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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!
History and Society
Clayton, Peter. Chronicle of the Pharaohs: The
Reign-By-Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt.
Thames & Hudson, 1994. ISBN 0-500-05074-0.
Exactly as the title suggests, this coffee-table
book is a perfect crash course in Kemetic history, going through the
lines of rulers from the shadowy Horus Qaa, Scorpion and Nar-mer to
the last of the Ptolemies, Cleopatra VII. Plenty of pictures, charts
and information for any Egyptophile, and remarkably error-free for a
mass-market book. Highly recommended. |
Gardiner, Sir Alan. Egyptian Grammar: Being An Introduction to
the Study of Hieroglyphs. Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum,
Oxford, 1957 (3rd ed., 1988). ISBN 0-900416-35-1.
The authority in college courses, Gardiner's
book remains the best comprehensive resource on learning to write and
read hieroglyphs (Old through Middle Kingdom), though a worthy successor
by professor James Hoch is in the works and should be available by the
end of 1998. Gardiner's tome is expensive ($70 at this writing) but
essential for the serious student of Kemetic language and the hieroglyphic
script. |
Parker, R.A. The Calendars of Ancient Egypt.
Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1950. Out of print.
A detailed comparison of different papyri and texts
to complete a calendar of Kemet, with festivals, etc. Compares the three
different types of Kemetic calendars as well (solar/lunar/civil). |
Romer, John. Ancient Lives: Daily Life in Egypt of the Pharaohs.
Henry Holt & Company, 1984. ISBN 0-8050-1244-3.
A social history of one well-documented Kemetic community:
the New Kingdom to Late Period "City of the Artisans" at Deir
el-Medina outside the Valley of the Kings at modern-day Luxor. Useful
for a glimpse of the lives of the families of one village across several
centuries, and Romer's nonscholarly style will engage even a beginner. |
Snowden, Jr., Frank M. Blacks in Antiquity: Ethiopians
in the Greco-Roman Experience. Belknap-Harvard, 1970. ISBN 0-674-07626-5.
An excellent treatment of the subject of Africans,
including ancient Egyptians, in the classical Mediterranean world: their
function and expression in Greco-Roman history, their contributions
to classical culture, etc. An important and often overlooked subject. |
Trigger, B.G.; Kemp, B.J.; O'Connor, D.; and Lloyd, A.B. Ancient
Egypt: A Social History. Cambridge University Press, 1983.
What Erman began for the study of Kemetic culture
with Life in Ancient Egypt, this team of scholars brings full
circle. Chronologically arranged from Predynastic to Late Periods, this
book details the social structure of Kemetic life as evidenced through
hard data (archaeological finds, study of bodies, structures, texts
and other contemporary societies). One of the most useful introductions
to Kemetic culture in print. Additionally important is its detailed
history of Nubia, and Kemet's relation to other African nations before
and after its time, not often seen in Egyptology books. |
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