February 12, 2020

How Europe Conquered Africa - Video with Prof. James Small




Recommended 3 books he mentions to read:
  1. 'The Egyption Book of the Dead' / E.A. Wallace Budge
  2. 'The Pyramid Texts'
  3. 'The Coffin Texts'

The Book of the Dead
A unique collection of funerary texts from a wide variety of sources, dating from the fifteenth to the fourth century BC. Consisting of spells, prayers and incantations, each section contains the words of power to overcome obstacles in the afterlife. The papyruses were often left in sarcophagi for the dead to use as passports on their journey from burial, and were full of advice about the ferrymen, gods and kings they would meet on the way. Offering valuable insights into ancient Egypt, The Book of the Dead has also inspired fascination with the occult and the afterlife in recent years.

The Pyramid Texts
The oldest body of extant literature from ancient Egypt. First carved on the walls of the burial chambers in the pyramids of kings and queens of the Old Kingdom, they provide the earliest comprehensive view of the way in which the ancient Egyptians understood the structure of the universe, the role of the gods, and the fate of human beings after death. Their importance lies in their antiquity and in their endurance throughout the entire intellectual history of ancient Egypt. This volume contains the complete translation of the Pyramid Texts , including new texts recently discovered and published. It incorporates full restorations and readings indicated by post-Old Kingdom copies of the texts and is the first translation that presents the texts in the order in which they were meant to be read in each of the original sources.

The Coffin Texts
The Coffin Texts form the missing link between the Pyramid Texts and the Book of the Dead. These texts are an expression of the Egyptian desire for immortality and the deep influence of the mortuary religion of the pharaohs. This volume presents careful copies and comparison of all available duplicate texts of Spells 1-75.
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