The reign of the “heretic pharaoh” Akhenaten—the so-called Amarna Period—witnessed an unprecedented attack on the cult of Amun, King of the Gods, with his cult center at ancient Thebes (modern Luxor). A program to reinstate Amun to pre-eminence in the traditional pantheon was instituted by Akhenaten’s successors Tutankhamun, Ay, and Horemhab. Damaged reliefs and inscriptions were restored and new statues of Amun and his consorts Mut and Amunet commissioned to replace those destroyed under Akhenaten. In this study, over 60 statues and fragments of statues attributable to the post-Amarna Period on the basis of an inscription, physiognomy, and/or stylistic analysis are discussed, as well as others that have been incorrectly assigned to the era.

An international group of scholars have contributed to Joyful in Thebes, a Festschrift for the distinguished Egyptologist Betsy M. Bryan. The forty-two articles deal with topics of art history, archaeology, history, and philology representing virtually the entire span of ancient Egyptian civilization. These diverse studies, which often present unpublished material or new interpretations of specific issues in Egyptian history, literature, and art history, well reflect the broad research interests of the honoree. Abundantly illustrated with photographs and line drawings, the volume also includes a comprehensive bibliography of Bryan's publications through 2015.

Included section "Book reviews"