DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5066#0042
oh. i. GODS, DEMI-GODS, AND MAXES 13
5. Osiris, his son (Water—Being that has
existed—the Past) .... Dionysos
6. Set, son of Seb (the Annihilation of
Being) ...... Typhon
7. Horus, son of Osiris (the Coming into
Being—the Future) .... Hermes
Thus Ptali of Memphis, whom the inscriptions
honour with the title of 'father of the gods,' is the
Architect, in the highest sense of the word. This is at
once indicated by his name, for Ptah, in the Egyptian
language, signifies ' architect.' There are inscriptions
which throw light on the sacred attributes of this
Architect of the Universe. The following texts, on the
walls of the temple of Denderah, call the god ' the
chief of the society of the gods, who created all Being.'
'All things came into existence after he existed.' ' He is
the lord of truth and king of the gods.' At Philas it is
said ' he who created all being, who formed men and
gods with his own hands ;' and again, ' he is the father
of beginnings, who created the egg of the sun and
of the moon,' and is ' the father of all the gods,
the first existing.' He is ' God the creator, who was
before the creation of the universe, his own exclusive
work.'
Ea, the Sun, his successor, according to the
Memphite doctrine, is invoked in several sacred hymns
as ' the son of Ptah.' In different localities he bears
the double names of Khnem-Ea, Amen-Ea, and in
another deeply mystic sense he is the divine form of
existence. He is 'that which is to-day—the present;'
his son and successor, Shu, is identical with Avind or
air. The divine Seb, who in the temple of Esneh is
called the son of Shu, represents the earth, and is iden-
tical with the Greek Kronos.
To his son Osiris—the divinity adored in nearby all
5. Osiris, his son (Water—Being that has
existed—the Past) .... Dionysos
6. Set, son of Seb (the Annihilation of
Being) ...... Typhon
7. Horus, son of Osiris (the Coming into
Being—the Future) .... Hermes
Thus Ptali of Memphis, whom the inscriptions
honour with the title of 'father of the gods,' is the
Architect, in the highest sense of the word. This is at
once indicated by his name, for Ptah, in the Egyptian
language, signifies ' architect.' There are inscriptions
which throw light on the sacred attributes of this
Architect of the Universe. The following texts, on the
walls of the temple of Denderah, call the god ' the
chief of the society of the gods, who created all Being.'
'All things came into existence after he existed.' ' He is
the lord of truth and king of the gods.' At Philas it is
said ' he who created all being, who formed men and
gods with his own hands ;' and again, ' he is the father
of beginnings, who created the egg of the sun and
of the moon,' and is ' the father of all the gods,
the first existing.' He is ' God the creator, who was
before the creation of the universe, his own exclusive
work.'
Ea, the Sun, his successor, according to the
Memphite doctrine, is invoked in several sacred hymns
as ' the son of Ptah.' In different localities he bears
the double names of Khnem-Ea, Amen-Ea, and in
another deeply mystic sense he is the divine form of
existence. He is 'that which is to-day—the present;'
his son and successor, Shu, is identical with Avind or
air. The divine Seb, who in the temple of Esneh is
called the son of Shu, represents the earth, and is iden-
tical with the Greek Kronos.
To his son Osiris—the divinity adored in nearby all