The Natural Genesis - Vol.1 by Gerald Massey
Egyptologist Gerald Massey challenged readers in A Book of the Beginnings to consider the argument that Egypt was the birthplace of civilization and that the widespread monotheistic vision of man and the metaphysical was, in fact, based on ancient Egyptian mythos. In The Natural Genesis, Massey delivers a sequel, delving deeper into his compelling polemic. In Volume I, he offers a more intellectual, fine-tuned analysis of the development of society out of Egypt. From the simplest signs (numbers, the cross) to the grandest archetypes (darkness, the mother figure), Massey carefully and confidently lays the cultural and psychosocial bricks of Evolutionism. British author GERALD MASSEY (1828-1907) published works of poetry, spiritualism, Shakespearean criticism, and theology, but his best-known works are in the realm of Egyptology, including A Book of the Beginnings and Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World.
Gerald Massey (29 May 1828 - 29 October 1907) was an English poet and self-educated Egyptologist. He was born near Tring, Hertfordshire in England. He was attracted by the movement known as Christian Socialism, into which he threw himself with whole-hearted vigour, and so became associated with Frederick Denison Maurice and Charles Kingsley. He became interested in Egyptology and the similarities that exist between ancient Egyptian mythology and the Gospel stories. He studied the extensive Egyptian records housed in the British Museum, and eventually taught himself to decipher the hieroglyphics. Massey's first public appearance as a writer was in connection with a journal called the Spirit of Freedom, of which he became editor. When he was only twenty-two he published his first volume of poems, Voices of Freedom and Lyrics of Love. These he followed in rapid succession with The Ballad of Babe Christabel (1854), War Waits (1855), Havelock's March (1860), and A Tale of Eternity (1869). He also published works dealing with Spiritualism, the study of Shakespeare's sonnets, and theological speculation. It is generally understood that he was the original of George Eliot's Felix Holt. Massey's poetry has a certain rough and vigorous element of sincerity and strength which easily accounts for its popularity at the time of its production. He treated the theme of Sir Richard Grenville before Tennyson thought of using it, with much force and vitality. Indeed, Tennyson's own praise of Massey's work is still its best eulogy, as he found in him a poet of fine lyrical impulse, and of a rich half-Oriental imagination. The inspiration of his poetry is essentially British; he was a patriot to the core. His poem The Merry, Merry May was set to music in a popular song by composer Christabel Baxendale. Concerning Egyptology, Massey first published The Book of the Beginnings, followed by The Natural Genesis. His most prolific work is Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World, published shortly before his death, which draws comparisons between the Judeo-Christian religion and the Egyptian religion. One of the more sensational aspects of Massey's writings were the parallels he drew between Jesus and the Egyptian god Horus. These comparisons are primarily contained in his book The Natural Genesis. Massey's writings on this subject have influenced various later authors such as Alvin Boyd Kuhn, Tom Harpur, and D. M. Murdock.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781602060845 |
| ISBN 10 | 1602060843 |
| Title | The Natural Genesis - Vol.1 |
| Author | Gerald Massey |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cosimo Classics |
| Year published | 2013-01-01 |
| Number of pages | 568 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |