"Among the broad spectrum of ancient Egyptian religious literature, the Book of the Dead is the most representative of the mortuary religion and of the magical and ritual practices belonging to it. Moreover, its rich corpus of texts and images provides unique information on the scribal practices, mortuary traditions, myths, and priestly rituals in ancient Egypt from the 2nd Millennium BCE to the Roman Period. "Book of the Dead" is the conventional name given by Egyptologists to a collection of magical compositions called in ancient Egyptian "Book for coming forth by day". This title refers to the main wish of the deceased, who wished to be able to leave his tomb and move freely between this world and the next. Each Book of the Dead manuscript is unique, although we know of the existence of workshops where the papyri were bought and therefore a few common stylistic features can be recognized according to different regional traditions of writing and manufacture. The spells also present many and various parallels with other magical and ritual texts attested in temples, on magical objects, and amulets, showing that the mortuary literature had in fact a strong link with the daily religious life and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. This Handbook is the first guide to all the aspects and topics of research both in relation to the Book of the Dead itself and to broader research on ancient Egyptian religion and magic"--

This handbook, arranged in seven thematic sections, is unique in drawing together many different strands of research on Roman Egypt, in order to suggest both the state of knowledge in the field and the possibilities for collaborative, synthetic, and interpretive research.

Unites the disciplines of epigraphy and palaeography to describe the challenges and solutions in making and deciphering ancient text and art, Features valuable perspectives from an international team of experts, Discusses current theories with regard to the cultural setting and material realities of Egyptian remains, Clearly presents traditional and emerging techniques and challenges as a guide for future research Book jacket.

This handbook offers both students and teachers of ancient Greek religion a comprehensive overview of the current state of scholarship in the subject, from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods. It not only presents key information, but also explores the ways in which such information is gathered and the different approaches that have shaped the area. In doing so, the volume provides a crucial research and orientation tool for students of the ancient world, and also makes a vital contribution to the key debates surrounding the conceptualization of ancient Greek religion. The handbook's initial chapters lay out the key dimensions of ancient Greek religion, approaches to evidence, and the representations of myths. The following chapters discuss the continuities and differences between religious practices in different cultures, including Egypt, the Near East, the Black Sea, and Bactria and India. The range of contributions emphasizes the diversity of relationships between mortals and the supernatural - in all their manifestations, across, between, and beyond ancient Greek cultures - and draws attention to religious activities as dynamic, highlighting how they changed over time, place, and context.

Discover how the ancient Egyptians controlled their immortal destiny! This book, edited by Foy Scalf, explores what the Book of the Dead was believed to do, how it worked, how it was made, and what happened to it.

This volume is devoted to the analysis of the magical contents of a funerary papyrus belonging to the so-called "Book of the Dead" genre. The papyrus of Gatseshen, daughter of the High Priest of Amon Menkheperra (middle XXIst Dynasty), consists of almost 18 meters of beautifully written hieratic text and colourful vignettes. The author has attempted to reconstruct the history of composition and arrangement of this document, by investigating in detail the thematic connections between the different spells and vignettes. By comparing the layout of this papyrus with those produced in the same area and period, a new view of the funerary religion at Thebes during the XXIst Dynasty is outlined. The overall picture which can be gained by this comparative study is that of an innovative and lively tradition of funerary scrolls, which were used not only to protect the deceased during his journey in the netherworld, but also in order to express the religious ideas of its owners. A cd-rom containing colour photos of the papyrus is supplied with the volume.

"An emerging field of study that explores the Hispanic minority in the United States, Latino Studies is enriched by an interdisciplinary perspective. Historians, sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, demographers, linguists, as well as religion, ethnicity, and culture scholars, among others, bring a varied, multifaceted approach to the understanding of a people whose roots are all over the Americas and whose permanent home is north of the Rio Grande. Oxford Bibliographies in Latino Studies offers an authoritative, trustworthy, and up-to-date intellectual map to this ever-changing discipline."--Editorial page.