Cult of the Sun: Myth and Magic in Ancient Egypt David, Rosalie [Fine] [Hardcover]

Description

True first edition. Stated at copyright page: ""First Published 1980. Copyright Rosalie David 1980. Printed in Great Britain"" Purplish-brown colored cloth boards, bright gilt spine titles, near fine. Pages near fine; no writing. Toning at endpapers. Bind fine, square; hinges intact. Classic original wrapper, near fine; unclipped 9.95 net, protected in new clear sleeve. Rare near fine first edition in same wrapper. Several intriguing sections of imagery in this fascinating volume. Thirty-six plates in three photo sections, and thirty-four line drawings throughout text, and a map, grace this generously and informatively illustrated study. Contents: ""List of Plates; List of Line Drawings; Acknowledgments; 1. The Land of the Sun; 2. The Rise of the Sun-God - Aten; The Place of Ascension; 4. Mansions of the Gods; 5. Myth, Magic and Ritual; 6. Mansions of the Ka; 7. King of Gods; 8. The Disc of the Sun; Epilogue; Glossary; Select Bibliography; and, an Index."" Time worn stories of gods, myth, and magicians are woven together with the legends passed down for generations. In the Ancient World, the practices of science, religion and magic were intertwined. One of the earliest known civilizations, Egypt had a thriving culture that influenced future empires. The impetus which led to Akhenaten's dramatic reign is conjected, but in its fifth year, he established the mono-theist solar cult of Aten in Egypt. To end the influence of priests and the Amen-Re cult, Akhenaten obliterated the names on monuments of the many other deities, removed their livelihood in the temples and disbanded the priesthoods. He diverted their resources to the Aten worship. An engrossing study of myth and magic in ancient Egypt, Rosalie David reveals how the sun cult had dominated ancient beliefs since the Old Kingdom circa 2,500 B.C. and flourished with radiance during the early reign of Amenophis IV, or Akhenaten. An unparalleled belief in the supernatural harnessed the spirit of Egypt leading to its greatest epoch. Besides the pharaohs, the sun and Nile were the masters of Egypt. These two powerful forces enabled a magnificence never before witnessed. Rosalie David traces the growth of this elaborate culture, later becoming hedonistic in its grandeur and excesses. She traces the society and architecture from earliest periods to the reign of the obsessive Akhenaten in about 1350 B.C. His revolution established the one and only god as the solar diety of the sun. Printed in Great Britain by Biddles Ltd., Guildford, Surrey, for J. M. Dent & Sons. 208 pages. Insured post. Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾"" Tall