Akhenaten and the Religion of Light

“The book is infused with critical inquiry; instead of merely repeating past theories, Hornung discusses and contextualizes the scholarship into the trends of the time it was written … Akhenaten and the Religion of Light is excellent.”-Choice “In Akhenaten and the Religion of Light, Erik Hornung, …explores the metaphysical and religious dimensions of Akhenaten’s ‘perestroika’ … shows how psychological and medical interpretations of Akhenaten’s portraits based on a literal reading of their anatomy-bending style have often fed dubious moral presumptions…‘Ugly’ and ‘sick’ Hornung tells us were the most common epithets applied to Amarna art by scholars at the turn of the century.”-Lawrence Osborne. Lingua Franca. April, 2000. “In this book, the author provides a concise, accurate, and very readable account of Akhenaten’s reign… It is one of the best books on the subject of this heretic pharaoh. Recommended reading for all.”-Frankie’s Bibliography of Ancient Egypt “Eric Hornung… effectively and succinctly guides through the mess of interpretations to a sympathetic, yet historically critical understanding of the pharaoh’s theology and impact upon Egyptian history… Like any good historian he explains the social and historical context that gave rise to Akhenaten and his religion of light. The author has spent a life time trying to unravel for us the intricacies of Egyptian religion. His books are accessible, well written, and full of useful information.”-Tom Collins, Religious Studies in Secondary Schools, Spring 2000. “A concise and thoughtful analysis of Akhenaten’s reign and religious innovations by a foremost expert on Egyptian religion… Throughout, Hornung’s knowledge of Egyptian religion and balanced coverage of the issues make this a publication of great value to anyone with an interest in Akhenaten or in Egyptian religion.”-Denise M. Doxey, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Religious Studies Review, Vol. 25, No. 4, October 2000 “This short and eminently readable translation… focuses on the nature of Akhenaten’s religion, religious beliefs, and cultic practices, bringing together concepts and discussions from a wide range of scholarly writing.”-Susan Tower Hollis, SUNY Empire State College. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 121, No. 3 (2001)

David Lorton, an Egyptologist, is the translator of many books, including Erik Hornung’s books The Secret Lore of Egypt and Akhenaten and the Religion of Light, both from Cornell.