The inaugural session of the ARCE Library Book Club will be held on September 8, 2025 via zoom. This new quarterly program is designed to foster community, scholarly engagement, and intellectual exchange through curated readings from the ARCE Digital Library

The first selection is Death, Power, and Apotheosis in Ancient Egypt: The Old and Middle Kingdoms by Dr. Julia Troche (Cornell University Press, 2021). Far from being just another volume on the Egyptian afterlife, this work presents a focused and original investigation into how power was constructed, maintained, and at times challenged in ancient Egypt. Through the lens of mortuary culture and the concept of apotheosis—the transformation of individuals into deified beings—Dr. Troche examines the social, political, and religious agency of the esteemed dead during the Old through Middle Kingdoms (c. 2700–1650 BCE). Notably, the book argues that in certain periods, such as toward the end of the Old Kingdom, the veneration and mobilization of specific deceased individuals functioned as a means to subvert or counter royal authority.

To learn more and register, please visit https://arce.org/event/arce-virtual-book-club-1-death-power-and-apotheosis-in-ancient-egypt-the-old-and-middle-kingdoms-by-julia-troche/?emci=0771a487-5a61-f011-8dc9-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=168f2843-fd62-f011-8dc9-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=1700732