Noted Egyptologist Bob Brier's Decoding the Secrets of Egyptian Hieroglyphs is the key to unlocking this ancient language. In 24 lectures, you'll cover the basics of reading and writing hieroglyphs, including vocabulary words, number systems, and sentence structure. You'll also translate hieroglyphs found on ancient sites and artifacts, such as the temples at Abu Simbel and the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Decoding the Secrets of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Decipher the language of ancient Egypt and learn what hieroglyphs can tell us about history, accompanied by an acclaimed Egyptologist.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Anne M from
So interesting!
Really enjoy Dr. Brier's teaching style and have learned so much! Highly recommend to anyone but especially those interested in Egypt.
Date published: 2024-03-19
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Hatshepsut from
I have only done 4 lectures, but so far I am very much enjoying the course and feel that I am making good progress in my understanding
Date published: 2022-11-01
Rated 5 out of
5
by
aargeeem from
Learn key basic inscriptions and basic grammar
Not only will you learn basic inscriptions like the ones you will see on museum artefacts (e.g., great god, Ra, priest, god names, etc.) but you also will learn beginner grammar and Egyptian history. Don't be scared off by prices of books mentioned. There are many good sources on the internet as well as PDFs of parts of the older books. This course is outstanding!
Date published: 2022-09-24
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Louise Newton from
Love Dr. Bob!
This is well worth the price. I am an archaeologist but I haven't been to Egypt--yet. I intend to go when this plague is over so we can travel again. I want to be able to read some of the walls for myself and this will do it for me. Thanks, Bob and Great courses. I have not been disappointed with any of the many courses I have purchased.
Date published: 2022-01-03
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Scrawn from
Detailed
This course was not exactly what I expected. Lots of time focusing on how to write and read hieroglyphs which was a little tedious and more than what I wanted to know. But, the professor's personality and enthusiasm made up for it and I ended up enjoying the course.
Date published: 2021-11-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Juju from
Decoding the Secrets of Egyptian Hieroglyphs
I bought this coarse two weeks ago and am enjoying every moment I spend learning this old language. I’m enjoying the history being teaches as well as the way to encode the language.This is very interesting coarse well prepared and professor Bob Brier is an excellent and talented lecturer I’m never bored and the way he teaches the coarse makes
it an excellent experience and journey into a Great civilization through all its history
Date published: 2021-10-20
Rated 5 out of
5
by
leadsled from
Fascinating course
This is an excellent course. It's not designed to make a student fluent in speaking or reading ancient Egyptian. However, the course will give you a solid introduction to the Egyptian system of hieroglyphs. When you finish the course, you will actually be able to read some of the sentences and cartouches that appear on the walls of temples and tombs. Highly recommended.
Date published: 2021-09-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Brent M from
Strong Foundational Course
Succinctly: superb. Bob Brier is an amazing professor. He presents the material in such a way that it challenges but does not overwhelm you. His understanding of and passion for the subject matter are apparent - and it is contagious! I never thought I would learn so much in such a short period of time. To make the most of this course, get a notebook and construct a dictionary after each lecture. Also make tables for pronouns and gender, gods and math. These will help you study and retain what you have Learned. I have since purchased each of Dr. Brier's classes and they are all well worth the money. However, I think this is his best. It has been over half a year since I completed the class and have since gone on to further my studies in Middle Egyptian. I took the class for a novelty, but have turned into a passionate enthusiast. If you read these reviews, thank you very much, Dr. Brier!
Date published: 2021-01-28
Overview
About
Dr. Bob Brier is an Egyptologist and Senior Research Fellow at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. He earned his bachelor's degree from Hunter College and Ph.D. in Philosophy from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Professor Brier has twice been selected as a Fulbright Scholar and has received Long Island University's David Newton Award for Teaching Excellence in recognition of his achievements as a lecturer. He has served as Director of the National Endowment for the Humanities' Egyptology Today program. In 1994, Dr. Brier became the first person in 2,000 years to mummify a human cadaver in the ancient Egyptian style. This research was the subject of a National Geographic television special, Mr. Mummy. Dr. Brier is also the host of The Learning Channel's series The Great Egyptians. Professor Brier is the author of Ancient Egyptian Magic (1980), Egyptian Mummies (1994), Encyclopedia of Mummies (1998), The Murder of Tutankhamen: A True Story (1998), Daily Life in Ancient Egypt (1999), and numerous scholarly articles.
