Development of Religion and Thought in Ancient Egypt

Breasted traces the evolution of Egyptian religion from its earliest forms through later theological developments, emphasizing how ideas of gods, kingship, morality, and the afterlife changed over time. The book is a landmark in early Egyptological scholarship, offering readers a learned synthesis of texts, monuments, and historical interpretation.

James Henry Breasted (1865–1935) was an American historian and archaeologist whose scholarship on ancient Egypt and the ancient Near East profoundly shaped modern historical study of religion. His work was not occult in intent, but it contributed to the broader intellectual background of comparative religion and the study of ancient sacred traditions.