Subscribe now for full access and no adverts
As Lucia Gahlin explains in the final chapter of this book, popular perceptions of ancient Egyptian culture are traditionally informed by the works of Graeco-Roman writers, and by modern interpretations of Egypt’s ancient history in literature and film. But in this work, Gahlin makes clear her intention to explore the civilisation as experienced and recorded by its own people.
The establishment of an absolute monarchy supported by a state religion was key to Egypt’s enduring stability. The divinely appointed king interacted with the gods on behalf of the land and its people, protecting and providing for them, and a wealth of information comes from religious contexts, such as tomb art, temple inscriptions, and funerary papyri. Consequently, the author has chosen the themes of deities, mythology, and ritual to illustrate cultural and social developments over different phases of Egypt’s history.
Through a combination of accessible text, well-placed maps, tables, and full-colour illustrations, Gahlin guides the reader through such topics as divine iconography, the significance of names, and funerary religion. In comparing creation myths, she describes how the Egyptians experienced their own environment, particularly their relationship with the Nile, and how gods and their myths could be defined by, and adapted to, the nature of regions where they were revered. She shows how stories of the sun god defined the cycle of the seasons and the construction of a solar calendar to mark the passing of the years, but also how the Egyptians had a different view of the concept of ‘history’. From lists of kings and calendars of temple festivals to tables of lucky and unlucky days, Gahlin vividly describes the importance of ceremonies, rituals, and commemoration in contributing to the maintenance of maat – that divine order or balance which pervaded all aspects of Egyptian life and death.
The early development of writing, and its use in recording everything from complex theological concepts to administrative inventories and labels on funerary goods, sets Egypt apart from other ancient societies. The author reveals the Egyptians through their own words and expressions of their beliefs, using short information panels to highlight topics such as ‘Hymns to the King’, ‘Wisdom Literature’, and ‘Ritual Gestures’. Without such explanations, as Gahlin says, ‘the scope for misinterpreting or even inventing Egypt’s past is huge’.
This beautifully designed and lavishly illustrated book should not be dismissed as just one more superficial study of ancient Egypt. Lucia Gahlin has provided a useful, attractive introduction to Egyptian civilisation, and at a remarkably affordable price.
REVIEW BY HILARY WILSON
The History of Ancient Egypt Explored Through its Gods, Myths and Rituals
by Lucia Gahlin
Lorenz Books, 2025
ISBN 978-0-7548-3611-7
Hardback, £15
