It lasted 3,000 years, longer than any other on the planet. Its Great Pyramid of Cheops was the tallest building in the world until well into the 19th century and remains the only Ancient Wonder still standing. And it was the most technologically advanced of the ancient civilizations, with the medical knowledge that made Egyptian physicians the most famous in the world.Yet even after deciphering its hieroglyphs, and marveling at its scarabs, mummies, obelisks, and sphinxes, Egyptian civilization remains one of history's most mysterious, as "other" as it is extraordinary. This chronological survey presents the complete history of ancient Egypt's three great Kingdoms: the Old Kingdom, when the pyramids were built and Egypt became a nation under the supreme rule of the pharaoh and the rules of Egyptian art were established; the Middle Kingdom, when Egypt was a nation fighting to restore its greatness; and the New Kingdom, when all the names we know today-Hatshepsut, Tutankhamen, Ramses the Great, Cleopatra, and others-first appeared.Listening Length: 24 hours and 25 minutes

    It contains twenty-six lessons, exercises (with answers), a list of hieroglyphic signs, and a dictionary, as well as twenty-five essays on the most important aspects of ancient Egyptian history, society, religion and literature. It also offers scholars of linguistics a complete grammatical description of the classical language of ancient Egypt.

    His discovery of the Lost City of the Dead is a fluke—but to British librarian Evelyn Carnahan it's the archaeological find of the century. The city contains all the treasures of Egypt and possibly the secrets of life and death. Leading Evelyn's expedition deep into the Sahara isn't exactly easy money, though, as Rick must dodge death traps, escape the jaws of man-eating beetles, and even duel a hook-handed mercenary. And just when he's caught his breath, a long ago evil returns from the grave—with a taste for human flesh...

    Photographer Britta Le Va, a longtime admirer of the novels of Mahfouz, guides us through his pages and treads his streets to produce a collection of visual images of the city. Each complements a verbal image selected from Mahfouzs writings. In his introduction, novelist Gamal al-Ghitani describes a walking tour with the novelist through the streets of Gamaliya, the heart of the old city where both of themmore than thirty years apartwere born and raised. Mahfouz reminisces and remarks on what has changed and what has not in eight decades

    Pharaoh Akhenaten founded the city of Amarna 3,500 years ago. In this millennial exhibition of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the fascinating Amarna Period of ancient Egypt comes to life through more than 250 beautiful works of sculpture, architectural elements, ceramic ware, jewelry, clothing, tools, and furniture from renowned international collections. Essays by leading Egyptian scholars describe this time of unprecedented change in Egyptian art and architecture, technology, the role of women, and religion, specifically the transition from polytheism to monotheism. Pharaohs of the Sun is a rare opportunity to explore and understand the beauty of Amarna culture, a time that captures the imagination as no other period of Egyptian antiquity has.

    For the first time, this vast heritage is revealed in all its unparalleled glory ill hundreds of magnificent full-color photographs -- including many breathtaking close-ups and details -- and texts by some of the world's leading Egyptologists. Alongside the legendary treasures of Tutankhamun are some of the most impressive examples of Egyptian sculpture, wall paintings, and decorative art from the pyramid complexes of Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur, the royal necropolis of Thebes, and the Temple of Karnak, among other fascinating sites.From the finest jewelry to the most imposing statues, every artifact is captured in startling clarity -- with special lighting techniques that evoke, as never before, the awe and wonder inspired by these fabulous ancient treasures.

    Full of folk history, vivid recreations of Egyptian goddess mysteries, and contemporary activities we all can use to mark life's seasons and passages, Feasts of Light will delight lovers of ancient Egypt and of the Goddess in her many guises.

