Books on Egypt and Chaldaea. Vol. I of the series. Third edition. With eight illustrations. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd., 1908 Cr.8vo. xvi,198pp. 8 illustrations. A very nice copy in the publisher's cloth. We have been selling antiquarian books on Africa, Oceania, archaeology, anthropology, travel and the ancient world for over forty years. All our books are carefully catalogued and they are in excellent condition unless stated in the description. All shipments are fully insured at our expense. All books are carefully packaged in new packaging material and despatched by registered or recorded mail, or by a courier service; the customer is always able to track their shipment. All sales are accompanied by a VAT invoice. Photographs may be supplied if requested.[B]

Synopsis

Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life places before the reader in a handy form an account of the principal ideas and beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians concerning the resurrection and the future life, which is derived wholly from native religious works. From the beginning to the end of his life the Egyptian's chief thought was of the life beyond the grave, and the hewing of his tomb in the rock, and the providing of its furniture, every detail of which was prescribed by the custom of the country, absorbed the best thoughts of his mind and a large share of his worldly goods, and kept him ever mindful of the time when his mummified body would be borne to his "everlasting house" in the limestone plateau or hill.The chief source of our information concerning the doctrine of the resurrection and of the future life as held by the Egyptians is, of course, the great collection of religious texts generally known by the name of "Book of the Dead." The various recensions of these wonderful compositions cover a period of more than five thousand years, and they reflect faithfully not only the sublime beliefs, and the high ideals, and the noble aspirations of the educated Egyptians, but also the various superstitions and childish reverence for amulets, and magical rites, and charms, which they probably inherited from their pre-dynastic ancestors, and regarded as essentials for their salvation. It must be distinctly understood that many passages and allusions in the Book of the Dead still remain obscure, and that in some places any translator will be at a difficulty in attempting to render certain, important words into any modern European language. But it is absurd to talk of almost the whole text of the Book of the Dead as being utterly corrupt, for royal personages, and priests, and scribes, to say nothing of the ordinary educated folk, would not have caused costly copies of a very lengthy work to be multiplied, and illustrated by artists possessing the highest skill, unless it had some meaning to them, and was necessary for the attainment by them of the life which is beyond the grave. The "finds" of recent years in Egypt have resulted in the recovery of valuable texts whereby numerous difficulties have been cleared away; and we must hope that the faults made in translating to-day may be corrected by the discoveries of to-morrow. In spite of all difficulties, both textual and grammatical, sufficient is now known of the Egyptian religion to prove, with certainty, that the Egyptians possessed, some six thousand years ago, a religion and a system of morality which, when stripped of all corrupt accretions, stand second to none among those which have been developed by the greatest nations of the world.

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Bookseller: Michael Graves-Johnston (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 17561
Title: Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life.
Author: BUDGE, E. A. Wallis
Book Condition: Used
Binding: Hardcover

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Michael Graves-Johnston

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About Michael Graves-Johnston

Since its foundation in 1978, Michael Graves-Johnston Antiquarian Books has established itself as a leading authority on rare and antiquarian books, manuscripts and photographs relating to Africa, the Pacific, and tribal and ancient civilisations.

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