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Compiled by the House of
Netjer
Last updated:
Sunday, July 08, 2001
The following books about ancient Egypt's religion, culture and philosophy
are recommended (not required) reading for devotees of Kemetic
Orthodoxy. Inclusion of a book on this list does not mean we must
agree with everything any book says or that our recommended readings must include
official Kemetic Orthodox teachings. We believe familiarity with these texts
can enhance understanding of our religion, as well as make readers aware of
modern controversies and issues concerning ancient Egypt and its religion. Longer
"book reviews" of selected texts can be found on our book
review pages.
Be sure to visit our online bookstore where you
can acquire some of the books listed below!
Funerary Texts
Allen, T.G., trans. The Book of the Dead or Going
Forth By Day: Ideas of the Ancient Egyptians concerning the hereafter as
expressed in their own terms. Oriental Institute of the University of
Chicago, Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization #37, 1974. ISBN
226-6240-2.
This is the best direct English
translation currently available of all known source texts collectively referred
to as the "Book of the Dead." |
Ellis, Normandi. Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead..
Phanes Press.
A retranslation of the contents of
Papyrus Ani into modern English, with additional chapters written by the author.
Not a scholarly text (Ellis bases her work on a paraphrase of the work of Sir E.
A. Wallis Budge), but thought-provoking and beautiful. An audio version is
available. |
Faulkner, R.O., trans. The Ancient Egyptian Book of
the Dead. University of Texas Press, Austin, 1990. ISBN
0-292-70425-9.
Another direct translation, this one
containing full-color reproductions from different papyri. More accessible than
Allen due to its chapter-and-paragraph layout. Highly
recommended.
ibid. The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts.
Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1978. Out of print.
A volumes-long look at the Middle Kingdom funerary texts painted
onto the tops and sides of coffins.
ibid. The Ancient Egyptian
Pyramid Texts. Warminster: Aris & Phillips. Out of
print.
Before the Book of the Dead and the
Coffin Texts, there were the Pyramid Texts, enigmatic funerary formulas for the
transition of the deceased Old Kingdom ruler into the afterworld. These are some
of Kemet's oldest surviving religious texts. A paperback version of this
compilation is sporadically available; if you see one, pick it up, as the book
is hard to find.
ibid. The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book
of Going Forth By Day: The First Authentic Presentation of the Complete Papyrus
of Ani, featuring integrated texts and full color images. Chronicle
Books, San Francisco, 1994. ISBN 0-8118-0767-3.
The
title says it all: a retranslation and new presentation of Papyrus Ani, in the
correct sequence and with the reproductions of the papyrus corresponding to
where the words are. Corrects many of Budge's mistakes, and has wondrous
commentary. A must for any Kemetic library. Oversized. |
Piankoff, A. The Pyramid Texts of Unas. Bollingen
Series, Egyptian Religious Texts and Representations, 1957. Out of print.
Comprising another volume in Bollingen's set of
reproductions/translations of Kemetic texts, the Pyramid Texts of Unas are
perhaps the best known and most complete of the Pyramid Texts. Highly
recommended.
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