
A richly illustrated guide invites listeners into the symbolic world of ancient Egypt, beginning with a detailed look at the striking cover‑plate that crowns the volume. The author unpacks the winged, serpent‑supported globe, interpreting its sun, serpents and wings as ancient expressions of light, maternity and protection, while reminding us that such emblems shift in meaning across centuries.
Beyond the iconography, the book weaves together geography and agriculture, showing how Egypt’s dual harvests—winter wheat and summer cotton—have long been tied to the land’s unique climate. A solitary palm tree, drawn from a real specimen in the Wady Feiran, anchors the illustration, while the path of the sun across the sky is traced on a historic alabaster sarcophagus, linking celestial movements to everyday life along the Nile.
Written with a scholar’s eye and a traveler’s curiosity, the work balances rigorous detail with clear, engaging narration. It offers a thoughtful invitation to explore how ancient beliefs, natural cycles, and the very shape of the country intertwine, making the mysteries of the Pharaohs accessible to modern ears.
Language
en
Duration
~15 hours (916K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1873.
Credits
Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2023-10-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1817–1893
A 19th-century clergyman, traveler, and antiquary, his life stretched from a Jamaican sugar estate to Oxford and beyond. His writing reflects a wide-ranging curiosity about religion, history, and the places he encountered.
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