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Thoth by Lesley Jackson
THOTH
The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom
By Lesley Jackson

“Hail to you, O Thoth, in whom is the peace of the gods.”  - The ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts, Spell 9
In Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, author and researcher Lesley Jackson presents a comprehensive and wide-ranging study of this unique god spanning six millennia. Drawing on the latest archaeological and textual research, from magical papyri and stelae to statues and wall carvings, the author explores Thoth's diverse functions including god of writing, magic and wisdom, creator god, judge, healer, psychopomp, reckoner of time and lunar god.

Developing from pre-dynastic origins, the worship of Thoth is discussed through the different Egyptian social classes from peasant to Pharaoh, and placed in the context of ancient Egyptian rituals and festivals; as is the later syncretisation of Thoth with the Greco-Egyptian figure of Hermes Trismegistus. In so doing the author demonstrates the pivotal role that the ibis-headed god fulfilled in many of the Egyptian myths and his functions within the three main Egyptian theologies - i.e. Heliopolitan, Hermopolitan and Memphite.

The names, animals and symbols of Thoth, lord of ritual and of words, are all considered to further reveal his complex nature, which is also viewed through the web of connections between Thoth and the numerous other Egyptian gods. Particular attention is given to his consorts, the goddesses Maat, Seshat and Nehmataway, and the implications of their relationships.

This extensive and detailed work is supplemented with ancient hymns to Thoth and a survey of temples associated with him. Long overdue, Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom is an unmissable work on this most enduring of gods.

"Come that I may instruct you concerning the writing which Thoth gave to the hand of his disciple."  - The Ancient Egyptian Book of Thoth

Other books by Lesley Jackson include Hathor: A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, Isis: The Eternal Goddess of Egypt and Rome, Sekhmet and Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt, and The Cobra Goddess & The Chaos Serpent.

2020, 232 pages. Paperback & Kindle editions available.
ISBN 978-1-910191-23-1
 

Thoth by Lesley Jackson

£16.99Price

  • Introduction
    The Names of Thoth
    Symbolism
    Lunar Aspects
    The Wise God
    In the Afterlife
    Judge
    The Magician
    The Healer
    Defining the Edges
    Relationships
    Creation
    Worship of Thoth
    Personal Worship and Veneration
    Hermes Trismegistus and Beyond
    Conclusion
    1. Some Hymns & Prayers to Thoth
    2. Chronology
    3. Place Names
    Bibliography
    Index

  • Lesley Jackson has a lifelong interest in archaeology, ancient history and sacred myth and a fascination with the mysterious geographical, be they lost worlds, otherworlds or the sacred places of this world. She is a devotee of the Egyptian deities and since being blessed with early retirement has devoted much of her time to researching and writing about them.

    Lesley is the author of Thoth: The History of the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom, Hathor: A Reintroduction to an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, Isis: The Eternal Goddess of Egypt and Rome, Sekhmet and Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt, and The Cobra Goddess & the Chaos Serpent in Ancient Egypt, all published by Avalonia. She has written a number of articles about Egyptian religion, some of which have been published in Pagan Dawn and Nile Magazine.

    Despite the strong call of Egypt she is a Northerner at heart, preferring cooler climes and wooded landscapes. She lives in the East Riding of Yorkshire, close to the lost world of Doggerland. 

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