$11.95

The ancient Egyptians burned incense three times a day in their temples: frankincense in the morning, myrrh at noon, and kyphi in the evening. For thousands of years the only description of kyphi came from Greek authors who had never seen kyphi made. But in 1865 a discovery by a young Egyptologist named Johannes Dümichen investigating the temple complex at Edfu changed all that. Underneath a thick coating of Nile mud was an entire room full of recipes, with explicit directions for preparation of the Egyptians' sacred incense. Two different recipes detailed the manufacture of kyphi.

Karl Vermillion offers translations of the original German and French texts of these discoveries, beginning with Dümichen's announcement. Dümichen and his mentor, Henri Brugsch, wrote early reconstructions of these recipes, but their translations of the Egyptian hieroglyphics were flawed. 20 years later Victor Loret wrote a greatly improved translation, which has never before been available in English. Vermillion provides these new English translations along with commentary correlating the ancient ingredient names and their modern identities.

  • Paperback: 284 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (February 2, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1456410490
  • ISBN-13: 978-1456410490
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds