Synopses & Reviews
Spanning more than two millennia,
Reflections of Osiris opens a small window into a timeless world, capturing the flavor of life in ancient Egypt through vivid profiles of eleven actual people and the god Osiris.
Some of the figures profiled here are famous. Ray discusses Imhotep, whom he calls "Egypt's Leonardo" the royal architect of the Step Pyramid, high priest of the sun cult, and a man of great medical skill. We meet Hatshepsut, a rare female Pharaoh, who had herself depicted as a male figure in temple scenes, ceremonial beard and all. Horemheb, who rose from local politician to general and finally to king. And the legendary magician, Pharaoh Nectanebo II, the greatest builder of temples. Equally intriguing are the lives of everyday Egyptians who are also resurrected here. There is Heqanakhte, a cantankerous peasant farmer who has problems with his sons and they with their stepmother. And Petiese, a scribe whose petition to the authorities preserves a feud stretching back over generations. Most fascinating of all are the people of the Serapeum: a Greek recluse, his brother (a rootless adolescent and police informer), two temple dancers with financial difficulties, and a temple scribe. All of whom we come to know intimately even their dreams. Last comes the god Osiris, judge of the netherworld, creator of the land of Egypt, before whom all would appear at the end of their lives.
Reflections of Osiris captures the full spectrum of life in ancient Egypt. With more than twenty halftones and several maps, this superb volume will fascinate anyone interested in an inside look at the great ancient civilization of the Nile.
Review
"A writer with a wry streak, Ray provides an exciting introduction to Egyptology....By means of a dozen mini-biographies, this Egyptologist lends a fascinatingly vivifying touch to pharaonic civilization. So fragmentary are its records and ruins that it would seem impossible to glimpse the persons behind the pharaohs' glory-be-to-me monumentalism, but Ray more than meets the challenge." Booklist
Review
"Ray provides a panoramic overview of a civilization, in which millenia are brilliantly elucidated in fewer than 200 pages....Scrupulously scholarly, yet also lucid and passionate, this is the best introduction to ancient Egypt I've read." The Daily Telegraph
Review
"These people, and their joys and concerns, are wonderfully clear and surprisingly familiar...Ray performs the alchemy of turning a great deal of heavy research into a light and entertaining read." The Sunday Times
Synopsis
Here the history of Egypt is told through semi-biographical accounts of twelve figures, many of which were linked to Saqqara, a site of particular interest to the author. Drawing on documentary and archaeological evidence, John Ray explores the world in which these characters lived through the history of their lives and deeds, including Imhotep, Queen Hatshepsut, Horemheb and Nectanebo. With a temporal range from the third millennium BC to the second century BC, Ray uses the god Osiris as a recurring theme throughout the book in an attempt to link the various chapters and lives'. Concise, but well written, this book provides snapshots into the past.
About the Author
John Ray is the Herbert Thompson Reader in Egyptology in the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Selwyn College. He previously worked in the British Museum and has been a Visiting Professor at Yale and the University of Chicago. He writes regularly for
The Times (London),
TLS, and
The London Review of Books. A well-known radio commentator, he presented the recent BBC-TV documentary "Ramesses the Great."