The gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt are among the most fascinating of human civilization. The lives of pharaohs and commoners alike were dominated by the need to honor, worship, and pacify the huge pantheon of deities, whose surpassing richness and complexity is reflected in countless tributes throughout Egypt. This book examines the evolution, worship, and eventual decline of the gods and goddesses—from minor figures such as Bes and Taweret to the all-powerful deities Amun and Re—that made Egypt the most completely theocratic society of the ancient world, and made Egyptians, according to Herodotus, ‘more religious than any other people.’ The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt is richly illustrated and includes specially commissioned drawings that show everything from lavish tomb paintings and imposing temple reliefs to statues of the gods themselves, while the unique thematic organization of the deities into their major groupings allows for easy cross-referencing and comparison.