Known to the Egyptians as The Sceptre, Thebes was Egypt's most magnificent and sacred city for a thousand years. This book presents, in stunning photographs, a vivid picture of this great city and its treasures-from its origins as a strategic provincial town to its pinnacle in the New Kingdom as the seat of Egypt's empire.

New paperback edition - How the invention of paper, a material prized by both scholars and kings, allowed information and ideas to shape humanity for 4000 years, from the Nile to the West. 'A wonderful, enlightening book.' (Alexander McCall Smith).

"A guide to an exhibition of some of the artifacts found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, discussing the life and death of the young king, daily life in ancient Egypt, and ancient Egyptian religion and funerary practices." --

As the golden face of Tutankhamun was found garlanded with fresh flowers exquisitely preserved for 3,000 years, the plants of ancient Egypt are brought back to life in this botanical exploration of the Pharaoh's tomb. Usually ignored by grave robbers intent on gold, the baskets, fabrics, papyri, timber, unguent vases, and model granaries filled to the brim with seeds that were buried with Tutankhamun have survived, completely intact, and each chapter of the book carries detailed descriptions of the plant species found or represented in the tomb, including emmer, fenugreek, chickpea, and types of reed and grass. F. Nigel Hepper groups the plants according to their uses, with categories such as Flowers and Leaves; Oils, Resins, and Perfumes; and Papyrus, Flax, and Other Fibrous Plants. This new edition of the fascinating book that was first published in 1990 has been fully updated to take into account recent finds and interpretations, and it features a revised and annotated further reading section, now with a guide to websites; a glossary of botanical terms; a new diagram of the tomb; additional illustrations; and a Bible references section, keyed to the main text and with quotations from the Old Testament that illuminate ancient botanical knowledge and practices.