Online Activities: Ancient Egypt
One good way to begin learning about Egyptian religion, is to learn the stories that the Ancients told about their gods.
Ancient Egyptian religion can seem very strange and confusing, with many gods and each having several forms. Fortunately, many fine books are available to help teachers and students to understand and appreciate the Ancient Egyptian way of looking at this world and the next. This bibliography describes books which are in print, and fairly easily available in stores and libraries. Some of these books will be more suitable for interested adult general readers than for students.
A word of warning: Wallace Budge was Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum at the turn of the century. His books are always in print, and reasonably priced, because the copyright as expired. Fight the temptation to buy them; they are all seriously out of date, and do not represent the best scholarship even of their own time. Suggest students use the books listed below instead.
Gods and Pharaohs from Egyptian Mythology
By Geraldine Harris
Geraldine Harris writes well, and her versions of the ancient stories stay very close to the original sources. The stories have not been simplified or trivialized, so that an adult can read and enjoy the book. Because the stories read very well aloud, teachers and parents can share some of the stories with younger students. This is an excellent book for libraries, elementary or secondary, or for anyone who enjoys mythology. David O'Connor's beautiful colour illustrations capture the atmosphere of the stories.
New York: Shocken Books, 1982. Reprinted several times. Hard and softcover available, 132 pages, 8.5 by 11, with index. 18 full colour paintings and 43 black and white line drawings by John Sibbick.
A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
By George Hart
A fine reference book for libraries or teachers, this book will help to identify the divine beings of Ancient Egypt. The brief, readable entry for each god contains a remarkable amount of information. Line drawings point out identifying characteristics.
London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986. Frequently reprinted. Softcover, 299 pages. Black and white maps and line drawings.
The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead
By R. O. Faulkner
Dr. Faulkner was the leading modern British authority on these texts. His translations are always to be preferred to Wallace Budge. What is commonly known as The Book of the Dead is actually a collection of religious and magical texts. These texts were written to help the deceased find his way through the afterlife. This edition has the advantage of being very beautiful, as well as scholarly. The colour illustrations are from various Egyptian funerary papyri in th British Museum. There's a good introduction, and a fine glossary. If students wish to read The Book of the Dead, this is the edition to use.
Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1990. First published 1972. Edited by Carol Andrews. Paperback, 192 pages. 60 colour and 85 black and white illustrations.
Egyptian Myths
By George Hart
Hart's book is an account of the myths, rather than a retelling of them, but can be useful as a quick reference. He provides a concise account of what happens to the Sun on its journey through the underworld, and a clear version of th story of Osiris, Seth, Isis and Horus.
Austin, Texas: British Museum Publications, 1990. Softcover, 80 pages with index. Black and white illustrations and charts.
The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife
By Erik Hornung
Dr. Hornung's books seek to make knowledge about Ancient Egyptian religious ideas available to a wider general audience who are interested in questions about the history of religion. When reading his books, one cannot forget that the Ancient Egyptians were humans, people like us, and that they really believed in their gods and religious practices. This volume attempts to introduce the reader to a central element of ancient Egyptian religion, the books of the Afterlife. Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts, and some of the Books of the Underworld are considered.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1999. Translated from the German by David Lorton. Softcover, 188 pages with index.
Also by Hornung: Idea into Image: Essays on Ancient Egyptian Thought, and The Valley of the Kings: Horizon of Eternity. Not for elementary students, nor for the school library, these two books are nevertheless wonderful introductions to some complicates subjects. Highly recommended for those interested in religion and philosophy.
The Great Goddesses of Egypt
By Barbara S. Lesk
Clear and well written accounts of the major goddesses of Egypt. Lesko cites the evidence for their earliest appearances, traces their cults through Egyptian history, and often uses the texts of prayers from ancient sources to illustrate the powers and attributes of each deity. A fine book for any reader, it will have a particularly strong appeal for young women.
Norman Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1999. Softcover, 319 pages, with index. Excellent footnotes and a glossary increase the usefulness of this book. Black and white photographic illustrations.
The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Egypt: An Illustrated Dictionary
By Manfred Lurker
Lurker's book is another excellent resource for library or student. This book covers much of the same ground as George Hart's, but contains entries for some symbols not in that book.
London: Thames and Hudson, 1974. Translated from the German by Barbara Cumming. 1980. Revised and enlarged by Peter Clayton. Softcover, 141 pages with index. More than 100 black and white illustrations.
Daily Life of the Egyptian Gods
By Dimitri Meeks and Christine Favard-Meeks
One of the difficulties in understanding Ancient Egyptian Religion is that the Egyptians themselves did not force their gods into a single system or a single mythology. There are several versions of the birth of most gods, and each story is based on a poetic and religious truth. Very often, the only continuous accounts we have of Egyptian mythology were written down by Classical writers such as Plutarch, who sometimes saw connections between Greek and Egyptian mythology that were not really there. The Meeks had tried to systematize Egyptian mythology, but using chiefly Egyptian sources, and acknowledging contradictory stories in footnotes.
Teachers, interested readers, and bright high school students will really enjoy this book, though it is not always easy to follow, and the footnotes refer to truly scholarly publications. If you want to know where the various stories come from, this the book to read.
Ithaca and London: Cornell University press, 1996. Translated from the French by G.M. Goshgarian. Softcover, 249 pages, very useful index.
Ancient Egyptian Religion
By Stephen Quirke
Senior students and teachers who would like to pursue their interest in Egyptian religion past the naming of gods, will find this book helpful and intriguing. Quirke explores Egyptian ideas about the nature of the universe and man's role in it in a sympathetic way which never glosses over the profound differences between Ancient Egyptian ways of thinking and those current at the end of the twentieth century. Passages from ancient sources are frequently used to illustrate and illuminate. Quirke assumes a serious interest on the part of his readers, and repays them with clearly written, deeply considered look at an ancient system of beliefs.
London: British Museum Press, 1992. Softcover, 192 pages, with index. Black and white illustrations.
Temples of Ancient Egypt
Edited By Byron Shafer
What went on in the temples of Ancient Egypt? Why were they built? Did they function in the same way as mosques or churches or temples in modern times? The essays in this book will help to answer these questions. The essays are scholarly, but clear, and filled with interesting insights and information. Teachers and highly motivated students will enjoy these discussions and learn a great deal about Egyptian religion. Not for elementary students, and not a general reference book. Hardcover, 335 pages with index, many black and white illustrations. Also edited by Byron E. Shafer, Religion in Ancient Egypt. (Cornell, 1991.) A very fine introduction to Ancient Egyptian beliefs and practices, with essays by John Baines, Leonard H. Lesko, and David P. Silverman. Students will have to read at University level to appreciate this book.
Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press,1997. Softcover, 217 pages with index, black and white illustrations, helpful footnotes.
The Gods of Ancient Egypt
By Barbara Watterson
Watterson's essays on the gods and goddesses of Egypt are all clear, trustworthy, and well-written. She relates the gods to their mythology, to the sites where they were worshipped, and to what we know of their cults. Introductory essays and glossary, maps and charts add to the value of this book. It would be very useful for high school students and teachers, probably too difficult for elementary pupils.
New York: Facts on File, 1984. Hardcover, 208 pages with index. Black and white illustrations.
