Patrick Boylan - Thoth, the Hermes of Egypt, 1922 by gnosisclassics

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THOTH THE HERMES OF EGYPT A STUDY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THEOLOGICAL THOUGHT IN ANCIENT EGYPT

PATRICK BOYLAN

M. A.

PROFESSOR OF EASTERN LANGUAGES, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, AND PROFESSOR OF SCRIPTURE, ST. PATRICK S COLLEGE, MAYNOOTH

177337. .

HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS GLASGOW COPENHAGEN EDINBURGH LONDON CAPETOWN MELBOURNE TORONTO NEW YORK SHANGHAI MADRAS BOMBAY CALCUTTA 1922

33,

THOTH THE HERMES OF EGYPT A STUDY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THEOLOGICAL THOUGHT IN ANCIENT EGYPT

PATRICK BOYLAN

M. A.

PROFESSOR OF EASTERN LANGUAGES, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, AND PROFESSOR OF SCRIPTURE, ST. PATRICK S COLLEGE, MAYNOOTH

17733?. .

HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRFSS GLASGOW COPENHAGEN EDINBURGH LONDON CAPETOWN MELBOURNE TORONTO NEW YORK SHANGHAI MADRAS BOMBAY CALCUTTA 1922

33,

PRINTED BY ADOLF HOLZHAUSEN IN VIENNA (AUSTRIA)

CONTENTS. Chapter

II.

Tiie

of Thoth

name

Thoth

III.

Thoth and

IV.

Thoth and Re

Thoth

VIII.

the Solar barque

as lunar deity

Thoth

as the representative of

Thoth

special functions of

Thoth

as founder of social order

Thoth

as author of the

XI.

Thoth

the all-knowing

as lunar divinity

IX.

&quot;Divine

and of sacred

ritual

....

Words

XII.

Thoth

as Creator

107

XIII.

Thoth

magic

124

XIV.

Thoth

god of the dead

i30

XV.

Thoth

Egyptian Ritual

XVI.

Appendix A.

The

Horus

Knneads of Heliopolis

the

The symbols Thoth

the legends of Osiris and

The

List of proper

Epithets of

Some

Additional notes

142

chief temples and shrines of

names

Thoth

which the name of Thoth appears

173 180

Thoth

divine associates of

147

Thoth

201 - 10

PREFACE. I

he purpose of

this

essay

indicate the chief ten

dencies of ancient Egyptian speculation in regard to the god Thoth. Taking as the basis of his work a fairly complete

examination of the chief references to the god in Egyptian and ritual, the author has tried to distinguish the

literature

more important phases of Thoth

ceived by the Egyptians, and to phases,

of his being help

character as they were con

show how

explain

these aspects, or

the various

activities

which are assigned to him in the Egyptian legends of the gods, and in the ritual of tombs and temples. An attempt has been made,

many

instances,

discover the simple

concrete meaning which often underlies characteristic epithets of the god, and the need of seeking groupings

which can

among

epi

any way be associated with well-defined activities or aspects of the god has been emphasised. The author has not aimed at anything like a full analysis of the

thets

individuality of the god. closer ture,

That would have demanded a much

and more detailed study of Egyptian religious litera a more extensive recording of results, than Egypto

and

logical scholarship has hitherto attempted in

regard to any

problem of ancient Egyptian religion. It will be noticed that texts derived from the Egyptian literature of the Graeco-Roman period have been freely used throughout this essay. Every student of Ptolemaic texts be comes rapidly convinced that those texts contain a consi derable amount of theology, which, though

cannot, perhaps,

PREFACE.

be always paralleled from the older texts, seems to be fully in line with genuine Egyptian thought of the early - some -

times

of the very early Hence, whenever the period. Ptolemaic texts seemed to promise any assistance in explain ing

aspects

Thoth,

they

have been

used

authentic

documents of Egyptian speculation and belief. For the theological thought of the early period, the Pyramid texts have, of course, been minutely examined. Consi derations of space and expense have excluded the printing of quotations from the Pyramid texts, but frequent references to the numbered Spniche of Sethe s Pyramidcntexte will enable the reader to follow and control the writer s use of the Pyramid literature.

have been,

Passages from the Book of the Dead, in like fashion, for the most part, referred to, rather than quoted.

