Review by Choice Review
An English translation of the 2010 Dutch catalogue by Raven (National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden, Netherlands)--titled Egyptische Magie--this work is chock-full of stunning color images of artifacts and manuscripts from Leiden, the Louvre, the British Museum, and a number of other collections. Covering not only Pharaonic Egypt but also the classical, early Christian, Renaissance, and modern reception/reinterpretations of Egyptian magic, this book--with its breadth of artifactual and textual evidence--provides an expansive survey of the relevant themes and material culture. However, since its colloquial tone and somewhat dated terminology tend to belie the complexity of ancient Egyptian magical and religious thought and its contemporary study, readers may wish to consult this publication together with Geraldine Pinch's Magic in Ancient Egypt (rev. ed., 2010, not cited in the present work; 1st ed., CH, Jun'95, 32-5734), or Emily Teeter's Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt (CH, Mar'12, 49-3819). Unfortunately, despite the subtitle, the priestly text known as the Book of Thoth (see Richard Jasnow and Karl-Theodor Zauzich's The Ancient Egyptian Book of Thoth, 2005) is not discussed. The concise bibliography lists scholarly works in English, Dutch, French, German, and Italian; few are from 2000 onward, and many likely will be inaccessible to laypersons. Summing Up: Recommended. Researchers, professionals, and general readers. E. A. Waraksa Loyola Marymount University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
