The Priests of Ancient Egypt - by Serge Sauneron (Paperback)

About the Book

Using as his sources the Egyptian texts and the testimony of classical authors, Serge Sauneron illuminates the role of the priesthood in Ancient Egypt.

Book Synopsis

The gods were everywhere in Ancient Egypt. Represented by statues, bas-reliefs, and funerary paintings, they even walked among the Egyptians in the person of Pharaoh, considered to be a living god, son of the divine Ra. What better way to understand that distant culture than by becoming familiar with the people who served those gods? Using as his sources the Egyptian texts and the testimony of classical authors, Serge Sauneron illuminates the role of the priesthood in Ancient Egypt.He recreates the system of thought of one of the great civilizations of antiquity, addressing such topics as priestly functions, the world of the temples, holy festivals, tombs, and pyramids. Sauneron describes the ceremonies of daily worship, considered vital in preventing the world's descent into chaos. He takes us deep into the sacred precincts of the temples-- home to the divine statues in which a part of the god was believed to dwell. One of the duties of the priests was to maintain these sacred effigies, to nourish, clothe, and protect them from attacks by evil spirits. This edition of The Priests of Ancient Egypt, an augmented version of the 1957 classic, was published in France in 1988, and has been translated authoritatively by David Lorton.

Review Quotes

"Lorton's new translation fills a substantial need for students of Egyptian religion. The book is aimed at non-specialists as well as students and is written in a highly accessible style."--Denise M. Doxey, Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Religious Studies Review, Vol. 27, No. 3, July 2001

"This 1957 classic originally written in French is finally made available in English, thanks to David Lorton's excellent translation. Widely illustrated in black and white, this book should be recommended reading for everyone."--Frankie's Bibliography of Ancient Egypt.

About the Author

The late Serge Sauneron was director of the Institut Français d'Archéologie in Cairo and the author of many works on Ancient Egypt. The Egyptologist David Lorton has translated several previous Cornell books, including History of Ancient Egypt: An Introduction by Erik Hornung. He lives in Baltimore. Jean-Pierre Corteggiani is the author of The Egypt of the Pharaohs at the Cairo Museum.