The references text of which, \V&amp;lt;&quot;&amp;gt;rtcrbuch

are

generally

Naville

Totenbuch

(in

the

however, certain slight emendations based on have sometimes been incorporated).

material,

The theme of this essay was suggested to the writer some time before the outbreak of the Great War by Professor Krman. The subject had already been treated by the Russian scholar Turayeff in his lion, TOTT, which was published in 1898. that was the outcome of painstaking work on Though study the

of the

Russian Egyptologist, it was, on the one hand, inaccessible to most students of Egyptology and Comparative Religion, and, on the other, it needed to part

distinguished

be largely supplemented and modified in view of the great advance in Egyptological research since 1898. Most of the results of that advance were stored up in the material which

had been gradually accumulated for the Berlin Wiirterbuch, and Professor Erman made the composition of this essay pos

by procuring permission for the writer to make free use of that material. The writer s gratitude is due to Pro fessor Erman not only for procuring that permission, but also, sible

and

still

more, for the unfailing generosity with which he

PREFACE.

VII

put at the writer s disposal his great store of knowledge and his keen critical ability whenever he was consulted on any question arising out of textual or other difficulties connected with the study of the character and worship of Thoth. To Professor H. Schafer, and to the other officials of the Egypt ian

Museum

Berlin,

and

many

of the

young scholars

who were engaged on work connected with the Worterbuch, the author is greatly indebted for much courtesy and kindness. The thanks of the writer are due in a very special way to Professor Hermann Junker of Vienna. To him he owes his Egyptian script and literature of the Ptole maic period, and to Dr. Junker s published work on the reli gion of the Ptolemaic period many points in the present essay initiation into the

are

due,

directly

During the passage of

indirectly.

this

essay through the press, Dr. Junker has found time, in the midst of his academical duties in Vienna, to read the proofs,

and to make many useful suggestions. For the writer

deeply grateful.

helped to prepare the

stantly in the proof-reading,

The

title

Dr.

much thanks

his kindly help

Till of

Vienna who

and assisted con

for the printer,

also due.

of the essay has been chosen partly to suggest intelligible aspect of

from the beginning an important and Thoth to the general reader, and partly that a

all

at first sight,

god who,

remind the student

might seem

be a divinity

of purely Egyptian importance, was, nevertheless, associated with such a widely flowing current of ancient thought as the

speculation of the Hermetic writings. St.

Patrick

College,

Maynooth. January 1922.

P. B.

CORRIGENDA. Page

note

4, 1

64, ..

84,

85-

read Xav. 94.

Rj lands.

Mj-stcrcs

tig.

makes.

commands 6,

Sli [twice].

the

.v.f/

[instead

hsb&quot;].

Chapter

The name

of Thoth.

The name of the god with whom this essay is concerned occurs with considerable frequency in the texts of the Old In the oldest texts, however, it is written mainly with the familiar symbol of the god - - an ibis on a perch, and only very rarely do we find in the most ancient texts the fully written form of the name. The Old Kingdom gives us

Kingdom.

as a scriptio plena of

common

script

Thoth

also

name

the

~l|%^.(i)

This form of

funerary texts of the Middle

Kingdom, and is especially frequent in the inscriptions of the nomarchs of El-Bersheh. In addition to this script the texts of the Middle Kingdom show the following forms of the name ;

(a)

~^f

Kj^

&amp;lt;JI

Lacau, Sarcophages

ligieux, p. 79.

Lacau, Sarcophages Petrie, (b) 8

Kahun, PL

name

(i)

the

El-Bersheh.

;

Cf.

5. i,

206.

AAAAAA

(vol. 2, p. 89) (in the

^j^^^^u) A

Middle K. sarcopha

See P.

S. B. A.,

same script-form from El-Bersheh.

Lepsius, AltesteTexte, 46,

Common

re-

the determinative

Leipzig shows the same form.

1914, p. 36, for f

Lacau, Textes

212.

and often

Q Lacau, Sarcophages 28111

gus d)

201,

j&amp;gt;

personal

(

Lacau, Sarcophages

The same form without

name

of the festival

Q &quot;&quot;&quot;^

Jrois annees de fouilles. Mission Thoth, the Hermes of Egypt.

p. 200,

Ibid. Tafel2, 22

^37. \\ Jl f~^

Cf.

and L. D. often. 1

Maspero,

THE NAME OF THOTH.

