The Spirit of Ancient EgyptExotic Ancient Egypt ... Deciphering Egypt's past, from pre-historic times until Rome's conquest in AD 30, Ana Ruiz reveals countless details about one of the earliest civilizations, piecing together a mosaic that accumulates to give an intriguing portrait of this ancient people, from pharaohs to families to priests, and outlines their achievements in science and culture. Man settled along the banks of the Nile River as long ago as 7000 BC; over the next four millennia he learned to read, write, and develop and expand as a community. For the next 3000 years, Egypt prospered despite hardships, internal conflicts and foreign invasion. Was it "the gift of the Nile," as Herodotus called Egypt, or the gift of the Egyptian people to humanity, towards the evolution of civilization? The book examines family life, homes and furnishings, food, drink, dress, jewelry, wigs and cosmetics, work and play, trade and transportation, law and government. It explores the people's beliefs regarding death and immortality, magic, dreams and divination, deities and the priesthood, creation myths, animal worship, symbolism, traditions of mummification, and festivals. Finally, it looks at the achievements of Egyptian kings and queens, including military successes and architectural feats like the pyramids and the Great Sphinx, along with art, language and hieroglyphics, discoveries in medicine, astronomy and engineering, and early developments toward the modern calendar. Ana Ruiz's fascination with ancient Egypt began 25 years ago, and her delight is clear as she reconstructs and interprets for us the documentary images of life along the Nile. She provides a fascinating description of the customs and achievements of the nation, interspersed with quixotic details and charming tales that convey a sense of Egypt's shimmering spirit as well as its famous and less-famous monuments. She is a member of the Staffordshire Egyptology Society based in England and of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities, in Canada. |
Contents
7 | |
15 | |
21 | |
Homes and Furnishings | 31 |
Food and Drink | 37 |
Dress and Jewelry | 45 |
Wigs and Cosmetics | 51 |
Recreation | 59 |
Festivals | 155 |
Magic and Spells | 161 |
Dreams and Divination | 169 |
PART III | 172 |
Kings and Conquerors | 177 |
Queens | 195 |
Battles and Warriors | 203 |
The Pyramids | 211 |
Labor and Crafts | 67 |
Transportation | 73 |
Early International Trade | 79 |
Law and Government | 83 |
PART II | 91 |
Death and Immortality | 97 |
Deities | 107 |
Creation Myths | 121 |
Animal Worship | 129 |
Symbolism | 137 |
The Priesthood | 147 |
The Great Sphinx | 221 |
Architecture | 225 |
Art | 235 |
Literature | 243 |
Language and Hieroglyphics | 253 |
Medicine | 263 |
The Calendar | 269 |
Stellar Wisdom | 275 |
Further Readings | 281 |
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Common terms and phrases
18th Dynasty Ahmose Akhenaten Akhet Amen Amenemhet Amenhotep Amenhotep III amulets ancient Egypt ancient Egyptians animal Anpu Apep Aten Ausar Auset became began believed Bitou boat body brother calendar carved Cleopatra VII constructed cult center dated daughter death deceased deity depicted discovered divine dream Duat festivals funerary goddess gods gold Greek Hatshepsut healing Heru Het-Heru hieroglyphs honor Horemheb Hyksos inscribed Intermediate Period Iunu Kamose Karnak Khnemu Khonsu Khufu King King’s known land legend limestone linen lived lotus Lower Egypt lunar Ma’at magic Mennefer Middle Kingdom mother mummy name translates Nebet-Het Nile Nubia obelisks Old Kingdom papyrus pharaoh priesthood priests protection Ptah Ptolemy pyramids Queen Ramses Ramses II reign ritual royal royalty sacred Saqqara scribe Sekhmet Seti Setna seven solar Sopdet Sphinx statue stone symbol Tefnut Tehuti temple throne tomb took Tutankhamen Tuthmose Uast Upper Egypt vizier wife wine women worshipped