The Dawning Moon of the Mind: Unlocking the Pyramid Texts - Softcover

"In this exciting book, Morrow . . . provides a radical new translation and a line-by-line exegesis." ―The New Yorker

"With a brilliant combination of literary criticism, cultural history, and linguistic expertise, archaeologist Morrow . . . provides a dazzling new translation of the hieroglyphs of the pyramid of Unis (built in 2323 B.C.E.) as well as a detailed and thoughtful guide to interpreting hieroglyphs and understanding the culture that produced them. . . . Most translations misinterpret the Pyramid Texts to be the stories of animals and gods, but Morrow’s translation and interpretation reveal them to be the story of the invention of time and an examination of the ways in which humanity is deeply embedded in the cosmic." ―Publishers Weekly

“An erudite investigation that rewards patient, careful reading.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“With the skill of a scholar and the sensibility of a poet, Susan Morrow opens the language of hieroglyphs.”
―Elaine Pagels, author of The Gnostic Gospels

“Susan Brind Morrow has given us a work of sublime intelligence and importance in which she manages with kindness and courtesy to explode the old myths of the Pyramid Texts, revealing a cascade of new and hitherto-unknown truths about the wisdom of the Egyptian ancients. The Dawning Moon of the Mind is beautifully and wisely crafted―a treasure-house of secrets that is a perfect joy to read.”
―Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

“Bringing a much-needed poetic and visual sensitivity to the Pyramid Texts, Susan Brind Morrow shows that they are indeed deeply visual and poetic in their language, and she makes a compelling case that they need reinterpretation. The author’s deep knowledge of Egypt and affection for the land, along with her long-time immersion in Arabic, give The Dawning Moon of the Mind a remarkable range and immediacy.”
―Roger Bagnall, Leon Levy Director, Institute for the study of the Ancient World, New York University

“This is a profound and profoundly inspiring book, a work of the scholarly heart, the feeling mind.”
―Verlyn Klinkenborg, author of The Rural Life