|
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!
Theology, Mythology, and Philosophy
Hart, George. A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses.
Routledge, 1986 .ISBN 0-415-05909-7.
An encyclopedic look at the Names of Netjer in alphabetical order. Not
exhaustive by any means, but handy, easily accessible and better than
Budge. |
Hornung, Erik; [translated from German by John Baines].
Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and The Many. Cornell
University Press, 1982. ISBN 0-8014-1223-4.
A thought-provoking look at the philosophy behind
Kemetic religion, Kemetic concepts of Deity, and their contribution
to the development of other world religions and philosophies, masterfully
translated from the original German by Egyptologist John Baines. Not
for beginners. Very highly recommended. |
Lesko, Barbara S. The Great Goddesses of Egypt. University
of Oklahoma (Norman) Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8061-3202-7.
A refreshing indepth study of some of the female Names:
Nut, Nit, Nekhebet/Wadjet, Hethert, Mut; and their temples and clergy,
by an accredited Egyptologist, but written for a wider general audience.
Borders on feminist preachiness here and there, but otherwise an excellent,
well-thought out resource for those interested in the feminine aspects
of Kemetic deity. |
Meeks, Dimitri and Christine Favard; [translated
from French by G. M. Goshgarian]. Daily Life of the Egyptian Gods.
Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-801-43115-8.
The next groundbreaking book since Conceptions of God
in Ancient Egypt, Daily Life may well replace Hornung as
the most comprehensive study on Kemetic theology. The Meeks take an
interesting perspective, which is to present the Names of Netjer as
if they were a people and the book were an anthropological study of
a living tribe. Covers the philosophical intricacies of ancient Egyptian
religion as well as some of the hard facts: rites, temples, priesthood,
and the three-tiered calendrical system tied into the festival days
of the Names. May not be for beginners, but is more accessible than
Hornung. Available both in hardback and paperback. Highly recommended.
|
Morenz, Siegfried. [translated from German] Egyptian Religion.
Cornell Paperbacks. ISBN 0-8014-8029-9.
A wonderful discussion of Kemetic religion from
both theological and philosophical perspectives. Not an easy book to
read, but a valuable one; I believe it to be superior to Henri Frankfort's
book of the same title. |
Piankoff, A. Mythological Papyri. Bollingen
Series, Egyptian Religious Texts and Representations, 1957. Out
of print.
A collection of funerary papyri from a cache of tombs for
priests of the Name of Netjer known as Amen-Ra. A book with a transcription
of hieroglyphs and their English translation is accompanied by more
than 30 full reproductions of the papyri being discussed, several in
color. Rare but useful information regarding different manifestations
of Netjer and New Kingdom/Late Period funerary literature. |
Ritner, Robert Kriech. The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical
Practice. Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Studies
in Ancient Oriental Civilization #54, 1993. ISBN 0-918986-756-3.
Perhaps the most ambitious study of ancient Egyptian
"magic" to date, Ritner's dissertation is a compendium of source material
for the structure and form of rites practiced in Kemet. While materials
are limited for periods before the end of the New Kingdom (an issue
for all Egyptology), Ritner has done a spectacular job of bringing together
diverse symbolic, physical and theological points of interest, from
the use of prayer for medicinal purposes to execration, blessing, divination
and other ritual as "magic." Not for beginners; as a dissertation it
expects readers to be familiar with a number of Kemetic philosophical
arguments, and passages are rendered in hieroglyph, hieratic, demotic,
Arabic, Coptic and European languages without translation. |
Rundle-Clark, R.T. Myth and Symbol in Ancient
Egypt. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27112-7.
A concise discussion of the theology of Kemet as
well as its differing myth cycles, symbolic language, cosmology, etc. |
Schafer, Byron E., ed. Religion in Ancient Egypt: Gods, Myths and
Personal Practice. Cornell University Press, 1991. ISBN 0-8014-2550-6.
A collection of scholarly papers on Kemetic religion,
sacred kingship and conceptions of Netjer. |
Siuda, Rev. Tamara. (published as Tamara Siuda-Legan)
The Neteru of Kemet: An Introduction. Eschaton Productions, 1994.
ISBN 1-57353-105-7.
While my first book, a short (80-page) illustrated
workbook introducing 13 of the Names of Netjer, is becoming outdated
as I continue my studies (and will be replaced by a new and larger edition
in the near future), I still think it is a useful beginner's reference
to Netjer and Kemetic religion. Includes hymns and meditations.
A capsule review of The
Neteru of Kemet is available online from Obsidian magazine. |
Wilkinson, Richard H. Reading Egyptian Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide
to Ancient Egyptian Painting and Sculpture. Thames & Hudson,
1992. ISBN 0-500-27751-6.
First in a series of two excellent books, Wilkinson
walks the reader through Gardiner's hieroglyphic sign-list, explaining
the symbolic and artistic uses of each symbol with illustrated and/or
photographed examples. Highly recommended.
ibid. Symbol & Magic in Egyptian Art. Thames & Hudson,
1994. ISBN 0-500-23663-1.
Expanding on the basic ideas of Reading Egyptian Art,
Wilkinson's second book delves into other symbologies and iconographies
of Egyptian art, including the canon of proportion, color palette, materials
used, shapes, relative size and other artistic/stylistic elements, explaining
his points with photographs of actual objects, Kemetic temples, tombs
and papyri. Very highly recommended. |
<< Previous
||
Table of Contents
||
Next >>
|
