From Aha, king of the 1st Dynasty at Memphis (2920 B.C.), to the pleasure palaces at Zerukha, this fascinating A-Z dictionary places more than 1,500 entries on the rich world of ancient Egypt right at the reader's fingertips. The first single-volume reference of its kind, The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt vividly combines the historical, religious, creative, artistic, military, and personal details of this venerable civilization on the Nile.

Covered in this easy-to-use dictionary is a wealth of information from the Predynastic period around 3000 B.C. to the fall of the New Kingdom in 1070 B.C. Here are the many pharaohs who served as the guiding forces of Egypt, such as King Tutankhamun, the most well-known pharaoh in modern times, and the many Egyptian queens who whether in command of Egypt or serving as a consort to the kings remain fascinating facets of Egyptian history for the modern world.

The mortuary rituals, maintained throughout ancient Egypt's history and evolving over the centuries, are covered, from simple burials on the fringes of the settlement region and the use of tombs as a place of transfiguration, to the elaborate processes of embalming and mummification.

Here also is the art, architecture, and artistic themes that so vividly represent ancient Egyptian cultural expression - the great Step Pyramid, the earliest stone building of its size in the world; scarabs, the beetle shaped amulets associated with the life-giving sun; and Satirical Papyrus, a unique collection of artistic works satirizing the state of the nation during the reigns of the last Ramessid kings.

Abundantly illustrated with over 170 maps, charts, and drawings based on reliefs, paintings, and statues, The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt is an extraordinary compendium of the vitality, daring, and energy of the dynasties of ancient Egypt as they established new horizons of art, architecture, and spiritual insight on the human journey through time.