The Egyptian Book of the Dead

For millennia, the culture and philosophy of the ancient Egyptians have fascinated artists, historians, and spiritual seekers throughout the world. Now, this reissue of a Chronicle Books classic brings to light once more the legendary 3,500-year-old Papyrus of Ani—the most beautiful of the Egyptian funerary scrolls ever discovered. Restored to its original sequences, the elaborately bordered papyrus conveys its intended sense of motion and meaning in a way no other book on the subject can match. From mysticism and philosophy to anthropology and astronomy, this sumptuous volume will appeal to casual readers, serious scholars, and the generally inquisitive mind. The translation of the text of each image is placed on the page directly below the image, allowing the reader, for the first time in 3500 years, to gaze on the images while reading the words of the papyrus. Uncluttered with footnotes or other extraneous matter, the papyrus is displayed with the intent of allowing the modern reader to experience the full depth of the original. The restoration of the unity of word and image in this publication of the Papyrus of Ani has brought to life one of the most important early spiritual treasures of mankind.