New Kingdom and

In the scripts occur 9

(a) CT^J 9

;

o @

Cairo Ostrakon, Dynasty 20; Wb., no. 71.

c^^Q^K^ A

(b)

Newberry, Ushabtis,

Claimed

nos. i3

46582.

Ptolemaic period. Edfu, Koch.

v H A _ZL Papyrus belonging

(d)

i^$

the following

later periods

419,

3, 6.

have been read by Brugsch

to the Consul,

in a

Herr Konig. Vid. AZ.

1868, p. 72.

The symbolic name

method

or non-phonetic

of writing

the

most common in all the periods. The Pyra an ibis on a perch, maintained itself in the

far the

mid

script texts of every

age of Egyptian

Probably the

literature.

script

most widely used in all the later periods is j^s This com as one call between a or promise, it, might symbol, ideograph, and a fully written out form of the name appears even as early as the Middle Kingdom (Cairo, 20519, Stela of the M. K.). The non-phonetic script appears in the various periods in the following forms .

la)

Jgs r-^4-.

(b)

Old and Middle Kingdom. El-Bersheh. Pyr., J I

Brit.

Mus. 581. Stela M. K.

/.I

without perch as simply glyphs, p. 21).

= heb,

(Griffith

regards the

See

ibis.

Griffith,

ibis

Hiero

&amp;gt;7

(c)

^5^

(p ercn an( l feather) Cairo, 20478,

id)

ie)

Blackden and Eraser, Hatnub, El-Bersheh

M. K.

23 (Early M. K.).

15.

/$ El-Bersheh, often: Cairo, 20520 (Early 2.

New Kingdom

and

M. K.

later.

All the above non-phonetic forms of the O. and M. King doms recur in the later periods. The combined form of script (~ -

ibis

of the

and later

is,

texts.

was

as In

said

this

above the most familiar ;

script

form an ibis-headed man often

THE NAME OF THOTH. takes the place of the ibis on perch

Kap.

Totb.,

44, 3

stitutes the pi.

95,

etc.).

ape for the

ibis

thus,

J)J]

and rare

parallel

(Naville,

script sub

Champollion, Pantheon,

(cf.

3o G). (i)

The Ptolemaic period commonly gives (usual)

frig*

late

period,

god

;

of Isis and

texts,

$jj*

Dend.

(Mar.,

those

especially

us such forms as 68 u)

Ill,

Graeco- Roman

of the

the following strange looking forms of the (Book of Breathing, 2, 18) (&quot;Complaint

find

name,

;

63)

Nephthys&quot;,

(Mar.,

;

Dend.

II, 14)

Schafer

(2)

;

has shown, however, that these forms are due to an inaccu rate of the hieratic group for hieroglyphic reproduction The hieratic for (3) sign closely resembles the hieratic

Jj.

sign-group

The ape has

in later puzzle-script the

value

and so also has the symbol

:J1. This, together with a mis of the hieratic reading determinative, explains the script Jn fl.

(4)

(j,

The name has been preserved ancient

^ (i)S\

form

Sahidic

Book of Dead, Nav.

Text

Rel.,

J|.

name Thoth

the

A somewhat

El-Bersheh.

9])

there

on the

coffin

curious

^y-^-

&amp;gt;8\

\v,

(Textes Rel.,

The

p. 79).

similar case of variants

Annales du Service, Vol.

variant

coffin

appears is

district

Cf. Pyr.

fl \\

from the same

II.

^ ^

variant for

44,

us in Coptic in the Bohairic the name

(5)

Lacau

viz.,

and

GOOyT.

42;

from

O variant

f for

&quot;

(2)

Cf.

Q 1

(3) A. Z.

807.

Cf. also

1 I

iVM +~=*

40 (1902/3),

Athribis.

p. 124.

PI.

XXV.

See also Spiegelberg,

Onurislegende (Wien, 1917).

row Sonnenaugc

F.ve of

many

preuO. Ak. 1915). (2) Pyr. 575 576: 035 speak of a repulse of the associates of Set by Fhoth but the reference in the context seems to be to enemies of Osiris. Cf. Pyr. 1979 J)er liifrptische J/r//w.v

(Sitzungsber. d.

and 651. Totb. 108, .

(3&amp;gt;

ic 8, 7

the swallowing,

says that Set Totb. 116,

According is

compelled and Pyr. 3g

swallowing of the eye deserving of

death&quot;

(;

vomit

compelled to disgorge what he had swallowed. Set swallows the eye of Horus; according it

forth

again.

