This volume presents a series of papers delivered at a two-day session of the Theban Workshop held at the British Museum in September 2003. Due to its political and religious prominence throughout much of pharaonic history, the region of ancient Thebes offers scholars a wealth of monuments whose physical remains and extant iconography may be combined with textual sources and archaeological finds in ways that elucidate the function of sacred space as initially conceived, and which also reveal adaptations to human need or shifts in cultural perception. The contributions herein address issues such as the architectural framing of religious ceremony, the implicit performative responses of officiants, the diachronic study of specific rites, the adaptation of sacred space to different uses through physical, representational, or textual alteration, and the development of ritual landscapes in ancient Thebes.

The first publication in English to provide an in-depth examination including illustrations of the historical developments of the famous temple site Karnak, from its early shrine to the greatest state temple of Ancient Eygpt's mighty empire.

Chicago on the Nile relates the colorful story of the University of Chicago's Epigraphic Survey expedition to Egypt, from its conception in 1924 by the first American Egyptologist, James Henry Breasted, through its development over the course of a century to become the major scientific and social presence it is today–not just in Egypt but throughout the world. Initially envisioned as a small group of scientists devoted to documenting the ancient historical inscriptions and reliefs on the walls of the temple of Medinet Habu in Luxor, the Epigraphic Survey's work grew to encompass many of the most important sites in Egypt, including Karnak, Luxor Temple, the tomb of Kheruef, Saqqara, Abydos, and the Beit el-Wali temple in Nubia. The story places this work within the larger contexts of Egyptian and international politics, the vicissitudes of the world financial situation, and academic policies. Drawing on hundreds of letters and photos, most of them previously unpublished, the book explores why the Epigraphic Survey chose specific sites for its work, the often grand expectations for its projects and publication program, and the ultimate results. The history of Chicago House, the Survey's headquarters and residence, is described in detail and offers many amusing anecdotes of social life there over the past century. As such, Chicago on the Nile provides a who's who of Egyptologists and archaeologists who worked for and interacted with the Survey to save the endangered texts and reliefs on the ancient monuments of the Nile Valley.

This groundbreaking study catalogs Seti I's monuments and restorations, shedding new light on the internal chronology and history of the reign, the royal succession in the early Nineteenth Dynasty, the extent of Seti's building program and its place in history.

Pioneer to the Past tells the intensely human, often poignantly moving story of the brilliant career of James Henry Breasted, one of the greatest Egyptologists and archaeologists America has yet produced. Breasted's greatest achievement was the founding of the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago in 1919, through the generous support of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The Oriental Institute embodies Breasted's vision of an inter-disciplinary research center that unites archaeology, textual studies, and art history as three complementary methodologies to provide a holistic understanding of ancient Near Eastern civilizations, and the ways that they laid the foundations for what we think of today as "Western civilization." Breasted's legacy continues to flourish today. Reprint of the Scribner's Sons 1943 Edition, with New Foreword and Photographs.

Egyptologist Jack A. Josephson, a writer and researcher in the tradition of the gentleman scholar, has achieved broad recognition as an authority in Egyptian art history. His lucid investigative analyses have probed and redefined the limits of inquiry, expanded research parameters, and broadened perspectives, emphasizing the undeniable contributions of art history in an intra-disciplinary framework. This volume of collected essays is dedicated to Josephson by distinguished friends and colleagues, a select roster including eminent, established scholars in the field of Egyptology and rising stars of the younger generation. Josephson views Egyptian art history as a critical but neglected area of study, and is a strong proponent of its reinstatement in the academic curriculum as an essential component in the formation of new cadres. The quality of the articles in this Egyptological medley is a tribute to the honoree and an affirmation of the esteem of his peers, while the range of subjects and variety of themes addressed reflect the degree to which he has, in his own scholarship, undertaken to implement his ideal.

The series Religion and Society (RS) contributes to the exploration of religions as social systems– both in Western and non-Western societies; in particular, it examines religions in their differentiation from, and intersection with, other cultural systems, such as art, economy, law and politics. Due attention is given to paradigmatic case or comparative studies that exhibit a clear theoretical orientation with the empirical and historical data of religion and such aspects of religion as ritual, the religious imagination, constructions of tradition, iconography, or media. In addition, the formation of religious communities, their construction of identity, and their relation to society and the wider public are key issues of this series.

This is a collection of the articles of Bernard V. Bothmer on Egyptian art history.