    Erik Hornung, the world's leading authority on these religious texts, surveys what is known about them today.The contents of the texts range from the collection of spells in the Book of the Dead, which was intended to offer practical assistance on the journey to the afterlife, to the detailed accounts of the hereafter provided in the Books of the Netherworld. Hornung looks closely at these latter works, while summarizing the contents of the Book of the Dead and other widely studied examples of the genre. For each composition, he discusses the history of its ancient transmission and its decipherment in modern times, supplying bibliographic information for any text editions. He also seeks to determine whether this literature as a whole presents a monolithic conception of the afterlife. The volume features many drawings from the books themselves--drawings that illustrate the nocturnal course of the sun god through the realm of the dead.Originally published in German and now available in a fluid English translation, this volume offers an accessible and enlightening introduction to a central element of ancient Egyptian religion.

    Format: 7 tracks, Audio CDPublisher: Greathall ProductionsNarrator: Jim WeissISBN: 1882513479

    Essays by leading Egyptian scholars describe this time of unprecedented change in art and architecture, technology, the role of women, and religion.

    Jim Antoniou takes his readers on a guided walk through the very heart of historic Cairo, among many of its greatest architectural treasures. Illustrated throughout with the author's own detailed maps and plans and lively sketches, the walk begins at the monumental gates in the north walls of the Fatimid city, follows the ancient thoroughfare of al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah south past Khan al Khalili and al-Ghuriya to the Street of the Tentmakers, turns left along the famous Darb al-Ahmar of the Arabian Nights, and ends at the magnificent mosque of Sultan Hasan at the foot of the Citadel. Over ninety historic buildings along the way are identified and described, many of them open to visitors.

    With the goal of bringing home a clear and accurate visual record of the region, he returned with a portfolio he described

    Journey with Ra, the sun deity, through the hot daytime skies, down through the Gates of Night, and into the Land of the Dead. Follow the romance of Isis and Osiris, and the war that resulted from their love. An entire story cycle centers on Ramses the Great, known for his wealth and cunning, military triumphs, and monument building.

    As a builder he created spectacular monuments - the two temples at Abu Simbel, the royal city of Piramesse and the Ramesseum, his mortuary temple, whose ruins inspired Shelley's poem, Ozymandias. As a warrior, Ramesses the Great expanded Egyptian sovereignty from Nubia in the south to Syria in the west. Drawing upon original government documents of the royal offices, as well as the magnificent record of his military victories and religious rites, recounted in wall paintings, bas-reliefs and colossal statues, this book builds up a picture of this exceptional pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty, who did so much to shape Egypt.

    The abundant archaeological remains are complemented by tens of thousands of texts documenting the thoughtsand activities of the villagers. This book combines translations of over 200 of these texts spanning the entire range of preserved genres with stunning illustrations.

    Conquering Egypt, its kings ruled the Nile Valley, from the Mediterranean as far as Khartoum, for half a century. This was a period of dramatic historical events, dominated by the expansion of the Assyrian Empire into Syria and Palestine. The Nubians supported the kings of Israel against Assyria, but even Egypt itself was invaded. Allied with the Assyrians, the Libyan princes of Sais succeeded in ousting the Nubians and reuniting Egypt under their own rule. Despite these constant wars, this was also a period of artistic renaissance, attested by many building works in Egypt and Sudan, by a striking series of portrait sculptures, and the splendid burial treasures of the royal family. Withdrawal from Egypt did not mark the end of the Kushite state, which continued for nearly 1000 years.

    These remarkable works of art are the concrete expression of the ancient Egyptians' way of life and their attitudes to religion and the afterlife. In this clear and comprehensive introduction, Jaromir Malek deftly traces Egyptian art from its prehistoric origins, through 3, 000 years of astonishing achievements in the era of the pharaohs, to the conquest of Egypt by the Romans.

