Egypt
Rosicrucian Library
This 1946 book was originally published as "Son of the God" but by the 1956 second edition was renamed. The author was the very controversial Savitri Devi who equated to Hinduism to Nazism with Hitler having been the most recent reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.
The book is on the life and reign of the eighteenth dynasty heretic pharaoh Akhenaton. From the start I must say that this book has been difficult to get into even though the facts in the book are nicely presented but very outdated. I guess when your a 64 year old book based on science there is bound to be those gaps of knowledge that came along later.
I was not enjoying this but I persevered in hopes it would turn around yet it did not and yes it was clear to me the author was well read though Ms. Devi had drifted off to her own garden of the Aton. There are times that I feel like I am drowning in the gush (adoration) being put forward by the author.
If you are the type who likes to spend Saturday night at home reading the bible than this might be for you but the theological language makes me feel like the author is trying to indoctrinate me into the cult of Aton. The author is obsessed by the vision of the beauty that was Akhenaton, she obviously never saw the colossal statues from the Gem Pa Aton which though powerful and intimidating are not beautiful nor is the guard road which surrounds the site of his capital Akhetaton.
I found the book to be more an interpretation of the religion of the Aton to suit the authors theology, a theology which for me is simplified and made to order. I could not get over my own feelings that the great visionary prophet of the Aton was no friend to the common people but an entitled king who protected his eccentricities by isolating his followers just as cult leaders do today.
The book ends with a chapter on the modern religions in a comparative exercise of theological fantasy ending with the Aton being in possession of the truth according to Ms. Devi. The author was clearly intelligent but all that knowledge did not make for an interesting read rather the king who the author was extolling became lost within the books religious message.
Ms Devi's desire to extol her own theology as that of Akhenaton made for a tedious long and tiring read and though I know that something here went over my head I could care less but to give praise to my own lord that I have finished this dull and unrewarding book.
- Chronicle Of The Pharaohs
Peter A. Clayton Thames and Hudson New York 1994 ISBN-13: 978-0-500-28628-9 The book opens with the usual background information on Pharaonic Egypt including the authors intentions of tracing Egyptian history through kingship. The introduction deals...
- The World Of The Pharaoh's, A Complete Guide To Ancient Egypt
Christine Hobson Thames & Hudson New York ISBN: 0-500-27560-2 1987 The author starts out strong in its introduction with an interesting overview of Pharaonic history leading into the archaeologists who discovered the various epoch's of Egypt's...
- The Rape Of The Nile
Brian M. Fagan Charles Scribner's Sons New York 1975 ISBN 0-684-15058-1 It has taken me a while to get to this book the last year I have been "showered" with books having to select from too many possibilities. That loss of time was truly a loss when...
- 100 Hieroglyphs: Think Like An Egyptian
Barry Kemp Granta Books London 2005 ISBN: 1 86207 658 8 This book is based on 100 hieroglyphs that will help one think like an ancient Egyptian The concept of the book interests me very much and is filled with plenty of literary citations from Pharaonic...
- The Valley Of Kings By Otto Neubert, Ca.1957
Otto Neubert Robert Hale Limited 1957 ASIN: B000U04LWI This fascinating book is filled with unusual highlights from excavations in the first half of the twentieth century. Complete with a mention of the recently found mask of Kanefernefer before it was...
Egypt
Son of the Sun
Rosicrucian Library
Volume XXV
Supreme Grand Lodge of A.M.O.R.C., Inc.
Printing and Publishing Department
San Jose, California
1956
1956
The book is on the life and reign of the eighteenth dynasty heretic pharaoh Akhenaton. From the start I must say that this book has been difficult to get into even though the facts in the book are nicely presented but very outdated. I guess when your a 64 year old book based on science there is bound to be those gaps of knowledge that came along later.
The author presents the pharaoh Akhenaton as a gentle loving soul of great vision, a true family man glorious, beneficent and sugar coated. This made me a little noxious with the potentially spoiled mentally ill tyrannical dictator being covered in a thick layer of literary butterscotch.
If you are the type who likes to spend Saturday night at home reading the bible than this might be for you but the theological language makes me feel like the author is trying to indoctrinate me into the cult of Aton. The author is obsessed by the vision of the beauty that was Akhenaton, she obviously never saw the colossal statues from the Gem Pa Aton which though powerful and intimidating are not beautiful nor is the guard road which surrounds the site of his capital Akhetaton.
I found the book to be more an interpretation of the religion of the Aton to suit the authors theology, a theology which for me is simplified and made to order. I could not get over my own feelings that the great visionary prophet of the Aton was no friend to the common people but an entitled king who protected his eccentricities by isolating his followers just as cult leaders do today.
The book ends with a chapter on the modern religions in a comparative exercise of theological fantasy ending with the Aton being in possession of the truth according to Ms. Devi. The author was clearly intelligent but all that knowledge did not make for an interesting read rather the king who the author was extolling became lost within the books religious message.
Ms Devi's desire to extol her own theology as that of Akhenaton made for a tedious long and tiring read and though I know that something here went over my head I could care less but to give praise to my own lord that I have finished this dull and unrewarding book.
- Chronicle Of The Pharaohs
Peter A. Clayton Thames and Hudson New York 1994 ISBN-13: 978-0-500-28628-9 The book opens with the usual background information on Pharaonic Egypt including the authors intentions of tracing Egyptian history through kingship. The introduction deals...
- The World Of The Pharaoh's, A Complete Guide To Ancient Egypt
Christine Hobson Thames & Hudson New York ISBN: 0-500-27560-2 1987 The author starts out strong in its introduction with an interesting overview of Pharaonic history leading into the archaeologists who discovered the various epoch's of Egypt's...
- The Rape Of The Nile
Brian M. Fagan Charles Scribner's Sons New York 1975 ISBN 0-684-15058-1 It has taken me a while to get to this book the last year I have been "showered" with books having to select from too many possibilities. That loss of time was truly a loss when...
- 100 Hieroglyphs: Think Like An Egyptian
Barry Kemp Granta Books London 2005 ISBN: 1 86207 658 8 This book is based on 100 hieroglyphs that will help one think like an ancient Egyptian The concept of the book interests me very much and is filled with plenty of literary citations from Pharaonic...
- The Valley Of Kings By Otto Neubert, Ca.1957
Otto Neubert Robert Hale Limited 1957 ASIN: B000U04LWI This fascinating book is filled with unusual highlights from excavations in the first half of the twentieth century. Complete with a mention of the recently found mask of Kanefernefer before it was...