Writings from Ancient Egypt
Author(s): Toby Wilkinson (Author)
- Publisher: Penguin Classics
- Publication Date: 25 Aug. 2016
- Edition: Illustrated
- Language: English
- Print length: 384 pages
- ISBN-10: 9780141395951
- ISBN-13: 9780141395951
Book Description
'Man perishes; his corpse turns to dust; all his relatives pass away.
But writings make him remembered'
In ancient Egypt, words had magical power. Inscribed on tombs and temple walls, coffins and statues, or inked onto papyri, hieroglyphs give us a unique insight into the life of the Egyptian mind. Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson has freshly translated a rich and diverse range of ancient Egyptian writings into modern English, including tales of shipwreck and wonder, obelisk inscriptions, mortuary spells, funeral hymns, songs, satires and advice on life from a pharaoh to his son. Spanning over two millennia, this is the essential guide to a complex, sophisticated culture.
Translated with an Introduction by Toby Wilkinson
Editorial Reviews
Review
Until now few people beyond specialists have been able to read the texts, many of them inaccessible within tombs ... hieroglyphs were pictures but they conveyed concepts in as sophisticated a manner as Greek or Latin script, [Toby Wilkinson] said. Filled with metaphor and symbolism, they reveal life through the eyes of the ancient Egyptians. Tales of shipwreck and wonder, first-hand descriptions of battles and natural disasters, songs and satires make up the anthology. -- Dalya Alberge ― The Guardian
This book offers a taste of the vast body of ancient Egyptian literature. In addition to glamorous accounts of war and royalty, it's packed with extraordinarily personal tales of life and the social anxieties of the time. -- Caitlin Hu ―
Quartz
From the Back Cover
A collection of rare texts from Ancient Egypt, newly translated for this essential edition
The fascination that Ancient Egypt holds in our minds has many sources, but at the heart of it lie hieroglyphics. This extraordinary writing system was for many years seen as the ultimate puzzle, before finally being cracked in the 1820s. Preserved carved in stone or inked on papyri, hieroglyphic writings give a unique insight into an awe-inspiring but also deeply mysterious culture.
For this collection, Toby Wilkinson has translated a rich selection of pieces, ranging from accounts of battles to hymns to stories to royal proclamations. Entertaining and revelatory, this is an essential resource for studying one of humankind's great civilizations.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
About the Author
Toby Wilkinson is a Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge. He has written a number of major books on Ancient Egypt, most recently The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt (Bloomsbury, UK; Random House, US)which won the Hessell-Tiltman prize. He has excavated at the Egyptian sites of Buto and Memphis.
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