Anubis: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Egyptian God of the Afterlife Kindle Edition

Book Review Written November 12, 2019Anubis: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Egyptian God of the Afterlife, By Markus Carabas and Charles River EditorsKindle Edition (66 Pages)This is a concise historical overview of Egyptian Mythology which focuses on one of that mytholgy's most important gods, Anubis, the Egyptian god of the afterlife, who had a decisive impact on the Egyptians’ concepts of death and the afterlife. The narrative is supplemented with images of important people, places, and events from the period. It is extensively footnoted, and includes expert testimony, and excerpts from ancient writings to help ensure historical accuracy. It also includes an excellent bibliography to aid readers seeking additional information.The ancient Egyptians, as is true with any society made up of inquiring humans, perceived the world as a confusing and often terrifying place of destruction, death and unexplained phenomena. In order to make sense of such an existence, they resorted to teleological stories woven into a supporting religious belief system. Giving a phenomenon a story made it less horrifying, and it also helped them make sense of the world around them. Unsurprisingly, then, the ancient Egyptian gods permeated every aspect of existence. Because of the abundance of funerary artifacts discovered within the sands of Egypt, it sometimes seems that the Ancient Egyptians were more concerned about the afterlife than they were with matters of their everyday life. It's not surprising that Anubis was one of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon. The image of Anubis, with his jet-black jackal's head peering in merciless judgment, has inspired artists and thinkers since ancient times. There is something about this somber figure that has made him stand the test of time and allowed him to survive while so many gods and goddesses have fallen from memory supplanted by newer religions that are aided by a more interconnected world. Perhaps it is because Anubis is associated with death, or maybe it’s because the lack of references to him in Egypt’s literary and archaeological record that invites multiple interpretations. It also may be due to his appearances in the most emotive works of ancient Egyptian art, notably the artwork from tombs depicting the mysterious journey of the dead, which beckon viewers to imagine an unearthly, poetic view of death so far removed from modern conceptions. In a sense, Anubis is both awful and majestic. To the ancient Egyptians, however, Anubis evolved over millennia, and even though his image may strike fear into modern hearts, in ancient times, his appearance was comforting to those who feared the invisible spirits inhabiting all things beside the Nile. Just as the dog is today a figure of protection against violence and trespass, so too was Anubis a figure whose fearsome aspect was a source of comfort for those following the code of their religion, ensuring their piety was defendable in the Hall of Justice at the end of their lives. How his image was taken up by later cultures, ones who were not acolytes of the ancient Egyptian religion, is fascinating and a testament to human imagination.This book delivers an interesting, straight forward account that is enjoyable to read and easy to comprehend. It is well researched and carefully documented for accuracy. The narrative is engaging and insightful, augmented throughout by contemporary accounts that are informative and interesting. This book provides a balanced, factual narrative regarding the Egyptian religious system and in particular their beliefs regarding the guardian deity of the dead Anubis. The results is a fascinating glimpse at the culture and people through 3000 years of history. I enjoyed this book, finding it very insightful and informative. Readers who like ancient history and mythology in general and ancient Egyptian history and mythology in particular will enjoy this book.

I love history and Charles River Editors make it so easy to keep you informed! As I have aged I find that I have forgotten many things and this is a quick way to refresh my knowledge. Thank you, guys! .

interesting read

Most of the book was about general Egyptian mythology, but there were some good bits of info about Anubis .

I don’t know what I thought to be expecting but it wasn’t this

Was a gift and she loved it

This book is a decent primer about Egyptian mythology, the panteon of gods, and Egyptian funerary practices. It actually goes into the latter is some depth. One thing this book is not about, though, is anubis. Don't get me wrong, he is mentioned in this book. And there are pictures of him. You even learn about his birth. But that's pretty much it. The book spends more time talking about literally everything else but anubis.I knew it was a bad sign when, about a third of the way into the book, anubis was barely mentioned, let alone covered in any sort of depth. Sure, I learned a few interesting facts about anubis that I didn't know before, but I feel like this book was less informative than a Wikipedia page. Really, really disappointing.

I love the book. The material is good snd in-depth. HOWEVER, the print is so tiny I have to be having s as perfect vision day to read it or use a microscope and I normally read without any problems

This book is well written. I had not heard of much of the information presented. It fitted together with pieces of information I had. So now my understanding is more complete. Good for understanding who Anubis is and his history.

very nice

Do not waste your money on this. Anubis is not mentioned until 1/3rd of the way through the book & thereafter only in 3 or four paragraphs.