Book description
The Book of the Dead
is 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.
E. A. Wallis Budge was the Curator of Egyptian and
Assyrian Antiquities at the British Museum from 1894 to 1924. Best
known for his numerous translator works, Budge collected a large
number of Coptic, Greek, Arabic, Syriac, Ethiopian, and Egyptian
Papyri manuscripts. He was also involved in numerous archaeology digs
in Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Sudan. Budge is perhaps best known for
translating The Egyptian Book of The Dead (also known as The
Papyrus of Ani), as well as analyzing many of the practices of
Egyptian religion, language and ritual. Budge was knighted in 1920. He
died November 23, 1934 in London, England.
John Romer graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1966 and began
his work in Middle Eastern archaeology shortly thereafter, conducting
the first physical survey and conservation studies in the Valley of
the Kings, and excavating the tomb of Ramesses XI. Romer has also
dedicated a great part of his time to archaeological conservation and
has made many TV and radio documentaries, to international critical
acclaim. Besides numerous specialist articles and reports, his books
have included Valley of the Kings; Ancient Lives. His latest
book is The Great Pyramid; ancient Egypt revisited (2007).
