Ancient Egyptian Creation Stories

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Ancient Egyptian Creation Stories
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Limitations

• I. Egypt in Academia
• Ancient Egypt did not exist 200 years ago
• Invasion
• Assyrians 671 BCE
• Persians 525 BCE
• Greeks 331 BCE
• Romans 30 BCE
• Napoleon 1798 CE
• Rosetta Stone (1799)
• Jean-Francois Champollion

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Limitations

• II. Nature of Sources
• Historical
• Young to Academia
• Years to Produce Accurate Translations
• The Nature of the Text
• Archaeological
• WHY STUDY IT?

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The Environment

• The Importance of the Environment
• Sun
• Air
• Water
• Earth
• Sky
• Environmental Determinism (E.D.)

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HELIOPOLITAN COSMOGONY

1. Re-Atum gave birth to Shu (dry air) and Tefnut
   (moist air)
2. Who then gave birth to Geb (earth) and Nut (sky)
3. Who then gave birth to Osiris, Isis, Seth, and
   Nephtys

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The Ennead

• The Divine Pedigree of the Pharaoh at the
  Mythical Level
• Re-Atum
• Shu (dry air) and Tefnut (moist air)
• Geb (earth) and Nut (sky)
• Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephtys
• Horus King on Earth

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The Story of OSIRIS

1. Osiris, Isis, Horus, and Seth

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HERMOPOLITAN COSMOGONY

• Nun primeval waters and Naunet
• Huh eternity and Hauhet
• Kuk darkness and Kauket
• Amun air and Amaunet
• These deities guaranteed the flow of the Nile and
  the rising of the Sun
• Cosmic egg as source of life (from Ibis of Thoth)
• Lotus flower (multiform) on island opened to
  reveal Ra, who then created the world

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Memphite Cosmogony

1. Focus on Ptah
2. Ptah was, in fact, Nun (a state of nonexistence
   prior to creation), who begat a daughter, Naunet,
   by whom he fathered Re-Atum
3. Ptah brought everything into existence by his
   thoughts and words

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THEBAN COSMOGONY

1. From Temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak
2. Amun-Ra created all gods and humankind
3. In multiform, Khnum modeled men and women on the
   potters wheel

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Significance of Cosmogonies

• Better Understand Ancient Egypt
• Politics
• Society
• Culture
• Spiritual
• Economy
• Self-Perception