Product Description

"Magic in Ancient Egypt" makes a welcome reappearance in this revised and updated edition. The Egyptians were famous in the ancient world for their knowledge of magic. Religion, medicine, technology and what we would call magic co-existed without apparent conflict, and it was not unusual for magical and 'practical' remedies for illness, for example, to be used side by side. Magic was resorted to by everyone, from the pharaoh guarding his country with elaborate magical rituals to the expectant mother wearing amulets to safeguard her unborn child. The book examines the fascinating connections between myth and magic, and the deities such as Bes and Isis who had special magical importance. It discusses the techniques of magic, its practitioners and the surviving magical texts, as well as the objects which were used in magic: figurines, statues, amulets and wands. A chapter is devoted to medicine and magic, and one to magic and the dead. Finally, it shows how elements and influences from Egyptian magic survived in or were taken up by later societies, right up to the 21st century.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63506 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 190 pages

Review
"...this work is a splendid introduction." C.C. Lamberg-Karlovsky, Harvard University, Choice "...a thorough and thoughtful treatment of a world in which science, magic and religion coexisted." Bob Brier, Natural History 'Egypt was the mother of magicians' - Clement of Alexandria"

About the Author
Dr Geraldine Pinch lectures in Egyptology at Oxford University. She is the author of numerous books on ancient Egypt.

Customer Reviews

Beautifully written- clear and concise.
An absolutley brilliant book. It's like looking through a window into a different world. All the details are there. It's so interesting to know how people used to live, (and still do in parts of the world!) A lot of research and effort went into the book and a very interesting read.