Trailer
01: Why Egypt Needed Hieroglyphs
Before learning how to read and write hieroglyphs, you have to understand why ancient Egypt had to invent some form of writing. Central to this introductory lecture is a study of the Narmer Palette, whose writing would set standards and conventions that would be followed for 3,000 years.
33 min
02: The Ancient Egyptian Alphabet
It's time to learn the hieroglyphic alphabet. Professor Brier shows you how to write each hieroglyph and how to position them, including a stylized hand ("D"), a horned viper ("F"), and two hieroglyphs for which English doesn't have a letter. Then, transcribe your name from English to ancient Egyptian.
29 min
03: How a Language Becomes Lost
How is it possible for a language used by the world's greatest civilization to become lost? The answer, you'll learn, involves charting the rise and fall of ancient Egypt's spectacular kingdoms, as well as investigating the ways Christianity replaced hieroglyphs with Greek letters.
31 min
04: Napoleon in Egypt
Explore how hieroglyphs, and the ability to read them, was rediscovered during Napoleon's invasion of Egypt. Along the way, you'll consider the birth of Egyptology and the role of ushabtis, statues of servants buried with prominent Egyptians so they could avoid having to work in the next world.
32 min
05: Early Attempts to Decipher the Rosetta Stone
With the discovery of the Rosetta Stone by the French, the process of deciphering hieroglyphs could begin. But early attempts were thrown off by what Professor Brier calls the "Big Mistake". Here, examine the reasons why so many scholars made the error of treating hieroglyphs like picture writing.
32 min
06: William Bankes and the Keys to Decipherment
Learn how several key discoveries showed how to decipher hieroglyphs the right way, and also shaped our understanding of ancient Egypt. First: a bilingual obelisk that extended the Egyptian alphabet. Second: the "Hall of Ancients", which contained the longest list of pharaohs ever discovered.
31 min
07: Jean-François Champollion Cracks the Code
Meet Jean- François Champollion, the first man in 2,000 years to read hieroglyphs and correct the "Big Mistake". After studying Champollion's vital contribution to the field, you'll spend time learning how to read and write biliterals: hieroglyphs that represent two sounds, one after the other.CHECK THIS RECORD
31 min
08: Suffix Pronouns and the Hieroglyphs of Ptah
In the first half of this lecture, learn how to work with suffix pronouns (which, unlike in English, are the same for possessive and nominative). Then, discover what hieroglyphs reveal about the role of the creator god Ptah in Egyptian religion-and his close connection with writing and words.CHECK THIS RECORD
32 min
09: The Immortal Scribe
First, continue working on suffix pronouns with several English-to-hieroglyph sentence translations. Then, unpack the hidden meaning of the scarab beetle hieroglyph (kheper). Finally, learn about the scribes responsible for writing everything from cattle inventories to Books of the Dead, then learn about the medium on which they wrote, papyrus.
31 min
10: Hieroglyphs and the Bible
After giving you a few more pointers on suffix pronouns (including an unusual feature of the Middle Egyptian language), Professor Brier invites you to do a little applied hieroglyphs. How does a little knowledge of hieroglyphs help us answer some biblical questions about iconic events from the book of Exodus?...
31 min
11: Dependent Pronouns and the Passive Voice
Dependent pronouns, as you'll learn, don't have to be added onto any other word; they stand alone and are usually the object of the verb. From there, you'll consider the first expedition to copy hieroglyphs (epigraphy), and learn about a current program designed to save inscriptions on fragile temple walls.
