The cult of Ra : sun-worship in ancient Egypt / Stephen Quirke.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Quirke, Stephen.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ra (Egyptian deity)--Cult.

Ra.

Ra (Egyptian deity).

Cults.

Sun worship--Egypt.

Sun worship.

Egypt--Religion.

Egypt.

Religion.

Physical Description:

184 pages : illustrations, maps, plans ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Thames & Hudson, [2001]

Summary:

Did the ancient Egyptians believe in many gods, or one god in many guises? The key lies in the special relationship between the sun god Ra and the king, in his central role as "son of Ra." Stephen Quirke draws together recent advances in our understanding of the cult of Ra, from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the Roman conquest of Egypt and the rise of Christianity. He explores Egyptian sources for the character of Ra, his pivotal role in creation, and the ways in which he received worship, uncovering the innermost mysteries of the cult. Through select inscriptions and manuscripts the reader enters the closed world of the king as he carries out his principal function, to maintain life itself. With prayer, offerings and the power of knowledge, Pharaoh ensured the smooth passage of the sun hour by hour through the sky.

The epicenter of the cult was the temple of Ra at lunu (Greek Heliopolis), the greatest religious complex of ancient Egypt. Over the past two hundred years, scattered surveys and rescue excavations across this vast site -- now all but inaccessible within the urban sprawl of modern Cario -- have offered a glimpse of vanished magnificence. Quirke also examines the better-preserved sites inspired by the solar city, such as Karnak and Tanis, and the remains of displaced monuments now scattered across the world, to show how they reflected the glory of the sun cult. Pyramids and obelisks represent the outstanding architectural achievements of ancient Egypt, and here their precise links to the sun cult are analyzed.

Quirke closes with a new account of Akhenaten, the most exclusive son of Ra, who transformed the Ra cult. From this richly rewarding and provocative book we learn just how central the sun and its veneration were to ancient kingship and religion in the Valley of the Nile.

Contents:

Introduction: Cosmic Kingship

the Bronze Age as the Age of Ra 13

Chapter 1 The Mythology of Ra 23

Chapter 2 The Sun Cult and the Measurement of Time 41

Chapter 3 Iunu

Lost City of Ra-Atum 73

Chapter 4 Solar Spires

Pyramids and Obelisks 115

Chapter 5 The Exclusive Son

Akhenaten 143.

Notes:

"With 97 illustrations."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 174-177) and index.

ISBN:

0500051070

OCLC:

49355534