This short review cannot do credit to this extremely rich volume with almost 500 A4-size pages, each with two columns of closely printed text. All I can do here is to discuss what the aim of the volume is, how it seeks to fulfil this, and whether the result is worthwhile.

In 2008 the first volume in what is now a series was published, and in its preface B., its instigator and main editor, expressed his hope that it would become ‘le noeud des publications isiaques’, a clearing house for all news concerning the study of the Egyptian gods at home and abroad during the Hellenistic and Roman periods (in fact, the scope is somewhat wider still: the impact of Egypt outside of Egypt, sometimes broadening into ancient exoticism or orientalism in general). To that purpose, every volume was to consist of three parts: first, ‘Nova Isiaca’, a number of articles on newly found or newly interpreted sources; second, supplements to the existing corpora Recueil des Inscriptions concernant les Cultes Isiaques (RICIS) and Sylloge Nummorum Religionis Isiacae et Sarapiacae (SNRIS) – both edited by B.; and thirdly the ‘Chronique’, a bibliographie raisonnée along the lines of the Inventaire Bibliographique des Isiaca 1940–1969 (IBIS) published in four volumes of the EPRO series from 1972 onwards (those four volumes and the bibliography for 1970–1999 are to be made available on line at the Journal électronique sur les études isiaques, www.etudes-isiaques.univ-tlse2.fr, another venture of the indefatigable B.).

Biblioteca Isiaca I contained nine articles, a supplement to RICIS and a bibliography for 2000–2004. This volume has a comparable set-up, with another supplement to RICIS (a supplement to SNRIS is promised for the third volume) and a bibliography for 2005–2008, and further additions to the bibliography for 2000–2004, preceded by articles. These articles are divided across two sections: the ‘Nova Isiaca’ of eleven articles, while another seven are proceedings emanating from that part of the fourth International Conference of Isis Studies, Liège 2008, that was dedicated to new finds from Greece (the remaining proceedings were published as Isis on the Nile [2010]). The Liège papers, edited by V., deal with ‘nova isiaca’ too and could (or should) have been listed under that heading. Accordingly, this volume is true to the original intention of restricting its scope to the publication of new or newly interpreted sources, and not just any relevant paper. This decision to restrict the series to sources and to the creation of a portal that guides those interested to the relevant primary and secondary material, was undoubtedly right: it gives the volumes coherence and a sense of purpose. One's only concern is whether B. and his collaborators can keep up the extremely demanding undertaking of producing a volume of this nature every few years. Hopefully, many will answer B.'s plea to assist him in the Herculean task of editing these volumes and keeping an extensive website up to date.

The ‘Chronique’ lists some 500 monographs and non-monographic publications, with comments ranging from a few lines to four columns. Comments are almost exclusively of a descriptive nature, and do not include explicit criticism: these are not reviews, but on the other hand there is fairly extensive annotation, referring to further publications and cross-referencing to source collections such as RICIS. So this goes way beyond L'Année Philologique and is most informative.

The second supplement to RICIS offers new information on some 150 inscriptions which were first published in RICIS or in the first supplement in Biblioteca Isiaca I; over 30 of these are provided with revised texts, almost 40 are illustrated. In addition, there are 32 inscriptions not in RICIS (but not unedited), with the text of the editio princeps, revised if necessary. All Greek, Latin or (in a single instance from Rhodes) demotic texts of some substance are provided with translations. The supplement is fully indexed and provided with concordances. As an epigraphic resource, this can hardly be overrated.

The articles range from a few pages dealing with particular bronzes of Bes and Harpocrates (two contributions by M.-C. Budischovsky), Hermanubis (B.) and Pantheos (M. Malaise and V.) to extensive catalogues of Sarapis statuary (B. and J.-L. Podvin), of weights from Byblos carrying the basileion (B.), and of Sarapis on gem stones (a supplement by V. to his catalogue of such gems), and everything in between. We have important papers on the Greek sites of Dion (P. Christodoulou), Marathon (I. Dekoulakou, P. Fotiadi and L. Siskou), Rhodes (C. Fantaoutsaki), Messene (P. Themelis) and Argos (V.). The remaining four articles deal with Isis and flower symbolism, especially the Epilobium hirsutum, traditionally associated with Isis, and the rose, Isis' particular flower in the Greco-Roman period (P.P. Koemoth); with Octavian and his policy towards the Egyptian gods as reported by Dio Cassius (53.2.4) for the year 28, giving rise to a full-scale review of the introduction of Egyptian cults, especially of Isis, in late Republican and early imperial Rome (Malaise); with the Isiaca of Tarsus (S. Picaud and J.-L. Podvin); and with a number of Coptic texts concerned with Isis, Sarapis, theoi sunnaioi and magical practices (E. Sanzi).

There is an incredible wealth of information. The consolidated bibliography (a valuable tool on its own account) comes to 50 columns, and there are 22 columns of general index – with a level of detail not only rare for French publications but for any publication.

Is there anything to criticise? Hardly. The series is still rather biased towards ‘Egypt outside of Egypt’ and does not yet pay enough attention to comparable phenomena in Egypt itself. This is, however, inherent in the field itself. Nevertheless, things are changing in this respect, and future volumes will reflect this, as it is obvious that B., as co-editor of Isis on the Nile, has come to share this idea of the importance of Egypt.

Then there is the issue of language: the articles are in English, French and Italian, biased towards French. The rest of the volume is exclusively in French. This is justified as it reflects the pre-eminence of French-speaking scholars in the field. However, it will lessen the accessibility of this volume and of the whole series to some, while it certainly deserves to reach an international audience. Including English summaries with the articles would be helpful. It might be advantageous to find contributors from abroad, not only to have non-French authors, but also to avoid what to some may look like a somewhat incestuous state of affairs: there are 32 functions (2 editors, 22 authors and co-authors and 8 bibliographers), shared out amongst 16 individuals (8 of whom have no double functions). In addition, all but two of those contributing to the ‘Chronique’ are themselves represented there, with the result that they comment on each other's work. Part of this is unavoidable, and essentially unproblematic. But it might be turned into a criticism, or it might put people off who think that there is an inner circle of experts from which they are excluded.

The 900 titles in the bibliographies of volumes 1 and 2 – not to speak of the over 6,700 for the period 1940–1999 – are sufficient proof that the study of the Egyptian gods and of aegyptiaca in the Hellenistic and Roman world has been for a long time a most dynamic field of research. Everyone who has an interest in this field cannot do without this series. It is an indispensable tool. It is extremely reliable, produced to that high standard that is representative of the best of French scholarship. It is well-printed (including the photographs) for an incredibly low price; you will be hard-pressed to find a better way to spend your money.