The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts
is the definitive introduction to the world's oldest known religious writings, inscribed on the walls of the pyramids of Egypt's Fifth and Sixth Dynasty kings. First discovered in the burial chambers of Unas at Saqqara in the nineteenth century, these texts reveal a profound vision of the afterlife, in which the pharaoh ascends to the stars, joins the gods, and reigns eternally beyond death.
Since the first edition of this work in 2008, the study of the Pyramid Texts has been transformed by new discoveries, cutting-edge imaging technology, and advances in philology. The Fourth Edition (2021) incorporates more than a decade of fresh research: newly unearthed inscriptions from Saqqara, refined translations of obscure passages, and expanded commentary that situates the Pyramid Texts within the broader traditions of Egyptian afterlife literature, including the Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead.
Both accessible and authoritative, this updated edition takes readers on a journey through discovery, translation, and interpretation. It explores the interplay of kingship, ritual, and cosmology, while offering a clear chapter-by-chapter guide to the inscriptions themselves. Written for scholars, students, and general readers fascinated by Egypt's mysteries,
illuminates not only the religious imagination of the Old Kingdom but also the enduring human search for immortality written in stone more than four thousand years ago.