Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt presents an overview of the beliefs, sacred rituals, and religious practices of the people of Kemet - literally, "the Black Land" - whose Nile Valley population stretched from Aswan to the Mediterranean coast beginning from circa 3100 B.C. Dispelling some of the dominant modern preconceptions about ancient Egyptian religion, author Stephen Quirke considers the evidence for ancient patterns of marking sacred space and time, and the verbal and visual imagery on creation and Ma`at - the expression of truth and balance, or "what is good," in the language of Kemet. Within these frameworks, Quirke reveals how people in ancient Egypt struggled to secure well-being in the present life as they prepared for the afterlife. Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt offers illuminating insights into an ancient civilization whose complex series of religious beliefs and practices remain unique in the history of human religion.

InhaltsangabePreface vi 1 Belief without a Book 1 2 Finding the Sacred in Space and Time 38 3 Creating Sacred Space and Time: Temple Architecture and Festival 80 4 Chaos and Life: Forces of Creation and Destruction 110 5 Being Good: Doing, Saying, and Making Good Possible 150 6 Being Well 177 7 Attaining Eternal Life: Sustenance and Transformation 201 Bibliography 238 Index 256

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