The Penguin Book of Myths and Legends of Ancient Egypt

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Penguin UK, Aug 5, 2010 - Religion - 400 pages

From Herodotus to The Mummy, Western civilization has long been fascinated with the exotic myths and legends of Ancient Egypt but they have often been misunderstood. Here acclaimed Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley guides us through 3000 years of changing stories and, in retelling them, shows us what they mean. Gathered from pyramid friezes, archaological finds and contemporary documents, these vivid and strange stories explain everything from why the Nile flooded every year to their beliefs about what exactly happened after death and shed fascinating light on what life was like for both rich and poor.

Lavishly illustrated with colour pictures, maps and family trees, helpful glossaries explaining all the major gods and timelines of the Pharoahs and most importantly packed with unforgettable stories, this book offers the perfect introduction to Egyptian history and civilization.

 

Contents

CONTENTS
Journey to the afterlife
Egypts gods
Dating dynastic Egypt
The divine twins
Ptah of Memphis
The court of the two truths
THE GREAT GODDESSES
The doomed prince
Great of Magic
Queen of heaven

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About the author (2010)

Archaeologist and historian, Joyce Tyldesley has written many successful books about ancient Egypt include acclaimed biographies of Rameses the Great, and Cleopatra (a Radio 4 Book of the Week), and of Egypt: How a Lost Civilization was Rediscovered, which accompanied a major BBC television series. She teaches Egyptology at Manchester University and is an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool University. She lives in Bolton, Lancashire

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