DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4393#0466
448 APPENDIX.
of the greater gods or else attendants upon them. Most of the gods
were connected with the sun, and represented that luminary in its
passage through the upper hemisphere or Heaven and the lower
hemisphere or Hades. To the deities of the solar cycle belonged the
great gods of Thebes and Heliopolis. In the local worship of Egypt
the deities were arranged in local triads; thus, at Memphis, Ptah,
his wife Merienptah, and their son Nefer Atum, formed a triad, to
which was sometimes added the goddess Bast or Bubastis. At
Abydus the local triad was Osiris, Isis and Horus, with Nephthys; at
Thebes, Amen-Ha or Amnion, Mut and Chons, with Neitk; at Ele-
phantine, Kneph, Anoka, Seti and Hak. In most instances the
names of the gods are Egyptian; thus, Ptah meant ' the opener;'
Amen, •' the concealed;' Ra, ' the sun ' or ' day;' Athor, ' the house of
Horus; but some few, especially of later times, were intrdouced from
Semitic sources, as Bal or Baal, Astaruta or Astarte, Khen or Kium,
Respu or lieseph. Besides the principal gods, several or parhedral
gods, sometimes personifications of the faculties, senses, and other
objects, are introduced into the religious system, and genii, spirits, or
personified souls of deities formed part of the same. At a period
subsequent to their first introduction the gods were divided into three
orders. The first or highest comprised eight deities, who were differ-
ent in the Memphian and Theban systems. They were supposed to
to have reigned over Egypt before the time of mortals. The eight
gods of the first order at Memphis were: 1, Ptah; 2, Shu; 3, Tefnu;
4, Seb; 5, Nut; 6, Osiris; 7, Isis and Horus; 8, Athor. Those of
Thebes were: 1, Amen-Ba; 2, Mentu; 3, Atum; 4, Shu and Tefnu;
5, Seb; G, Osiris; 7, Set and Nephthys; 8, Horus and Athor. The
gods of the second order were twelve in number, but the name of
one only, an Egyptian Hercules, has been preserved. The third
order is stated to have comprised Osiris, who, it will be seen, be-
longed to the first order."—"Guide to the First and Second Egyp-
tian Booms; Brit. Muses." S. Birch, 1874.
The gods most commonly represented upon the monuments are
Phtah, Knum, Ba, Amen-Ba, Khem, Osiris, Nefer Atum or Turn,
Thoth, Seb, Set, Khons, Horus, Maut, Neith, Isis, Nut, Hathor and
Bast. They are distinguished by the following attributes:
Phtah or Ptah—In form a mummy, holding the emblem called by
some the Nilometer, by others the emblem of stability. Called "the
Father of the Beginning, the Creator of the Egg of the Sun and
Moon." Chief deity of Memphis.
Kneph, Knum or Knouphis—Ham-headed. Called the maker of
gods and men; the soul of the gods. Chief deity of Elephantine and
the cataracts.
Ba—Ilawk-headed, and crowned with the sun-disk encircled by
an asp. The divine disposer and organizer of the world. Adored
throughout Egypt.
Amen-Ha—Of human form, crowned with a flat-topped cap and
two long straight plumes; clothed in the schenti; his flesh sometimes
painted blue. There are various forms of this god (see foot note
p. 310), but he is most generally described as King of the Gods.
Chief deity of Thebes.
Khan—Of human form, mummified; wears head-dress of Amen-
of the greater gods or else attendants upon them. Most of the gods
were connected with the sun, and represented that luminary in its
passage through the upper hemisphere or Heaven and the lower
hemisphere or Hades. To the deities of the solar cycle belonged the
great gods of Thebes and Heliopolis. In the local worship of Egypt
the deities were arranged in local triads; thus, at Memphis, Ptah,
his wife Merienptah, and their son Nefer Atum, formed a triad, to
which was sometimes added the goddess Bast or Bubastis. At
Abydus the local triad was Osiris, Isis and Horus, with Nephthys; at
Thebes, Amen-Ha or Amnion, Mut and Chons, with Neitk; at Ele-
phantine, Kneph, Anoka, Seti and Hak. In most instances the
names of the gods are Egyptian; thus, Ptah meant ' the opener;'
Amen, •' the concealed;' Ra, ' the sun ' or ' day;' Athor, ' the house of
Horus; but some few, especially of later times, were intrdouced from
Semitic sources, as Bal or Baal, Astaruta or Astarte, Khen or Kium,
Respu or lieseph. Besides the principal gods, several or parhedral
gods, sometimes personifications of the faculties, senses, and other
objects, are introduced into the religious system, and genii, spirits, or
personified souls of deities formed part of the same. At a period
subsequent to their first introduction the gods were divided into three
orders. The first or highest comprised eight deities, who were differ-
ent in the Memphian and Theban systems. They were supposed to
to have reigned over Egypt before the time of mortals. The eight
gods of the first order at Memphis were: 1, Ptah; 2, Shu; 3, Tefnu;
4, Seb; 5, Nut; 6, Osiris; 7, Isis and Horus; 8, Athor. Those of
Thebes were: 1, Amen-Ba; 2, Mentu; 3, Atum; 4, Shu and Tefnu;
5, Seb; G, Osiris; 7, Set and Nephthys; 8, Horus and Athor. The
gods of the second order were twelve in number, but the name of
one only, an Egyptian Hercules, has been preserved. The third
order is stated to have comprised Osiris, who, it will be seen, be-
longed to the first order."—"Guide to the First and Second Egyp-
tian Booms; Brit. Muses." S. Birch, 1874.
The gods most commonly represented upon the monuments are
Phtah, Knum, Ba, Amen-Ba, Khem, Osiris, Nefer Atum or Turn,
Thoth, Seb, Set, Khons, Horus, Maut, Neith, Isis, Nut, Hathor and
Bast. They are distinguished by the following attributes:
Phtah or Ptah—In form a mummy, holding the emblem called by
some the Nilometer, by others the emblem of stability. Called "the
Father of the Beginning, the Creator of the Egg of the Sun and
Moon." Chief deity of Memphis.
Kneph, Knum or Knouphis—Ham-headed. Called the maker of
gods and men; the soul of the gods. Chief deity of Elephantine and
the cataracts.
Ba—Ilawk-headed, and crowned with the sun-disk encircled by
an asp. The divine disposer and organizer of the world. Adored
throughout Egypt.
Amen-Ha—Of human form, crowned with a flat-topped cap and
two long straight plumes; clothed in the schenti; his flesh sometimes
painted blue. There are various forms of this god (see foot note
p. 310), but he is most generally described as King of the Gods.
Chief deity of Thebes.
Khan—Of human form, mummified; wears head-dress of Amen-