2024/104: Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs — Barbara Mertz

2024/104: Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs — Barbara Mertz

Admiring students of ancient Egypt have credited the Egyptians with the invention of many interesting and useful pursuits, but no one has ever given them their due as the originators of the pernicious habit of scribbling on tourist attractions. [p. 56]

First published in 1964, and updated several times since then (for instance, to acknowledge the 'enormous fun' of Raiders of the Lost Ark), this is the classic 'popular history' of Ancient Egypt: it turns out also to have influenced Rosemary Harris' trilogy (starting with The Moon in the Cloud) set in Old Testament times, in which Canaanite animal tamer Reuben visits Egypt several times. And Mertz, as Elizabeth Peters, also wrote the immensely popular Amelia Peabody books (starting with Crocodile on the Sandbank) with their 'lady Egyptologist' heroine, and mostly set in late 19th century Egypt. Excellent credentials, and this book did not disappoint.

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