31 min
12: Past Tense and Adjectives
Start working with the past tense in your hieroglyphic sentences (the secret involves tacking a water sign onto a verb). Then, expand your Egyptian vocabulary to include new biliterals, as well as adjectives like "evil" and "excellent." Also, learn how to use adjectives as modifiers, predicates, and nouns....
28 min
13: New Ideograms Related to the Gods
From suns and pillars to flagpoles and scepters, uncover what the hieroglyphs of gods reveal about ancient Egyptian thought and belief. For example, flagpoles were the ideogram for "god" (pronounced netcher) and ram-headed scepters (pronounced was) were representations of power inspired by the god Amun....
31 min
14: Names of the Pharaohs
Learn how the kings of Egypt wrote their names. Using the Sneferu stela as a guide, examine the development of a pharaoh's five royal titles: the "Horus" name, the "King of Upper and Lower Egypt" name, the "Two Ladies" name, the "Golden Horus" name, and the "Son of Re" name....
32 min
15: Ancient Egyptian Numbers
Learn the Egyptian way of writing whole numbers and fractions, which were used to keep track of everything from taxes to dates when the Nile would rise. Also, visit the mortuary temple of Ramses III, where a pile of hands reveals how many enemy soldiers were killed in battle....
31 min
16: The Egyptian Calendar
Explore why the calendar was crucial to Egypt's success as a nation, and learn how the civilization divided a year into months and seasons based on the activity of the Nile River. Then, find out how Egyptologists use ancient Egyptian calendars to pinpoint dates....
29 min
17: Names of the Gods
By understanding hieroglyphic names of gods and goddesses, you can read the stories told on temple walls. Among the pantheon of deities you'll learn to recognize are Isis and Osiris, Atum (the first terrestrial god), and the earth and sky gods Geb and Nut....
31 min
18: Negation in Ancient Egyptian Sentences
How do you say "no" in ancient Egyptian? The answer, it turns out, involves knowing how to use (and draw) your arms. After practicing your skills at negation, you'll follow Professor Brier on a study tour of amulets (for both the dead and living) as "three-dimensional" hieroglyphs....
33 min
19: Reading Hieroglyphic Jewelry
With your newfound knowledge of hieroglyphs, decipher what several pieces of exquisite ancient jewelry say - and why they're more than just pretty, decorative baubles. The jewels you examine include a pectoral worn by Queen Meret (used as political propaganda) and one worn by Princess Sat-Hathor (used for protection).
31 min
20: Palimpsests: When Scribes Make Mistakes
What happens when a scribe makes a mistake-especially when the hieroglyph is carved in stone? How do modern archaeologists know how to recognize errors? Using inscriptions on the Pyramid of Unas and at Abydos Temple, explore the topic of palimpsests, the writing of one text over another....
32 min
21: An Ancient Egyptian Prayer for the Dead
Enter the temples and tombs of the ancient Egyptians and explore some of the fascinating hieroglyphic prayers inscribed on their walls. Central to this lecture is a standard prayer for the dead that started in the Old Kingdom: the Hotep-di-nesu, which asked the king to grant an offering to Osiris....
33 min
22: Translating the Tomb of Perneb
Join Professor Brier for an in-depth tour of the Tomb of Perneb's hieroglyphs-specifically those in its chapel, or mastaba. What lies behind the "false door" common to chapels like this? Why were ka-priests so important to the afterlife of the wealthy?...
32 min
23: Translating Tutankhamen's Tomb
In the first of two lectures on the most famous find in all archaeology, learn the story of the excavation of King Tut's tomb. Then, translate some of the inscriptions on the gilded shrines in the Egyptian ruler's burial chamber (among them: messages by carpenters for use in construction)....
31 min
24: King Tut's Magic Mirror and Sarcophagus
Decode and understand the inscriptions on two astonishing artifacts: a magic mirror used during Tutankhamen's lifetime and the lid of the pharaoh's sarcophagus. Then, conclude the course with suggestions on how to continue studying hieroglyphs, including scholarly resources and translation tips....
34 min