The

Fyr. text

to the

&quot;Pepi

118

refers

vomiting forth. Pyr. 1450 refers again to the has not swallowed the eye he is, therefore, not

not Set-like).

THOTH

THE LEGENDS OF

OSIRIS

AND HORUS.

of the

details

struggle have been handed down though usually in a fragmentary, and often in an unintelligible, fa shion. Horus and Set are now no longer cosmic forces, but leaders of armies, and rival kings Horus is no longer a solar god, or a god of heaven merely: he is the son of Osiris, and the nephew of Set. The struggle is waged, not for the rule of heaven, but for the possession of Egypt. In one description of the struggle Set tears out the eye of Horus, and Horus rends away the ririlia of Set. Thoth intervenes between the -

;

combatants, and receives a

wound in the arm while doing so. succeeds, however, in bringing the struggle to an end. heals the \vounds received by Horus, Set and himself in the conflict. All this is often spoken of in Egyptian texts. Pyr. 585 represents the dead Pharaoh as back to Horus his

He He

bringing Set his testicles, and to Thoth his arm. With this should be compared Book of the Dead (Navj c. 102, 7. 8. Book of the Dead 17, 3o 82 gives many details of the struggle, (i) The Ritual of Abydos (Mar. Ab. I, pi. 87 describes to

eye,

Thoth

s activities after

^ n ^=^

_^ _fe% Q

the close of the struggle thus *&quot;^~

j&amp;lt;

It is obviously difficult to explain the tearing out of the eye, and the rending a\vay of the testicles in a purely cosmic fashion. These and other details of the conflict seem to be

products of popular anthropomorphic fancy. Thoth s healing of the \vounds of the combatants, and of himself (as the story says, by the application of his spittle, Pyr, 2055), is clearly a (i) There were current, it would seem, many versions of the legend dealing with the struggle. According to Berlin, Pap. 3055, col. 3, 8 9, Set blinded the eye of Horus by hear also of a disease which befcl the poking his finger into it.

eye of Horus at sight of Set in the form of a swine. the

of a

representation

swine pursued

by an

ape

&quot;With

this

Thoth) swine that

I Egyptc. Antiquites, torn. II, plate 3$, 2. It was as a of the legend, had swallowed the eye of Horus. \Yith this we tarch s statement (Is. ct O., c. that the offered a

8),

once

dotus

year II,

and Selene.

Seti

moon

(cf.

Aelian,

be connected

Description dc Set, in this version

may compare swine

16).

Plu

sacrifice

Cf. also

Hero

says that the Egyptians were wont to sacrifice swine to Dionysos

Adonis und Esmun, p. 149 f. Eor swine pursued by ape. Etudes de Myth. II, p. 175: Lefebure, Lc mythe Osiricn, p. 43 59 The swine-hunt is often represented for instance in the Tomb of

Cf. Baudissin,

see Maspero, (esp. p. 52).

full

who

47,

Egyptians natura animalium, X,

Cf. Baudissin, op. cit., p. 149.

THOTH

THK LEGKNDS OF

AND

OSIRIS

IIORUS.

secondary feature of the narrative, derived from the popular view of Thoth as magician, and, therefore, physician.

Thoth

the struggle is mediation or reconciliation. It is noteworthy that this work of conciliation is mostly described in forensic fashion, as a sort of judging chief activity

Thus arose the description of Thoth which is it is who judged the rivals and reconciled the

or arbitrating.

common

&quot;He

Thoth appears often

In the Pyr. texts

brothers&quot;.

Pyr. 3o6). (i) judged tne combatants&quot; (cf. OC~X The dead king becomes one with Thoth in the ^ d /T77 Uo or arbitrator while he actes as judge NJ O YY &quot;between []^&amp;gt;~^

&amp;lt;ii&amp;gt;^fcl

AA/VAA

This activity of judge or um won for Thoth his familiar has pire between Horus and Set

the combatants

(Pyr. 289

^ ^^

epithet

&quot;

&amp;gt;

&amp;lt;

&amp;gt;

With

c).

J| Jj

(2)

of Thoth

this function

fully,

we may connect

the

Pyr. texts which assign to the dead king the- office of judge of the &quot;two brothers&quot;. Thus Pyr. 712 says of the deceased &quot;

V O

-IT

of the

;

\&amp;gt;

and

Pyr. 1750 he

_Zi

dC3

two great

gods&quot; I

of one

-Tl

O^^^&amp;gt;

judge or arbitrator

v).

