Temples of Ancient Egypt

Rating:
Summary: For the avid Egyptophile
Review: Shafer, et al have compiled a very well written and extremely in-depth examination of the meaning and importance of temples in ancient Egypt. All the sections were fascinating but I especially found Lanny Bell's treatment of Luxor temple (derived from his many years of work there), Gerhard Haeny's section on Mansions of Millions of Years, and Finnestad's chapter on Ptolemaic temples (really a discussion of the context of this period of temples) to be especially engaging. All of these added greatly to my understanding of the topics they addressed. I would recommend this to any serious Egyptophile with the caveat that it is all written largely in scholarly terms. They don't entirely assume prior knowledge but without some foundation in Egyptological literature, readers might find this interesting but a bit thick.

Rating:
Summary: thought-provoking and fascinating
Review: This thought-provoking book is comprised of comprehensive essays written by various established scholars. Amongst the topics covered are religion, creation, kingship and the netherworld. The book consists of fascinating surveys of the Ancient Egyptian temples. Byron Shafer gives an overview of temples and rituals; Dieter Arnold explains the evolution of the pyramids through the Middle Kingdom; Gerhard Haeny explained the temples of the Ramessid Period; Lanny Bell describes the Luxor Temple (the monument most visited by tourists); and Ragnbild Finnestad writes on Ptolemaic and Roman temples. A recommended book for the interested.

Rating:
Summary: thought-provoking and fascinating
Review: This thought-provoking book is comprised of comprehensive essays written by various established scholars. Amongst the topics covered are religion, creation, kingship and the netherworld. The book consists of fascinating surveys of the Ancient Egyptian temples. Byron Shafer gives an overview of temples and rituals; Dieter Arnold explains the evolution of the pyramids through the Middle Kingdom; Gerhard Haeny explained the temples of the Ramessid Period; Lanny Bell describes the Luxor Temple (the monument most visited by tourists); and Ragnbild Finnestad writes on Ptolemaic and Roman temples. A recommended book for the interested.