. Frequent divisions in the text underscored its points while providing strong organization and direction. Silverman's explanations started from basic concepts and worked up to address difficulties in modern methods of study in his field. His chapter came across as an interesting and informative social history of Egypt with particular emphasis on the origins of its structure and morality, both of which derive from religion. This article was engaging and clear, and earns an enthusiastic 5 stars from me.
On the whole, then, some parts of this book were more readable and useful than others. However, it seems to be the most scholarly and trustworthy introduction to the topic. I would not recommend it as pleasure reading, but if you need to know something about the subject it is a good resource.
Rating: 5
Summary: Clarifies Much
Comment: This book is extremely useful for understanding the complex, multifaceted world of the ancient Egyptian Gods. One cannot simply list gods and myths and have them make sense; this book provides three Egyptologists' views on how the Egyptians saw the gods and the universe, how that view evolved in 3000 years, and how they were worshipped throughout that time. There are numerous illustrations, photos, and footnotes. The authors discuss theories about the Armarna period and the divine status of the Pharoah that cannot be found in other books on Ancient Egypt. This is a great book to read if you want to understand the religion as a whole and get the essence of what it was like.
Rating: 2
Summary: disappointment
Comment: It is only a historical book.There is no useful information for pagans.
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Title: Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many by Erik Hornung, John Baines ISBN: 0801483840 Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr Pub. Date: November, 1996 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Imperial Tombs of China by Lei Congyun, Yang Yang, Zhao Gushan, Richard E. Strassberg, Martha Avery ISBN: 1882516044 Publisher: Lithograph Pub Co Pub. Date: August, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Ancient Egypt by David P. Silverman, David J. Silverman ISBN: 0195212703 Publisher: Oxford Press Pub. Date: May, 1997 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: Death in Ancient Egypt by A. J. Spencer ISBN: 0140222944 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: January, 1983 List Price(USD): $5.95 |
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Title: The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People's Republic of China by Xiaoneng Yang, National Gallery of Art (U.S.), Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco ISBN: 0894682458 Publisher: Natl Gallery of Art Pub. Date: September, 1999 |
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