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Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt

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Format: Paperback


Description

From stories of resurrected mummies and thousand-year-old curses to powerful pharaohs and the coveted treasures of the Great Pyramids, ancient Egypt has had an unfaltering grip on the modern imagination. Now, in Egyptian Mythology, Geraldine Pinch offers a comprehensive introduction that untangles the mystery of Egyptian Myth. Spanning Ancient Egyptian culture--from 3200 BC to AD 400-- Pinch opens a door to this hidden world and casts light on its often misunderstood belief system. She discusses the nature of myths and the history of Egypt, from the predynastic to the postpharaonic period. She explains how Egyptian culture developed around the flooding of the Nile, or the "inundation," a phenomenon on which the whole welfare of the country depended, and how aspects of the inundation were personified as deities. She explains that the usually cloudless skies made for a preoccupation with the stars and planets. Indeed, much early Egyptian mythology may have developed to explain the movement of these celestial bodies. She provides a timeline covering the seven stages in the mythical history of Egypt and outlining the major events of each stage, such as the reign of the sun God. A substantial A to Z section covers the principal themes and concepts of Egyptian mythology as well as the most important deities, demons, and other characters. For anyone who wants to know about Anubis, the terrifying canine god who presided over the mummification of bodies and guarded burials, or Hathor, the golden goddess who helped women to give birth and the dead to be reborn, or an explanation of the nun, the primeval ocean from which all life came, Egyptian Mythology is the place to look. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press


Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 8, 2004


Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 272 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195170245


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 45


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.14 x 0.62 x 9.21 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #48,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1 in Ancient History (Books) #17 in Ancient Egyptians History #66 in Mythology (Books)


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Quick run-through for a good intro
Format: Paperback
Text clarifies approach succinctly to the topic and does a good whip-through in an understandable manner of presented layout and purpose to the reader. The sources used and how they are presented following each section was beneficial to my reading preferences and provided a thorough list of what else to inspect for additional topics. Author does well when presented comparative summaries of other works, as some information may differ or compete against each other regarding the same topic. Definitely a worthwhile source for anyone looking to understand theme behind different perspectives of Ancient Egyptian god hierarchy. “Guide” suits the title well, as well as the presentation of structure of myths. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2025 by Amazon Customer

  • A great introduction to ancient Egyptian culture.
Format: Paperback
I like the observation flow of the information. A foundation book of Egyptian thought in any one's library. Affordable and hands on.
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024 by Karla Miles

  • Actually not a story, but an introduction to the Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient World around Egypt.
Format: Paperback
Actually this is more a book on who the God and Goddesses of Ancient were. Some chapters told about how the gods and the cults evolved, but mainly it lists the major gods and goddesses of Egypt and their surrounding neighbors and where they came from and by the many names they were known by. It was well-written, with excellent pictures, and the author is an expert in her field, with field work behind her. It was fascinating to try and keep all the deities clear in my mind. I will be looking for more on all the deities of the area. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2015 by CatPaws

  • Love this book
Format: Paperback
I thought because the book seeing repetitive that the information would be lost. But I like the layout of the book and the wealth of information especially with beginning to do Egyptian research this book is a wealth of knowledge. I would have liked a little more information but the references that the book provides in itself is invaluable. Really love this book haven't finished part 3 yet but can't wait to. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2018 by Shy Thomas

  • Solid book
Format: Paperback
I was looking for a readable text that would walk me through high level the historical timeline of Egypt along with predominate stories behind the major gods and goddesses. This book does a fair job of that along with providing some contextual background at why it is complicated. The first half is readable, the second is more of a reference. My biggest complaint is that the text commonly references figures in the book without telling you what page they are on, so you have to hunt for them, often dozens and dozens of pages later. I think this gave me a nice into, but I'd like a more detailed text to continue my learning. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2018 by Chris Bacon

  • My father absolutely loved this-- Read it a second time almost immediately
Format: Paperback
My dad is very interested in Egyptian religion and ancient culture, and this book was something he enjoyed beyond what I even expected. He's brought it up several times and said he was going to read it again immediately after he finished it the first time. He's an avid reader and an honest critic, so I'd definitely recommend anything he gives two thumbs up to! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2019 by J&S

  • Great condition and very fast delivery.
Format: Paperback
Completely satisfied with this purchase. Arrived very quickly and in excellent condition. Price was more than fair ( best price found anywhere) and I love the guarantee from Amazon that covers most purchases. This guarantee is better that the big box stores like Walmart. I have shopped at Amazon for over twenty-five years and have had to return a small handful of items. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2023 by C.M.S.

  • Read this first
Format: Paperback
First of all, this book is not a comprehensive reference for all of the known 1,500 or so gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Nor is it a coffee-table book of gorgeous glossy images of art and architecture. It is a superb, well-thought-out overview of the mythology that is pitched in the ground between the written-for-children books (most books on the subject on Amazon) and books written for someone already in a graduate program in the subject. I wish I had read this first. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2020 by ophelia99

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