Ancient Hebrew Poetry provides some important links on the discovery of a new fragment of the Turin King list.  The discovery could revise Egyptian chronology and fill in gaps for the 13th and 14th dynasties.  Here.

This is the personal website of Dr. Zahi Hawass. It is a great tool to keep updated on news in the field of Egyptology.

Richard H. Wilkinson (ed.), Egyptology Today.   Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press, 2008.  Pp. xiv, 283.  ISBN 978-0-521-68226-8.  $29.99 (pb).

Reviewed by L. R. Siddall, School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London.

Bryn Mawr Classical Review bring this notice:

This is a superb book. Wilkinson has brought together some of the current leading Egyptologists to produce a single volume work that introduces the reader to the methods and theories used in the study of ancient Egypt. All aspects of Egyptology are covered from the Egyptian language and medical research to the way archaeologists survey sites and the conservation of artefacts. The book is organized thematically into four parts (approaches, monuments, art and artifacts, and texts), with each part comprising three chapters. Wonderfully illustrated, this book will make excellent reading for students of the ancient world and the interested public.

The volume opens and closes with succinct essays by the editor on the past, current, and future status of Egyptological research. Wilkinson introduces the reader to the reality of modern Egyptological practice and research, pointing out that the latter part of the twentieth century has seen the study of Egyptology benefit from broader methods of scholarship taken from the arts and humanities, and the natural and medical sciences. Egyptology is now very much an interdisciplinary field (more).

BMCR is an excellent source for the latest in ancient history and literature (here).

Jim West posts this photo of a seal believed to belong to queen Jezebel. He also discusses the reconstructed inscription at the top [L '], and the interpretation of the letters ‘YZBL’ in phoenecian script.

Dr. West also includes this link which highlights the Phoenician letters that are visible on the seal. There is no discussion of the Egyptian hieroglyphs, though.

Dr. West has just posted a guest commentary by Dr. Chris Rollston, a recognized authority on ancient inscriptions.

Here are some resources I have found helpful. Just click on the underlined links.

1. Hieroglyphs.net is a fun web site that includes an online dictionary and daily and weekly quizzes.
2. Eternal Egypt offers virtual tours of several museums.
3. Egyptology.com claims to have the best links for Egyptology.
4. Egyptology Resources is another good source of links.
5. National Geographic online has a nice article on Egyptian Love Poetry.
6. If you want to become a professional Egyptologist, you will have to deal with German and French. A comprehensive website in French is L’ Égypt éternelle.
7. Children’s Books for the Study of Ancient Egypt lists other sites and books, including an illustrated children’s version of “The Shipwrecked Sailor.”
8. “Virtual Secrets of Knowledge” has downloadable hieroglyphic flashcards, along with cuneiform.

Here are some essential books.

1. For anyone wanting to learn hieroglyphs by self-study (better would be to form a small group of motivated and interested friends) the place to start is How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself, by Mark Collier and Bill Manley (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998). In the Revised edition (2003) the authors express their amazement that the first edition sold over 100,000 copies. (Link to Amazon) The focus of the book is inscriptions in the British Museum, which are typical of inscriptions in many museums. Since many of these inscriptions are captions with regular formulas and relatively simple grammar, they make an ideal starting point for learning to read hieroglyphs.

2. A helpful companion is Ancient Egyptian Calligraphy A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Hieroglyphs by Henry George Fischer. The practice of learning to draw or write the hieroglyphs is an effective way to learn them. Amazon
3. Aidan Dodson’s The Hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt is a marvelous illustrated account of the history of Egyptian Hieroglyphic writing and its deciphering. Amazon
4. Back in 1973 when I was in high school in Kansas, James Wasserman was working in a bookstore in New York and came across Budge’s facsimile edition of the Papyrus Ani and became obsessed with the Book of the Dead. The resulting labor of love is his fabulous facsimile publication of the papyrus. The photos have been digitally enhanced; for purists this my be like colorizing old movies, but for amateur enthusiasts the result is wonderful. The edition includes a translation by Raymond Faulkner and commentaries by Ogden Goelet. As splendid is the art in the papyrus Ani, the actual text is inferior to others available. Faulkner’s translation is based on a reconstructed ideal text, and therefore does not always match the hieroglyphs in this edition. It is a book that belongs on the coffee table of every Egyptophile. Amazon
5. After mastering Collier’s introduction the next obvious step is a full grammar. James P. Allen’s Grammar is now considered the standard textbook for Middle Egyptian. After a fling with Polotsky’s “standard theory” Egyptologists have now returned to a more verb-based understanding of the language. Amazon
6. Gardiner’s classic work is still needed for reference, and is available at a relatively affordable price. Amazon
7. Faulkner’s Concise dictionary is also still affordable. Amazon
8. If you make it this far you will want something to read. At $60.00 J. F. Borghouts’s Hierogram: A Reference Grammar of Middle Egyptian With Reading Texts is cheap by Brill’s standards. Amazon (no image). The Egyptian Reading Book by A. de Buck is a collection of Middle Egyptian literary texts.
   
9. Amazon lists several other books on Egyptian language, history, culture, art and architecture. I plan to check into several of these in the future, and I will update you on what I think. What are your favorites? By the way, beginners should avoid the ubiquitous and inexpensive works of Budge, which are outdated and would be confusing.
10. When you are ready to start writing Egyptian Glyphotext is available for 100 Euros or a 30 day free trial. I will take the free trial and let you know how I like it.

Welcome to Bad Bird (ndjs.WordPress.com) the website for amateur Egyptologists and enthusiasts. This is rnpt sp1, hr hm mr(y)k. The site will be building slowly. There are a lot of good Egyptology sites out there. One of the main contributions of Bad Bird will be to select and review the best sites. Send us your favorite! L.H.P.