J:Ex^_Zr

In Pyr. ig63

we hear

&quot;judges

the two

who

Q^V&amp;gt; -Jl _ZI ^AA^V\ D v O&quot;&amp;gt;c=jX Ijrothers and separates the two contending gods&quot;. The of Pyr. 273 seems to be intended for Thoth. (3)

-21

(i)

Cf.

for

(2}

Cf.

Book of Dead, Nav.

_ _ Hcrmopolis

S^T

)V^

&amp;lt;II&amp;gt;

earth

arc

\y &amp;lt;CZ&amp;gt;

aJr

is I

^&amp;gt;^

D%&amp;gt;\^

%&amp;gt;

9 \\^V\

mingled

vwc

one

refers to

common

.dt

^ hat

o A

Thoth

my the

(Lc s

role

JQJ

;hc

Osiricn,

etc..

the Pyr. texts 126. 229.

The

Vatican

if.

moon-god.

suggests

that

When

darkness the moon-god, Thoth,

1724.

The

connection with

3n.

1899.

of Pyr. 126

(--,,_-,

etc.

reference

the

&quot;combatants&quot;

1913. 712.

need

not

Cf.

and

reference to

be Thoth

their

comes,

and

refers

reconciliation,

\/ Q

(sec Cairo

Delta

heaven and

separates them by his light which distinguishes things from each other. to chs. 123 and K?9 of Totb. as a support for this view. (3) Cf. also,

229: 280: 304.

160, 20: (p

&quot;

YJ&quot;!

Cfe

Pvr.

20520 M.

Pyr. K.&amp;gt;

THUTI1

THE LEGENDS OF

OSIRIS

AND HORUS.

In the Book of the Dead Thoth appears again as &quot;judge of the rivals&quot;, and as the one who restrains or brings to a rt

AAAAAA

\*r

close the conflict

( \

AAAAAA

In ch. 128,

u\&amp;gt;\J)\.

_JI

read:

^Stfhave Ti^9&

&quot;

have

madc thdr

caused their complaint to cnd.&quot;(i) struggle to cease: I That the &quot;Rivals&quot; are Horus and Set appears here from the determinatives, and it is the usual theory of Egyptian theolo gians. It is likely that the struggle which Thoth thus under took to bring to a close, was regarded as a political conflict for the supremacy of Egypt. (2) It is likely that we have here ideas which are present also in the Osirian legend. But the Horus of these texts is not Harsiesis, but &quot;Haroeris&quot; and the inheritance for which he does battle is not that of Osiris, but that of Geb. The political aspect of the Horus-Set con ;

suggested by a number of ancient texts which speak

flict

of the

(hnnw) as ending

&quot;struggle&quot;

^^vN

(Hermopolis

Magna, Eshmunein). This would mean that the war between was finally brought to a close in Thoth s nome in Middle Egypt. The most important of the texts in question the

&quot;rivals&quot;

Pyr. 229

- H

.J^T*

be compared, Pyr. and Book

seem

|\ ^&amp;gt;%\#, and with ^\ AAAAAA -JlFOt _Zf 3n and 3 15. (3) Arc we to infer _Q^5&amp;gt;

Nav. 178,

of Dead,

Book of Dead,

(1) Cf.

From

13).

\S \/ D \S mav Jr _n

follow that the

(2) Jequier thinks

should

75, 5

ion

Pyr.

and

i3;

that Herit

)

would

sometimes be

fasc. V) that the legends of Osiris-Set and of Horus-Set arc to be explained partly totemistically, and partly, geographically or the legends, he conjectures, reflect ancient tribal conflicts &quot;Une des politically

(Sphinx, XVII,

tribus

(Osiris)

ecrasee

d ailleurs (Horus),

un moment donne a

cst

secourue

par

unc tribu venant

son compte ses traditions,

et finit par rcduire en apres quoi survient un compromis qui divise le pays en deux zones d influence, un des deux peuples ne devant arrivcr que peu a peu a la suprematie absolue tout en laissant a son adversairc la satis

qui

une certaine mesure

reprend

ennemi

clan

(Set)

la separation politique du pays en deux parties.&quot; The political of Egypt between Horus and Set is clearly indicated in such a Pyr. text as 204, where Set is nb tl sm f a position held later by Horus of Kus.

morale de

faction

division

(3)

distorted

belonging to the

late

parallel

period

Pyr. 229

exists

Brit.

