Gods and Religion of Ancient Egypt: An In-Depth Study of a Fascinating Society and Its Popular Beliefs, Documented in Over 200 Photographs - Softcover

Religious belief was central to life in ancient Egypt and played a fundamental role in the development of their great society. In the first half of this book, the state religion is considered, with an examination of the preparation for the afterlife, including the procedures and ceremonies that followed death. The section includes an examination of the afterlife, the Book of the Dead and ceremonies such as mummification and the Weighing of the Heart. The second half of the book examines the effects of popular religion on daily activities. It describes temple rites and offerings, the power of the high priests, and the role of women in religion. The religion of this fascinating society has been documented with maps and a wealth of over 200 beautiful photographs, reproductions and colour artworks, making this book an essential reference for anyone interested in this ancient civilization.

Lucia Gahlin is an occasional lecturer for the University of Bristol s Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, and teaches for the University of Exeter s Graduate School of Education. She has taught at UCL and the Universities of Warwick and Exeter, and in Continuing Education for Birkbeck College and the Universities of Surrey, Sussex, Reading and Bristol. She has taught Key Stage 2 students using objects in the Petrie Museum and is involved in the Petrie Museum s programme of object-centred learning for students; Friends of the Petrie Museum; and other adult learners. She was Amarna Archaeological Research Data Administrator in the Petrie Museum, working with Stephen Quirke on a redisplay of Amarna material; and Small Finds Registrar at Tell el-Amarna in Egypt. Formerly a Trustee of the Egypt Exploration Society, she is Chair of the Friends of the Petrie Museum, offering opportunities for public impact, UCL student involvement, and helping to organise lectures and study days bringing specialists in Egyptian archaeology to UCL students. She collaborates with the staff of the Petrie Museum in her teaching and in a variety of other events and learning experiences in, and linked with, the museum. She is also Deputy Director of Bloomsbury Summer School affiliated to UCL s Department of History, organising short courses and study days on Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East, both at UCL but also in Egypt, and offering opportunities for UCL student involvement. She leads study tours to Egypt and lectures around the world, most recently in Australia and New Zealand. Her other published works include chapters in Rathbone, D. (ed.) (2009) Civilizations of the Ancient World. Thames & Hudson; and chapters in Wilkinson, T. (ed.) (2007) The Egyptian World. Routledge. She has been the consultant and/or "talking head" for documentaries for the BBC, Discovery Channel, Channel 5, the History Channel US and Living TV.