The Transmission of the Book of the Dead in New Kingdom Tombs at Saqqara

Name: The Transmission of the Book of the Dead in New Kingdom Tombs at Saqqara
Price: 59.99 AUD
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ISBN: 9781350350588

Dr H.P.R. Twiston Davies (University of Manchester, UK)

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
25 June 2026

Egyptian archaeology & Egyptology; Ancient Egyptian religion & mythology; Sacred texts

Series: Bloomsbury Egyptology

Texts and images from the Book of the Dead were widely used to decorate the walls of tombs during Egypt’s New Kingdom (c. 1550-1077 BCE). Prior research has tended to focus on either individual tombs, or on the contents of papyrus copies of the Book of the Dead. This book focusses on the adaptation of parts of this funerary corpus in individual tombs from the New Kingdom necropolis at Saqqara, with the aim of showing how each tomb’s decoration was tailored to the ends of their builders. In doing so, it builds up a picture of the ways in which these developments changed over time, and captures the dynamic and shifting ways in which ancient Egyptians interacted with their funerary texts. This contrasts with the popular image of Egyptian religion as centrally administered and directed, and essentially unchanging over millennia. In fact, choices and forms of texts and images used in tombs changed even within a single generation. Some forms remained popular over long periods, being constantly reused and re-adapted, while others achieved specific and local popularity, or else were abandoned after only a short period of time. This book argues powerfully for the human dimension in ancient Egyptian religion, revealing the ways in which individuals and groups continually reshaped their tradition even as they worked within it. Produced as part of the research project The Walking Dead at Saqqara: The Making of a Cultural Geography, this book is kindly funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

The eBook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO): 276-30-016.

By: Dr H.P.R. Twiston Davies (University of Manchester UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781350350588
ISBN 10: 1350350583
Series: Bloomsbury Egyptology
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 25 June 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

H.P.R. Twiston Davies is a Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester, UK.

Reviews for The Transmission of the Book of the Dead in New Kingdom Tombs at Saqqara

""This book brings an insight into the creative adaptation of major religious texts of Ancient Egypt. It makes the seemingly rigid traditions come alive."" --Hana Navratilova, Research Fellow in Egyptology, University of Oxford and Lecturer in Egyptology, University of Reading, UK ""This most insightful study analyses the transmission and adaptions of Book of the Dead chapters and Totenliturgien in New Kingdom tombs at Saqqara. By applying the methods of material philology, it sheds light on knowledge display as part of individual agency on lived religious traditions and as a central constituent of the cultural geography of Saqqara."" --Susanne Bickel, Professor of Egyptology, University of Basel, Switzerland ""The study redefines our understanding of funerary culture, emphasizing the evolving, localised and personalised nature of NK funerary practises."" --JSOT