The Egyptology Shelf

The First Female Pharaoh
Andrew Collins
Bear & Company
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781591434450, $26.00, PB, 464pp

https://www.amazon.com/First-Female-Pharaoh-Sobekneferu-Goddess/dp/15914344=
59

Synopsis: Cleopatra. Nefertiti. Hatshepsut. All of them are ancient Egyptia=
n female rulers who rose above their predominantly patriarchal societies to=
become controllers of a great empire. Missing from this list, however, is = Sobekneferu, ancient Egypt's first female ruler. Why was the reign of this = powerful woman all but forgotten?

Piecing together the lost history of the first female pharaoh, with the pub= lication of "The First Female Pharaoh: Sobekneferu, Goddess of the Seven St= ars", science and history writer Andrew Collins presents the first comprehe= nsive biography of Sobekneferu.

Using every text and monument that concerns Sobekneferu and her time in pow= er, Collins examines her achievements as ruler, the political and religious=
issues of her age, the temples and ruins associated with her, and her cont= inuing impact on ancient Egypt after her reign. He also explores her relati= onship with her brother Amenemhet IV, her sister Neferuptah, and their fath=
er Amenemhet III, regarded as one of the most beloved pharaohs of the Middl=
e Kingdom. He then examines Sobekneferu's untimely end, the fate of her bod=
y, and the cult that developed in her name.

Discussing Sobekneferu's magical beliefs and practices, Collins shows how t= hey centered on the crocodile god Sobek, the hippo goddess Neith, and the c= ircumpolar stars of the night sky in which they were personified. He also r= eveals how the setting of the Crocodile Star (Eltanin), the brightest star =
in the constellation of Draco, aligns with Sobekneferu's suspected pyramid.

Examining the modern-day resurrection of Sobekneferu among the occultists a=
nd mystics of Victorian London, Collins shows how she is the true inspirati=
on behind every ancient Egyptian female queen who comes back to life after = her tomb is found -- as featured first in Bram Stoker's shocking 1903 novel=
"The Jewel of the Seven Stars" and later in several modern blockbuster mov= ies.

Revealing how Sobekneferu has left a lasting impact on culture and occultur=
e through the ages despite being nearly erased from history, Collins shows = how her continuing legacy is perhaps, ultimately, her true resurrection.

Critique: Absolutely fascinating, impressively informative, expertly writte=
n, nicely illustrated, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and=
presentation, "The First Female Pharaoh: Sobekneferu, Goddess of the Seven=
Stars" by Andrew Collins will prove to be a prized and enduringly apprecia= ted addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university = library Egyptology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. I=
t should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general reader=
s with an interest in the cult, magic, reign, and resurrection of the first=
female ruler in Egypt that "The First Female Pharaoh" is also available in=
a digital book format (Kindle, $17.99).

Editorial Note: Andrew Collins (https://www.andrewcollins.com) is a science=
and history writer who investigates advanced civilizations in prehistory. =
He is the co-discoverer of a massive cave complex beneath the Giza plateau,=
now known as "Collins' Cave." The author of several books, including Origi=
ns of the Gods and Gobekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods, he regularly appears =
on radio shows, podcasts, and TV series, including Ancient Aliens, The UnXp= lained with William Shatner, and Lost Worlds. He lives in Essex, England.

Ramesses, Loved by Ptah: The History of a Colossal Royal Statue
Susanna Thames
American University in Cairo Press
200 Park Avenue, Suite 1700, New York, NY 10166
www.aucpress.com
9781649031853, $24.95, PB, 140pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ramesses-Loved-Ptah-History-Colossal/dp/1649031858

Synopsis: King Ramesses II ruled Egypt for an extraordinary sixty-six years=
(1279-1213 BC) during the Nineteenth Dynasty. A great warrior and lavish b= uilder, he fathered dozens of children and is widely regarded as the most c= elebrated and powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom.

With the publication of "Ramesses, Loved by Ptah: The History of a Colossal=
Royal Statue", Egyptologist Susanna Thomas presents a wonderfully clear an=
d engaging study that recounts the dramatic history of the famed red granit=
e colossal statue of Ramesses II now residing in Egypt's Grand Egyptian Mus= eum. One of the biggest statues ever made and part of the urban landscape o=
f modern Cairo, the statue lent its name to Ramses Square and the city's ma= inline train station, and was so much a symbol of Cairo that it featured in=
countless Egyptian films. Susanna Thomas recounts the full history of the = statue's creation and installation in the Great Temple of Ptah at Memphis d= uring the reign of Ramesses II, its reuse by Ramesses IV, and the later his= tory of the statue during the Greco-Roman and Islamic Periods.

"Ramesses, Loved by Ptah: The History of a Colossal Royal Statue" also prov= ides an overview of how statues were made in ancient Egypt and includes a b= rief discussion of the statue cults of Ramesses II, kingship, temples, and = the expansion of the New Kingdom capital city of Memphis and its temples. T=
he final section covers the history of the statue since its rediscovery and=
subsequent rescue in the mid-nineteenth century until its installation in = the entrance hall of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

Written by a New Kingdom specialist and curatorial expert and illustrated w= ith over 150 images, "Ramesses, Loved by Ptah: The History of a Colossal Ro= yal Statue" tells the fascinating story of this magnificent statue within t=
he wider context of statue cults and the reign of Ramesses II, and its subs= equent rescue and restoration in modern times.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout will full color = photography, "Ramesses, Loved by Ptah: The History of a Colossal Royal Stat= ue" is an extraordinarily informative and seminal contribution that is espe= cially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, = college, and university library Archaeology collections in general, and sup= plemental Egyptology curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for stude= nts, academia, and non- specialist general readers with an interest in the = subject that "Ramesses, Loved by Ptah: The History of a Colossal Royal Stat= ue" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $23.67).

Editorial Note: Susanna Thomas works at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, = Egypt, where she is a specialist in the interpretation and display of ancie=
nt Egyptian material culture. She has been engaged in excavation and resear=
ch at sites all over Egypt for many years, from fortresses in the north to = the Valley of the Kings at Luxor. Awarded her PhD in Egyptian Archaeology b=
y the University of Liverpool in 2000, she is particularly interested in al=
l aspects of the Ramesside Period and the archaeology of Tutankhamun. She p= reviously taught at Liverpool, Manchester, and Helwan Universities, and has=
worked for museums in both Egypt and the UK. https://scholar.google.com/ci= tations?user=3DMKDRiSQAAAAJ

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