Mus. Stela-text (190)

THOTH

THE LEGENDS OK

AND

OSIRIS

IIOKl

mopolis Magna played a great part in the prcdynastic struggles of North and South ? The positions of Thoth s city and nome was such that they could, if necessary, take a decisive part in

the early battles.

of the

however, possible that the

is,

Pyr. texts referred to

may

be,

reality,

the northern Hermopolis of Pyr. 191. If it is, the texts which put the close of the hnmv between Horus and Set contain

merely an unintelligible mythological allusion. But reasonable to suppose that there

question

more=L

(Pyr. 190), and that something more than mere mythology is here conveyed. It would almost seem as if the word which appears in Pyr. 229, was used as a terminus technicus for the conflict between Horus and Set (cf. Book of the Dead, 42, 17 19). TheBook of the Dead gives an interesting passage in ch. 182, hnnn&amp;gt;

21,

19 1

this reference:

(sic)

have made Horus happy: I have appeased the Rivals in the hour of their trouble I come I have washed away the blood-stains. I have appeased the Rivals I have put away &quot;1

every evil Schneider texts

163.

nome and

Dcnkoi dcr

niui

(Knitter 173.

175

Set.

He would

suggest

or arbitrator between

the

altcn

as referring to a

(cf.

ibid.,

Cf. Totb.

123,

2-3.

thinks

alliance

am Thoth:

that

420).

Thoth

the

Pvr.

between Thoth

which Thoth appears

the Ptolemaic texts,

function of

of Horus and Set. (i)

389)

early

by postulating an activity of the

great importance, as they are not,

of an

the passages in

arbitrator in the pic-dynastic conflicts

script

Agyptcr,

existence

explain

the rivals,

thing.&quot;

5 th

judge

nome

determinatives were of

we might

take

the Kdfu

delimiting the territories

THOTII There of

Hnnw

AND HORUS.

an equally clear instance of this technical use Pyr. 1040 :

W (/^J n

When

OSIRIS

^-fUt

THE LKGENDS OF

&quot;-

3TT

v)y

% O

*%$ ^i

v^-TL^

&amp;lt;s^

the

Combatants were not yet, and the dread because of the eye of Horus had not yet arisen.

Hnnw seems to mean here the struggling combatants themselves, rather than their struggle. Yet, the special re ference of the word is clear enough. closely similar Py ramid text is Pyr. 1468

(You were born)

&amp;lt;

^_n_^

D Z3

was as yet no Conflict when the eye of Horus as yet torn out (?) nor the testicles of Set wrenched

there

&quot;When

was not

away.&quot;

There are several instances of this use of hnmr in the Pyramid texts, (i) In view of what was said above about the cosmic nucleus of the Horus-legend it is interesting to note hnnw can also mean &quot;storm&quot; (cf. Pyr. 804 There are several passages in which it occurs in this sense with the determinative of Set. Thus in the Turin Papyrus (23 f Thoth as he who appears that

&quot;

;

There

seems

)

definite

fairly

reference

atmo

spheric phenomena in this text, and it is likely that something of the primitive Horus-Set legend here shimmers through. Set is here, apparently, the god of storm-clouds. find

We \

(1)

L. D.

Ill,

Cf.

Pyr. 289: 3o6

304

i3:o.

Mow

explain the place

8c (XVIIth Dyn.)?

(2)

Read

XSc,

as in

Kdfu K.

343.

name

r&quot;7

N^r

A/WW.

THOTH

THE LEGENDS OF

OSIRIS

hnnn* used also for the trouble which

AND

11OKUS.

connected with the

the birth day of Set. (i) In the Pap. epagomenal day, .VWVAA U Sallier IV, i3, 5 xj appears as a name for Set. (2)

third

&amp;gt;\

^T^J /WSAAA O (E jl^l seems impossible, then, to evade the conclusion that the term hnnir is connected peculiarly with the story of tlustruggle between Horus and Set. The word has at times, at least, the meaning &quot;storm&quot;, and is then brought into the closest It

with the person of Set. This hangs well together with the suggestion already made that Set is, perhaps, pri Hook of mitively a weather-god, or storm-god. The passage relation

the

Dead

gathers together a number of important

3g, 14

features of Set thus

Thus

which brings together Thoth, associated with a struggle that ended

the technical term hnnn

Horus, and

and

Set,

and suggests, at the same time, the phenomena of storm-clouds which were the foes of the -helps to connect the various stages of the Horussun-god, as it legend grows from cosmic myth to historical drama. In the texts irf which Thoth appears as &quot;Judge of the in

