The many Paths into the Chamber of Darkness
In 2021 Richard Jasnow and Karl-Theodor Zauzich concluded their 34 years long publication project of an important initiatory composition known from Ancient Egypt, the so-called Book of Thoth or (by its Egyptian title) Ritual for Entering the Chamber of Darkness. But even though the text is now known...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | German |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
2022
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| In: |
Die Welt des Orients
Year: 2022, Volume: 52, Issue: 2, Pages: 271-310 |
| IxTheo Classification: | HH Archaeology TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | In 2021 Richard Jasnow and Karl-Theodor Zauzich concluded their 34 years long publication project of an important initiatory composition known from Ancient Egypt, the so-called Book of Thoth or (by its Egyptian title) Ritual for Entering the Chamber of Darkness. But even though the text is now known for more than three decades, the amount of critical reception is still very minor. This article can be read primarily as a review to the final volume of their edition, the Book of Thoth II, which offers an updated transliteration and translation alongside facsimiles of the manuscripts and a set of interpreting essays in two volumes. It is shown that it can only be efficiently used alongside the older publications, therefore a part of the study centers on the complicated history of research and its critical evaluation. In addition to that, this article aims to contextualize the potential for other disciplines to recognize and work with this exceptional composition. This is demonstrated by three case studies, viewing the text through the perspective of similar compositions known from the Ancient Near East, Ancient Greek and Ancient Israel. As a consequence, interdisciplinary researchers are encouraged, by using the now completed edition, to discover their own paths into the chamber of darkness. |
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| ISSN: | 2196-9019 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Die Welt des Orients
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.13109/wdor.2022.52.2.271 |