Hieroglyphs and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt

by Werner Forman and Stephen Quirke

Book Overview

Quirke is an Egyptian antiquities curator at the British Museum. He tells the history of three texts designed to guarantee life beyond death the Pyramid Texts, the Coffin Texts, and the Book of the Dead and discusses a pharaonic tradition that spanned 3,000 years. Illustrated with color photographs

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806127511
• ISBN13: 9780806127514
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.8" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

A REAL TREASURE FOR BEGINNERS AND A DELIGHT FOR THE LEARNED!

The book written by Dr. Quirke (Egyptian Curator at the British Museum, London) and illustrated by Mr. Forman (Photographer) is most recommendable. With a clear and concise style, the former introduces to us the historical evolution of the traditional religious literature of Ancient Egypt, i.e., the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts and Book of the Dead, not only focusing on the "historical" process but also in the evolution of the contents and the mental horizon expressed therein. There are excellent editions and translations of all of the aforesaid "Egyptian books", but very few in which the connection between the three of them can be traced so neatly as in this one. The superb color plates of the second co-author are an actual mine of visual information on monuments for which much has been written but less has been shown. Most recommended for students of ancient Egyptian religion and writing!!