Author Description

"This is a reprint of the second edition of this book, which was greatly revised and enlarged. The preservation of the embalmed body, the mummy, was the chief end and aim of every Egyptian who wished for everlasting life, for the ancient Egyptians believed that the soul would someday return and revivify the body. The Mummy describes in detail the entire tradition of burial among the Egyptians, illuminating the richly varied culture of ancient Egypt in the process. Beginning with a summary of Egyptian history that develops the major contribution of each dynasty, E.A. Wallis Budge goes on to describe the intricacies of mummifying, both for royalty and the poor, the Egyptian funeral, coffins and sarcophagi, the tomb and its furnishings, the Book of the Dead, amulets, scarabs, animal mummies, the Egyptian gods, and a wealth of additional information on Egyptian life and death. The reader is introduced to the mysteries of Egyptian writing, and can actually use the book to decipher hieroglyphics. The many illustrations include a complete reproduction of the famous Rosetta Stone and accurate renderings of idols and god figures, from Amen-Ra, the national god, through to Thoth, the Measurer of Time"--Back cover.