The Egypt of the Hebrews and Herodotos

Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry), 1845-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.5

Word count: 442K words
Chapters: 45

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Egypt of the Hebrews and Herodotos by A. H. SayceAuthor: Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry), 1845-1933,Language: English, Class: DT: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Africa, Release Date: Feb 12, 2012

Editor's review

This book by the British Assyriologist and Egyptologist A. H. Sayce deals with Egypt as described by the Hebrews and by Herodotus, and is a historical work (DT classification). Combining documentary criticism with historical narrative, the author discusses the relationship between ancient Egypt and Hebrew tradition and Greek accounts, involving the cross-verification of archaeological finds, inscription materials, and classical texts. For readers interested in ancient Near Eastern history, the biblical historical background, or Herodotus studies, the book offers a sample of an early scholarly perspective and helps in understanding how scholars of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries viewed the relationship between Egypt and neighboring civilizations. As a public-domain Project Gutenberg e-book, the text is freely available and suitable as supplementary material for topical reading. Note that the book was written long ago and some views and materials have been updated by later research; readers should treat it as a historical document rather than as the latest scholarly conclusion. It can be read alongside modern works on Egyptian history or Herodotus studies.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History enthusiasts interested in ancient Egypt, Hebrew history, and Herodotus's accounts
Humanities students needing to understand the scholarly lineage of early Assyriology and Egyptology
Research-oriented readers who want free public-domain scholarly works for topical extensive reading
Readers who have read Herodotus's Histories and want to expand their background knowledge

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking the latest archaeological findings and contemporary scholarly consensus
Beginners lacking ancient history background who expect a light introductory book
General fiction readers uninterested in religion and classical textual criticism

Reading tips

First learn the basics of Herodotus's Histories and the biblical book of Exodus; the book is easier to enter afterward.
While reading, note the inscriptions and classical sources the author cites for later verification.
Stay critical of the book's early scholarly views and cross-read with modern works on Egyptian history.
Read chapter by chapter by topic, focusing on one issue at a time to avoid information overload from reading straight through.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What background knowledge is needed to read this book?

The book involves ancient Egypt, Hebrew tradition, and Herodotus's accounts. Readers are advised to have a basic understanding of ancient Near Eastern history and preferably to have read part of Herodotus's Histories or relevant biblical passages. Those lacking background can still read it, but will need to look things up as they go, and comprehension will be noticeably harder.

Do the book's views still have reference value today?

The book was written long ago and is an early scholarly work; some specific views and materials have been corrected or updated by later research. Its value lies more in showing the problem consciousness and argumentation methods of scholars of that era; it should be read as material for the history of scholarship, not cited directly as the latest conclusion.

Does the electronic edition include notes or maps?

The Project Gutenberg edition is a digitized public-domain text that generally preserves the original body text, but whether the original notes, illustrations, or maps are included depends on the original scan and editing. After downloading, readers can first check the table of contents and file description and use other materials for support if necessary.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Sayce, A. H. (Archibald Henry), 1845-1933 Author

A. H. Sayce (Archibald Henry Sayce, 1845–1933) was a British Assyriologist and Orientalist. Public information about him is limited, and the library holds no complete account of his life, but his nine works show that his scholarly focus was the popularization and critical study of ancient Near Eastern civilizations. Drawing on archaeological discoveries and inscriptions, he wrote about the history, religion and social customs of Assyria, Babylonia, the Hittites and ancient Egypt, combining scholarship with readability. His representative works include a primer of Assyriology, a study of the Hittites as a forgotten empire, and books on the religions of ancient Egypt and Babylonia and on the Egypt of the Hebrews and Herodotos. His writings helped English-speaking readers understand ancient Near Eastern studies.