When Egypt Ruled the East

Published as a University of Chicago Press Phoenix Books edition, this scholarly work provides a comprehensive yet readable account of ancient Egypt during its imperial period. The authors combine archaeological evidence with historical analysis to illuminate Egypt's golden age.

The book examines ancient Egypt's New Kingdom period (c. 1550-1070 BCE), when Egyptian pharaohs controlled an empire stretching from Nubia to the Euphrates. The authors detail military campaigns, diplomatic relations, cultural achievements, and religious developments during Egypt's period of greatest international influence. The work integrates archaeological discoveries with textual evidence to reconstruct this pivotal period in ancient history.

This work represents important scholarship in Egyptology, making specialized knowledge accessible to general readers while maintaining scholarly rigor. The book's publication helped establish ancient Egyptian studies as a legitimate academic discipline and contributed to public fascination with Egyptian civilization. The authors' integration of archaeological and textual evidence exemplified modern Egyptological methodology.

George Steindorff was a pioneering German Egyptologist who helped establish the field's scientific foundations. Keith Seele contributed expertise in hieroglyphic texts and religious practices. The book's publication coincided with major archaeological discoveries in Egypt that expanded understanding of the New Kingdom period. The Phoenix Books series made scholarly works available in affordable paperback editions.