It has been such a treat to be able to read history with my children over the past seventeen years of homeschooling. The Charlotte Mason method of using living books has made the various time periods come alive for me, and I have learned so much.

But never have I learned as much as I did when I read the manuscript for our new book, Ancient Egypt and Her Neighbors! What a gem!

Here, at last, is a living book that explores Ancient Egypt in a way that is suitable for younger students, yet interesting for older; that presents what the Egyptians believed, yet honors the one, true God; that doesn’t sensationalize the pagan customs, myths, or mummies; that traces the history of this ancient civilization, yet agrees with the Biblical account of creation and the beginning of mankind.

But that’s not all. The best part is that Lorene Lambert’s fascinating narrative also tells the stories of the other civilizations that existed alongside Ancient Egypt—her neighbors, near and far.

I learned about

why a tiny carved cylinder was so important to Ancient Sumerians,
the puzzle of a vanished people in the Indus Valley whose writing we still cannot decipher,
how a stone finger pointing to the sky in Ancient Babylon influenced our system of justice today,
why writing on turtle shells assured a lasting dynasty in Ancient China,
which charging bull the Ancient Minoans could not leap over,
the secrets of a chalk horse and giant stones in Ancient Britain,
plus, many other neighbors’ stories.

And the world of the ancients came alive to me in a way it had never done before!

So we are excited to announce that Ancient Egypt and Her Neighbors is now available for you and your children to enjoy too! Download the free sample to read the first couple of chapters, and see for yourself how interesting the ancient world can be!

Replacement for Oxford First Ancient History

We’re happy to be able to recommend this wonderful new book, Ancient Egypt and Her Neighbors, as the replacement for the out-of-print Oxford First Ancient History.

Those of you who use our Genesis through Deuteronomy and Ancient Egypt, 2nd edition, handbook, with daily lesson plans and book lists, know that we scheduled the main Family readings from Oxford First Ancient History. When that book unexpectedly went out of print, we spent hours looking for a good replacement. But we could find nothing for that time period that was appropriate for the whole family and well-written in a living narrative style.

So we were thrilled when Lorene Lambert agreed to take on the challenge of writing a book about Ancient Egypt and other early civilizations that we would be able to recommend without reservation: living, well-written, appropriate, and supporting a Biblical worldview! It was no easy task, but we are happy to say that she succeeded in that challenge admirably!

And now it will be easy to pop Ancient Egypt and Her Neighbors into the 2nd edition lesson plans in place of the old Oxford book. You will find a simple lesson-by-lesson outline on the Links and Tips page.

Yes, we will be rewriting the Genesis through Deuteronomy and Ancient Egypt handbook to reflect those changes (plus, doing a little revising and expanding). The new edition should be forthcoming soon. In fact, we will be rewriting all three of the handbooks that used Oxford First Ancient History, so you will be able to give your attention to teaching your children rather than trying to figure out a work-around for that out-of-print resource. Note: These new editions are now available!

We’re excited to have this wonderful replacement for Oxford First Ancient History now available! We feel confident that Ancient Egypt and Her Neighbors will be a tremendous asset to your family’s education!