Thoth

-^^^O.

city

Rivals, who reconciled the gods&quot;, he is represented as stand ing neutral between Horus and Set. But there are many texts in which Thoth can be seen to have abandoned his neutrality, and to have attached himself to Horus. In texts of this kind Set appears as a purely malicious being whose planning and actions are directed constantly against the well-being of Horus. In this stage of the legend the struggles of Set and Horus appear to be partly those of rivals on the battlefield, and

partly

much

those of opponents in a lawsuit. Set is not now so enemy of light, as the adversary of the All Good.

the

(I)

(2)

I.cvdcn

Again

346,

ibid.

ii. 12

also in Pap. Prisse, o, 5

4 :

tsJP

-T^M

. I

Iliinw appears determined with the Set symbol

Fbers 56,

For

Hnnw

&quot;rebel&quot;,

For other terms connected with the struggle between Junker, Onurislegende,

i36f.

cf.

Leyden

Horus

346, 8.

and Set sec

THOTII

THK LEGENDS OF

He has become more and more story,

the

became

enemy of

less

the

OSIRIS

AND HORUS.

the Set of the Osirian

|jj^. (n

Jn proportion as Sct

in the religion

of the people, he tended symbol of evil. Simi larly Haroeris, the ancient light-god, tends to become merged in Harsiesis, so that it is often difficult to decide whether the to

popular

same proportion,

in the

become,

the

whom Thoth

Horus

supports is the Horus &quot;who avenges his ancient god Hr wr. It is only, indeed, in passages in which Set appears as a criminal in regard to the eye of Horus, that we can be sure that we have to do with the Set of the ancient legend of Horus. It is father&quot;,

the

interesting to that of Osiris, and that of Horus-

how

the two legends Set are, at times, in the held apart. In the myth of

note

same context interwoven, and yet Horus which Naville has published

the struggles of -Horus of the Horizon&quot; (= the ancient battlegod of Edfu), and those of Harsiesis against Set are narrated as if they were aspects of a single campaign. The battles described in this Ptolemaic text contain many echoes of predynastic wars of South and North, and the Thoth of these texts is represented consistently as the friend of Horus, and not as a mediator between Horus and Set. The descriptions of Set and his companions, the leagued enemies of Horus of the Horizon, throughout the myth, suggest frequently those enemies of Re which are symbolised by the Apophis-serpent. The whole text furnishes a remarkable instance of the inter weaving of legends in Egyptian speculation, and of the ab sence of all sharp distinctions in Egyptian thought. Plutarch tells of a great lawsuit between Horus and Set

which was conducted in presence of the gods. (2) The Horus the case is the son of Isis. In Plutarch s story Thoth is the eloquent advocate who wins the case for Horus, the Lo gos whose reasoning cannot be withstood. (3) It is not in

to see

how Thoth

s titles

V 11, V nil

Plutarch

story.

blem whether Harsiesis (1) Cf. Pyr.

580: 581

(2)

Cf.

(3)

Plutarch,

the Pyr. texts Is. et

O.,

n v o There

%\\x and

V In?

easy f)

n &amp;lt;M another confusion makes the lawsuit deal with the pro

are reconcilable with this view. in

the legitimate son, and rightful heir,

587.

770

.if

958.

54,

19, 8.

THOTH

of Osiris.

THE LEGENDS OF

AND HORUS.

OSIRIS

Yet the Egyptian texts seem rather

lawsuit about the due apportioning of and Set. (i) The point of legitimacy

speak of a

Kgypt between Horus not raised, and the

texts in question are partly, at least, echoes of the early wars. The calendar of the Papyrus Sallier (IV, 9. 5 6) tells us that the result of the lawsuit in question was, that to Horus was

assigned all Egypt, and to Set the desert Thoth, as the scribe of the gods, published the sentence. (2) It is probable, how ever, that the divine verdict was thought of differently in the ;

earliest

the

period.

older

tradition

Set must have been

In an ancient version assigned a portion of Egypt itself. of the legend it was Geb, and not Thoth, who reconciled Horus and Set. Egypt was indeed the &quot;inheritance of Geb&quot;, tor he was Lord of its soil, and to him, therefore, belonged

the

right to assign the land of

first

to various rulers.

