The Book of the Dead: The History and Legacy of Ancient Egypt’s Famous Funerary Texts

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes passages from the texts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents Given the abundance of funerary artifacts that have been found within the sands of Egypt, it sometimes seems as though the Ancient Egyptians were more concerned with the matters of the afterlife than they were with matters of the life they experienced from day to day. This is underscored most prominently by the pyramids, which have captured the world’s imagination for centuries. The pyramids of Egypt are such recognizable symbols of antiquity that for millennia, people have made assumptions about what they are and why they exist, without full consideration of the various meanings these ancient symbolic structures have had over the centuries. Generations have viewed them as symbols of a lost past, which in turn is often portrayed as a world full of romance and mystery. This verbal meaning has become associated with the structures through the tourism industry, where intrigue obviously boosts ticket sales. In fact, the Egyptian pyramids are so old that they were also drawing tourists even in ancient times. In antiquity, the Great Pyramid of Giza was listed as one of Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, and it is the only one still surviving today. Though the ancient tombs have been extensively plundered, they still stand as gateways to the afterlife that provide a murky window into the past of a fascinating civilization. Most importantly, the relatively untouched tomb of the young King Tutankhamun offered clear insight. Many of the objects that were discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb were clearly made specifically for him and his burial, such as the coffins, funerary masks, canopic equipment and statues. Other objects, such as the furniture, clothing, and chariots, were obviously items that had been used during Tutankhamun’s lifetime. The motifs found upon many of his possessions depicted him in triumph over his enemies. For example, a painted wooden chest bears a fine example of such a scene; the king is shown in his chariot, followed by his troops, attacking a group of Nubians. Scenes depicting aggression and triumph over Egypt’s enemies by Egypt’s king are classical examples of Egyptian kingship. To accomplish all the necessities the Egyptians believed in, they relied on spells and invocations, which were collected in a series of funerary texts such as the Pyramid Texts. By the era of the New Kingdom, the most popular funerary text was The Book of the Dead, one of the most evocative titles of literature in the history of humankind. Its mystical writings offer a glimpse into a realm of magical thinking beyond the skills of most writers of fiction. Resplendent with highly accomplished artwork, The Book of the Dead has enraptured scholars and laymen for centuries. For that reason, it may surprise many that The Book of the Dead does not actually exist as a book. In fact, what is referred to as The Book of the Dead today is actually the accumulation of around 400 spells that exist in transliteration and translation from the whole gamut of Egyptian history. The name was given to this collection of texts by modern Egyptologists, but the fact remains that no one text contains all of the spells associated with this body of work. To the ancient Egyptians, these spells would have loosely contributed to a collection known as The Book of Coming Forth by Day. This moniker is extremely important to the understanding of its primary returning from the depths of “night.” The Egyptian concept of “coming forth by day” meant rebirth, just as the sun is “reborn” each morning after its “death” at sunset.

Genres: Audiobook, History

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 20, 2019

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Moonkiszt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Throughout my whole life I've heard of the Book of the Dead. . .and at one point in my life wanted to be an Egyptologist, but was easily pulled from that perch when I was told I had to be British to accomplish such a feat. Still, the Book of the Dead haunted me.

When it showed up in a list of available reads on Scribd. . .well I jumped.

Guess what! It IS the book of the dead. . . a prayer for the dead guy/gal/cat/servant found under this instruction manual. This particular book explaining books of the dead was very dusty and dry. He did the job. I feel like I know enough for the time being, and enough to be just as dangerous as necessary. Thankfully, it is a short book, with long knowledge.

[book.to.frame · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! I have always been intrigued by Egypt and learning about the death rituals was great.

[Nerine Dorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for an actual translation of the ancient Egyptian funerary texts, then this little audiobook brought out by Charles Rivers Editors is not going to be for you. The Book of the Dead: The History and Legacy of Ancient Egypt’s Famous Funerary Texts is exactly what it says it is – and it's a (very) brief, somewhat shallow glance at the complex funerary texts and their applications in ancient Egypt over the ages.

Narrator Jim D Johnston does a fair job narrating this short audiobook that, if you're anything like me – an armchair Egyptologist who's read widely and deeply over the years – you're bound to be slightly let down by the content. I learnt nothing new here, so I would recommend this more for people who are going to use this as a starting point for their own studies.

We can tell much about a culture based on the objects found in tombs, and the sheer attention to detail the ancient Egyptians invested in their art has provided a veritable treasure trove for archaeologists, despite the plundering of the final resting places of all their material wealth, in most cases. The gist of the whole deal with the ancient Egyptian books of the dead is that we're not dealing with *a* book of the dead, but rather an ever-changing selection of spells inscribed at first on the walls of tombs, and on coffins, and eventually on papyri buried with the deceased. These spells assured a safe journey into the Amduat (netherworld) and offered protection from many ills, among other things.

If you're new to the study of ancient Egypt, then this rather 'slim' volume might be right for you. But if this is not your first rodeo in terms of researching history, rather seek elsewhere.

[Daryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful to Improved Understanding

This is a good overview and summary of the various translations of the Ancient Egyptian's Book of the Dead. It is extensively footnotes and a resource list is provided. Reading this book gives the reader a sense of how the ancient Egyptians lived, died, and believed. It also gives examples that seem to connect to our many and varied religious beliefs. Interesting reading indeed.

[April Ferry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and interesting

Great book for those who want to learn a little about ancient Egypt and beliefs during that time. The author gave detailed explanations about each new topic.

[Joanne Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ancient history fascinates me. This was a very interesting look into the ancient Egyptians and their death rituals. If ancient history is your jam, this is a nice quick read.

[Neveen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a comprehensive and simple book. I highly recommend it.