Donald B. Redford is a historian and archaeologist who has worked extensively in Egypt since 1975, directing a number of important excavations, notably at Mendes and Karnak. A professor at Pennsylvania State University, he is the author of many books, including "Akhenaten: The Heretic King" (Princeton). He is also the editor of "The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt".

"For those unfamiliar with Ancient Egyptian archaeology, this book is a welcome summary of Redford's work and his interpretation of its results. He brings the city of Mendes to life for the first time outside the classical accounts, and successfully synthesizes a huge amount of material."--Penny Wilson, Times Literary Supplement "[T]he book has certainly to be praised for giving a view ... of an ancient Egyptian city, its history and its excavations."--Robert Gozzoli, Brynr Mawr Classical Review "Combining information from written records and evidence from his excavations at Mendes as well as a thorough grounding in the history of ancient Egypt, Redford offers something unique--namely, a narrative covering several thousand years of Egyptian history from the focal point of a single important city, Mendes."--Choice "This is a book aimed at the expert as well as the more casual reader... [A] very readable text, ... this book is sure to become a well-used reference work for anyone interested in the site of Mendes in particular, but also in the sometimes complex history of the Nile Delta."--Ancient Egypt

• List of Illustrations vii List of Sidebars xiii Preface xv Introduction xvii List of Abbreviations xxi Chapter One: The Beginnings 1 Chapter Two: The Advent of Horus 8 Chapter Three: In the Time of the Residence 18 Chapter Four: The Collapse 42 Chapter Five: The Mysterious Centuries: The Middle Kingdom 58 Chapter Six: Mendes under the Empire Pharaohs 67 Chapter Seven: The Great Chiefs of the Meshwesh 95 Chapter Eight: Egypt in the Time of Troubles 111 Chapter Nine: The Ram, Lord of Djedet 124 Chapter Ten: The Saite Revival 138 Chapter Eleven: Mendes, the Capital of Egypt 144 Chapter Twelve: The Great Disaster 179 Chapter Thirteen: Dusk and Darkness: The End of Mendes 188 Notes and Further Readings 211 Index 231

Donald B. Redford is a historian and archaeologist who has worked extensively in Egypt since 1975, directing a number of important excavations, notably at Mendes and Karnak. A professor at Pennsylvania State University, he is the author of many books, including "Akhenaten: The Heretic King" (Princeton). He is also the editor of "The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt".

"For those unfamiliar with Ancient Egyptian archaeology, this book is a welcome summary of Redford's work and his interpretation of its results. He brings the city of Mendes to life for the first time outside the classical accounts, and successfully synthesizes a huge amount of material."--Penny Wilson, Times Literary Supplement "[T]he book has certainly to be praised for giving a view ... of an ancient Egyptian city, its history and its excavations."--Robert Gozzoli, Brynr Mawr Classical Review "Combining information from written records and evidence from his excavations at Mendes as well as a thorough grounding in the history of ancient Egypt, Redford offers something unique--namely, a narrative covering several thousand years of Egyptian history from the focal point of a single important city, Mendes."--Choice "This is a book aimed at the expert as well as the more casual reader... [A] very readable text, ... this book is sure to become a well-used reference work for anyone interested in the site of Mendes in particular, but also in the sometimes complex history of the Nile Delta."--Ancient Egypt

• List of Illustrations vii List of Sidebars xiii Preface xv Introduction xvii List of Abbreviations xxi Chapter One: The Beginnings 1 Chapter Two: The Advent of Horus 8 Chapter Three: In the Time of the Residence 18 Chapter Four: The Collapse 42 Chapter Five: The Mysterious Centuries: The Middle Kingdom 58 Chapter Six: Mendes under the Empire Pharaohs 67 Chapter Seven: The Great Chiefs of the Meshwesh 95 Chapter Eight: Egypt in the Time of Troubles 111 Chapter Nine: The Ram, Lord of Djedet 124 Chapter Ten: The Saite Revival 138 Chapter Eleven: Mendes, the Capital of Egypt 144 Chapter Twelve: The Great Disaster 179 Chapter Thirteen: Dusk and Darkness: The End of Mendes 188 Notes and Further Readings 211 Index 231