    Egypt is a perfect case in point, almost a blank slate for most of us as it regards details of their everyday life. This useful and informative book attempts to set the record straight by offering a distinctive take on that most mythologized of epochs. Who would have guessed, for example, that the first strike in recorded history took place in 1152 BC during work on the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings, a protest by construction workers against delayed deliveries of oil and flour? Two fairly banal commodities maybe, but essential: oil protected the skin against the savage desert climate, whilst flour was the base ingredient for thirty different kinds of nutritional cake. It is this detailed examination of the evidence that distinguishes this volume, with chapters on

    Here are the great and the famous, from Cleopatra to Tutankhamun, but here also are the grave-robber Amenwah, Nakht the gardener and Sebaster the hairdresser.The whole arena of Egyptian life is expressed in these pages. Not only are there nearly a thousand biographies, there is also a chapter on 'Encountering Ancient Egyptians', sections on kingship and on religion, a chronology, a glossary and maps. A combination of erudite scholarship and a clear and accessible style, this volume opens up the world of the ancient Egyptians to all those with an interest in the subject in a way that has never been done before.

    The story is supplemented by an introduction with maps, kit lists, illustrations, a centre section with actual photographs, and an epilogue with the final map positions, fatalities and a note on the significance of the battle.

    By the early 20th century, 61 had been discovered, but Howard Carter was determined to find the tomb of Tutankhamun, a boy king who came to the throne aged 9, in 1333 B.C. In 1922, Carter uncovered some steps in the sand that led down to a sealed door. An unimaginable store of Egyptian treasures was about to be revealed. This book tells the story of Carter's discoverey. Superb illustrations invite the reader to share his excitement at the wondrous treasures he found, and through them to learn about everyday life in Tutankhamun's life.

    During this period--a span of more than four thousand years--Egyptian craftsmen developed and used a wide range of sophisticated techniques to produce artworks of dazzling quality. Although operating within a series of rigid conventions, their work displays a level of creativity--and even audacity--that remains unmatched. The authors, all of whom are leading Egyptologists and curators of major museums, have selected one hundred and thirty of the most significant pieces from within the Louvre's collection to illustrate and accompany this survey of the development of art in ancient Egypt. These pieces, all of which are fully illustrated in newly-commissioned color photographs, range from familiar masterpieces to little-known artifacts. Together they present a chronological survey of Egyptian art and the civilization that created it, from the supremely elegant stone and ivory-work of the Naqada I period (ca. 3900 BC) through the golden age of dynastic Egypt's statuary and painting to the flowering of Coptic art (100-600 AD).

    The tales are lively, well-written versions that make the drama and excitement of each story accessible to children of all ages.

    One cannot help being won over by Winn’s enthusiasm and intellectual energy.” — The Times“Strangely gripping.” — The Scotsman“If you meet a man named Ian Winn at a party, make your excuses and run.” — The Big Issue“I loved (this) book. Could not put it down until I finished it. This novel runs perilously close to pornography, shocks, startles, pushes to the limits of decency. But the most startling thing of all is that it conforms to the age old prophesy that the second coming of Christ will come when and where you least expect it. I am not concerned with the idea that the second coming will be an actual person (I doubt if the first coming was an actual man) but will be a new kind of consciousness breaking in on mankind.” — Robert A. Johnson, Jungian analyst and best-selling author of He, She, We, Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche and Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth

    2650-2150 B.C.E.), the first golden age of Ancient Egypt, was a period that defined the culture's artistic style for centuries to come. It was during this time that the great pyramids of Giza, the only remaining wonders of the ancient world, were built. When Greek historian Herodotus saw these monuments in the fifth century B.C.E., he was told they were constructed by the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. Ironically, today, 170 years after their hieroglyphics were deciphered and extensive archaeological research has been conducted, we do not know much more than Herodotus did about this magnificent era of Egyptian art. During the Old Kingdom, artists worked in an array of mediums and techniques, using wood, and precious metals to create monumental statues, reliefs, and wall paintings. Some four millennia later, these works of art maintain their power to move the viewer. "When the Pyramids Were Built: Egyptian Art of the Old Kingdom" is the catalogue that accompanies a landmark exhibition organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Reunion des Musees Nationaux in Paris, and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. The show brings together 115 Old Kingdom masterworks from museum collections throughout the world.Included in the exhibition, as well as this volume, are sculptures executed with such an acute observation of musculature and body movement that they brought an unprecedented realism to the rendering of men, women, children, and animals. Several depictions of family groups in particular show the sensitivity with which the Old Kingdom artists illuminated human relationships. Individual masterpieces include the monumental statue of Heminu, thought to be responsible for the construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza; groups representing the Fourth Dynasty king Menkaure with a queen and various deities; and a unique alabaster statuette showing Sixth Dynasty queen Ank-nes-meryre II holding her son, the child king Pepi II, in her lap.The lively text by Dorothea Arnold offers an overview of the history, society, and art of the Old Kingdom, and an informative discussion of each of the illustrated works. All of the pieces were newly photographed for this book by Bruce White.

