Goebs (Egyptology, U. of Toronto) presents a new approach to analyzing the image of ancient Egyptian kings and gods, studying the textual evidence instead of the iconography and focusing on the king's White and Red Crowns, which possess symbolism encompassing the terrestrial and divine spheres. Extensive sections discuss the celestial hereafter in the early funerary literature and the role of the crowns, the crowns as items of insignia in the funerary sphere, crowns as metaphors and personifications, and implications of the symbolic functions of crowns in the funerary sphere for the image of the terrestrial ruler. This study is intended for Egyptologists but could also be of interest to those who study royal and divine symbolism in other ancient cultures. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)