Summary
Title: The Ancient Gods Speak: a Guide to Egyptian Religion
Author: Donald B. Redford
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195154010
Pro:
• Original scholarship available only in Redford’s books
• Perspectives of scholars from around the world
• Accessible to non-scholars, although some articles are specialized
Con:
• None
Description:
• Selections of recent scholarship on ancient Egyptian religion
• Encyclopedic format with in-depth essays and analyses
• 35 photographs and illustrations, detailed index, and suggestions for further reading
Book Review
Egyptian religion had such a singular character because it developed in the unique Egyptian context. Surrounded by deadly deserts, their culture grew along the fertile, life-giving Nile river. This resulted in an unusual tension between life and death which was not found in the cultures that developed along other river systems and which was not readily transferable to other places.
In part, this tension was expressed in the treatment of the dead. It may have been accidental that the Egyptians discovered that bodies buried in the hot sands became so desiccated that they failed to decompose; but once they discovered it, they learned to reproduce it. The result was mummification, a process which has come to symbolize Egyptian religion in a way only rivaled by the pyramids.
Egyptian religion came to rely upon mummification because the presence of a physical body is the key to the eternal continuation of a person’s consciousness. To live forever, it was necessary for the body to be preserved forever. Thus, although the spirit has no physical existence, it is still tied to the physical world. Unfortunately, such eternal preservation was not cheap, and as a result was reserved for royalty and a few wealthy government officials.
One interesting facet of Egyptian afterlife is the nature of judgment: those who die are not given automatic entrance to eternal bliss. Instead, the gods carefully weighed their actions in life against what they were supposed to have done. This judgment was based upon the Egyptian principle of maat, an ethical concept which focused upon maintaining the harmonious order of the universe.
Any violation of maat could bring down the whole system. Thus, disobedience to religious leaders was seen as inherently destructive. This may be a reason why Egypt experienced so little social unrest through most of its history.
Egyptian religion is fascinating, complex, and worth learning about — not just to understand it in its own right, but also to learn what impact it has on modern beliefs. To what extent do Jewish, Christian and Muslim ethics emphasize individual actions and maintaining universal harmony? In what way is their notion of spiritual existence tied to the physical body? Finally, how do they exhibit a tension between the life-giving fertility of their own beliefs and the life-denying deserts of the world outside their institutions? Specific doctrines of Egyptian religion have not been preserved, but perhaps some attitudes and premises remain.
Books about ancient Egypt generally fall into two categories: popular and academic. The popular books are often not every deep and usually just address the obvious and interesting issues which a general audience has come to expect. Academic books, while exploring a wider range of issues and with much more depth, are often not so accessible for average readers.
Every once in a while, though, a book is published that fits both worlds: accessible to a general audience while including the depth and breadth expected by scholars. Donald B. Redford edited such a volume, gathering over 90 articles from Egyptologists all over the world. These are not quick, superficial dictionary entries; instead, they are detailed articles, most of them long, which provide a real depth of understanding. Each is based upon years of research and represents some of the most up-to-date information available.
Redford’s book has 35 photographs and illustrations, a detailed index, and suggestions for further reading. All of the articles come from Redford’s earlier book, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, but he did not include the extensive bibliographies. If you already own that previous book, there is no need to buy this one. However, if you don’t have it and your interest lies primarily with Egyptian religious practices and beliefs, this is the perfect reference both for students and for a generally interested audience. All of the articles which appear in this volume were originally commissioned the Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, so one of these two books will be the only place you can access them.