    Illustrations and essays bring this panopoly of Old Kingdom objects to life.

    These books teach about fascinating times in world history through the eyes of a child from that period. Your students will learn about ancient Rome, the Great Depression, and the ancient Maya in a way they'll never forget.

    John Richardson's in-depth examination shows how the third opera of Glass's famous trilogy, the story of an adrogynous monarch who authored radical social and religious reforms, encapsulates Glass's ideational orientation at the time, both in terms of his unique conception of music theater and with regard to broader social questions. Glass's nontraditional musical syntax, his experimental, minimalist approach, and his highly ambiguous tonality have resisted interpretation, but Richardson overcomes those difficulties by developing new theoretical models through which to analyze both the work and its genesis.In Akhnaten, Richardson says, the composer's concepts of sound and dramatic context, cultural theory, and gender construction intersect, providing perhaps the best demonstration of "the very nature of Glass's aesthetic, which places a strong emphasis on implicit levels of signification and steers clear of conventional 'story telling' narrative strategies." Careful explanations of theory and compositional strategies, close readings of the work itself, consideration of the collaborative aspects of the opera's evolution, and incorporation of previously unpublished interviews with Glass himself combine to illuminate both a landmark work of contemporary musical theater and a dominant figure on the American musical landscape.

    Rosicrucianism, Mormonism, and Afrocentrism all share Egyptian-derived elements. Modern-day esoteric endeavors find an endlessly renewable intellectual reservoir in ancient Egyptian culture, Erik Hornung believes, and are almost inconceivable without Egypt. Although such persistence assures Egyptosophical ideas an extraordinarily widespread impact, the field of Egyptology has largely overlooked this phenomenon.In The Secret Lore of Egypt, Hornung traces the influence of the esoteric image of Egypt, especially as it is manifested by the god Thoth, on European intellectual history since antiquity and finds it reasserted even today in the United States. From Gnostic writings and Romantic poetry to Freemasonry and the Theosophist movement, Egyptian deities re-emerge in ever-surprising guises. Since ancient times, Egypt has been associated with esoteric practices and beliefs and regarded as the source of all secret knowledge--an association that, Hornung says, is only loosely connected with historical reality.

    Using this work as his primary source, Dieter Arnold has reconstructed and redrawn all of the lost buildings of the Late Period--some in computer assisted images--and redrawn all other available plans. These, along with superb photographs of extant temples dating to Ptolemaic and Roman times, are included in this book on the formal and stylistic development of Egyptian temple architecture.Set against the background of the fascinating struggle of Egyptian culture with Assyrian, Greek, Persian, and Roman instrusion, the study places special emphasis on the survival of Egyptian building elements in Roman and Medieval European architecture. The book includes descriptions of building volume, stylistic evaluations, and foreign connections of the monuments as well as a detailed account of all known building activities from the end of the New Kingdom (c 716 BC) to the end of the Roman period.

    Art experts examine the history of the Old Kingdom, the architecture of royal pyramid complexes and nonroyal tombs, statuary, reliefs, minor arts, and the history of excavations of Old Kingdom monuments. They also focus on individual works that illuminate a tradition that endured for 3,000 years. The texts are generously supported by 540 illustrations (420 in color) of plans, drawings, and reproductions of the works in the exhibition as well as comparative material.