Alternative Egyptology : Critical Essays on the Relation Between Academic and Alternative Interpretations of Ancient Egypt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bercken, Ben van den.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Egyptology.

Hermetism.

Egypt--In popular culture.

Egypt.

Egypt--Civilization--To 332 B.C.

Egypt--Civilization--332 B.C.-638 A.D.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (186 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Leiden : Sidestone Press, 2024.

Summary:

From a mummy on board the Titanic to the pyramids' alignment with the stars, from psychoactive mushrooms to the lost realm of Atlantis: alternative interpretations of ancient Egypt, often summarised as 'alternative Egyptology', have always focused on subjects that others shunned. Ever since the birth of scholarly Egyptology with the decipherment of the hieroglyphic script two hundred years ago, alternative interpretations and imaginative theories have flourished alongside it. They intertwined with egalitarian and spiritual tendencies in society during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when ancient Egypt inspired countless mediums, artists, and movements from freemasonry to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. More recently alternative interpretations have inspired comic-book authors and nationalist Chinese bloggers.It would be a mistake, however, for academics to simply view these alternative theories as fantasies that are best ignored. Their lasting popular impact needs to be assessed and (publicly) addressed by Egyptology, but they may in fact also open up fresh perspectives for research. The contributors to this volume critically explore various aspects of 'alternative Egyptology', assessing its impact on society and scholarship, and finding ways for Egyptology to relate to it.

Contents:

Intro

Introduction

Ben van den Bercken

Lifting the Veil of Isis

Egyptian Reception and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Caroline Tully

'Someone Who Has Power and Who Understands'

Egyptology, Egyptosophy, and the 'Truth' about Ancient Egypt

Jasmine Day

Aleister Crowley's Egypt: The Stele of Revealing

Maiken Mosleth King

Measurement Standards and Double Standards

Reassessing Charles Piazzi Smyth's Egyptological Reputation

Daniel M. Potter

The Orion Correlation Theory: Past, Present, and Future?

Willem van Haarlem

High Times in Ancient Egypt

Andrea Sinclair

Batman and the Book of the Dead

Alternative Egyptology or 'Just for Fun'?

Arnaud Quertinmont

Sphinxes of Mars

Science, Fiction, and Nineteenth-century Ancient Aliens

Eleanor Dobson

Dr Paul Schliemann: Reality or Fake News?

Jean-Pierre Pätznick

Was Narmer a Chinese Emperor?

Alternative History of Ancient Egypt in China

Tian Tian

The Occult Egyptian Mural Discovered in a Brazilian Freemasons' Temple

Thomas Henrique de Toledo Stella

The Royal Son of the Sun

Christian Egyptosophy and Victorian Egyptology in the Egyptian Romances of H. Rider Haggard

Simon Magus

The Pillar of Fire and the Sea of Reeds

Identifying the Locations along the Route of the Exodus

Huub Pragt

Epilogue

Blank Page.

Notes:

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Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

ISBN:

9789464261639

9464261633

OCLC:

1428261524