The Twilight of Ancient Egypt: 1st Millennium B.C. - Softcover

Mysliwiec, Karol

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0801486300 ISBN 13: 9780801486302

Publisher: Cornell University Press, 2000

Synopsis

Karol Mysliwiec surveys a turbulent time in Ancient Egyptian culture and history--the eight hundred years between the eleventh century B.C.E. and the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.E., after which Egypt became part of the Hellenistic world. It was a time when Libyans, Kushites, Persians, and Greeks ascended to the throne more frequently than did indigenous kings. The history of this phase of pharaonic Egypt, marked by rapid changes in rule, has been relatively neglected until now.

Egypt had become increasingly involved in the affairs of its Near Eastern neighbors (Assyria, Babylon, and Persia) and of the Mediterranean world. These many cultures greatly enriched and influenced pharaonic traditions. At the same time, Egyptian civilization extended far beyond the borders of Egypt itself. One of the most important cultural products of this period is the Old Testament, called here "an inestimable source of information on daily life in pharaonic Egypt."Mysliwiec perceives in recent archaeological discoveries clear evidence that the first millennium B.C.E. was witness to more than a slow, progressive dying out of the pharaonic past; new and creative elements profoundly altered the culture of Ancient Egypt.

Originally published in Polish, The Twilight of Ancient Egypt appeared in 1998 in a German edition. The Cornell edition has been updated by the author and also contains previously unpublished photographs of recently discovered treasures.

About this title

From the Publisher:

"A welcome introduction to a neglected era in Egyptian history. Combining his broad-based knowledge of Egyptian sites, personal anecdotes, and translations of original texts, Karol Mysliwiec makes this complex period come alive for both the scholar and the lay reader."--Rita E. Freed, Boston Museum of Fine Arts

"Through his expertise and archaeological field experience, Karol Mysliwiec has produced a balanced, interesting, well-documented, and well-written account of the history and culture of Egypt during the thousand years preceding its conquest by Alexander the Great. Mysliwiec gives his readers the chance to observe modern archaeological excavations and to examine the art and written records of an era often neglected in books on ancient Egypt."--Gerald E. Kadish, Binghamton University

About the Author:

Karol Mysliwiec is Director of the Research Center for Mediterranean Archaeology, Polish Academy of Sciences, and Director of the Department of Egyptian Archaeology, Warsaw University. He has been Director of Polish excavations at Saqqara, Egypt, since 1987. Among his previous books are Studien zum Gott Atum and Eighteenth Dynasty before the Amarna Period.

David Lorton, an Egyptologist, has translated several previous Cornell books, including History of Ancient Egypt: An Introduction by Erik Hornung.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0801486300
• ISBN 13: 9780801486302
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232