Egypt

That Geb made the division of Egypt between Horus and Set

Shabaka text. (3) We are told in this an Geb, having brought to a close the strife bet ween the rivals, gives the South to Set and the North to Horus. is

implied

the

cient text that

says to them

have judged (or sundered) you&quot;, which would seem to imply that Geb was, at one time, the ^ 8 Ik J J (4) Whether, however, Geb or Thoth is the \\

x Jr

]

&quot;I

A^VAW AAAAAA

\j.\-i

\\ p rhwi, this title seems to be mainly reserved to Thoth from the beginnings of the New Kingdom. Maspero is inclined to think (5) that the title had a Delta origin, and that

original

belonged properly

(1)

jury

done (2)

Pyr. 1242 refers to a lawsuit between Horus and Set concerning the left eye of Horus (/ c. the moon, as above).

f)(&amp;gt;.

Thoth reconciled of

Geb&quot;.

Hymn

to Osiris.

f.,

Set

&quot;by

Bibl. Nat. 20, plate JJ,

reference possiblv to

the

The passage with

&amp;gt;i/i./i

its

of the

the

.ind

gets the

Hymn

(3) p.

925

(4)

title

V ^^ f

QX2i/

Amon.

I. a

pub. by Lcgrain. In

some such

lawsuit,

Rook

said that

suggests

how

small

fragment of

~ o,Mc=^. MxillL&^Jllo^ &quot;~^

&amp;lt;M

Cairo, 8. 5.

(ieb

Pyr. ^57

seems

Set.

(51

kn, by the blood of the venerable ones

unintelligibility

Egyptian mvths and legends has survived.

Amon

Cf. the

of the Dead,

The

the Northern, or Delta-Thoth.

Mvth.

t i, ..

3~9.

act

judge

lawsuit

between

Osiris

THOTH

THE LEGENDS OF

name

of Thoth

Delta

city,

the

thern divinities, the i5th O O

(D cica

&quot;

also called

support

Egyptian was given

the

Maspero

^JJ^-(0

question

&quot;Thoth,

Ibis-nome,

the

a procession of nor

qreat rmd,

chief P ricst of Thoth

.111

&amp;lt;&amp;gt;

was

in &amp;gt;

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

The

&quot;

AND HORUS.

of the

capital

In Philae

fclL^^JiaX

OSIRIS

texts. Yet,

the ibis-nome

conjecture thus finds

the fact that the

title

Thoth not merely in the north, but the epithet were really of Delta origin,

throughout Egypt. If it would probably be somehow connected with the Osirian legend, and not, as we have conjectured, with the developed form of the Horus-Set saga. If, however, as seems the likely,

rhnn

it hnnu&amp;gt;, practically identical with may be still regarded as arising from the of Horus and Set. legend It could, of course, have become connected easily

epithet

u&amp;gt;p

jj&amp;gt;p

secondarily

name of Thoth s Delta home. Though the ancient tradition regarded Horus and

with the

as the

&quot;Rivals&quot;

(^f

Set

there are a few ancient texts ^|}&amp;lt;|]),

which are at variance with this tradition: Pyr. i63 speaks of Thoth and Set as the hostile brothers, and blames them for their evil deeds, and their refusal to repent of them. Pyr. 173 and 175 threaten the same two divinities with heavy penalties. It is possible that we have here traces of an ancient legend which made Thoth and Set a pair of malignant deities, leagued in a

conspiracy of evil against Horus. 12) One may have here echoes of an alliance of Thoth s nome with Set the__ against

power

political

A (i.

remarkable Pyr. text (128)

moon and

of Horus.

apparently, In the text

still

the

Thoth and Re

identifies

sun) with the Rhwi, and tells how Set (here, a venerable deity) escaped from their hostility.

dead

said

have escaped certain un

pleasant things 1 I rjT 8 |C&amp;lt;=&amp;gt; :sir=* /r^J _H)?^s A jff himself from the mt (poison ?) of the Rlni &amp;lt;^&amp;gt;

^&amp;gt;ll

withheld

as Set

i&quot;,

who

are further

described

(who traverse the heavens).

\\^a^(](j

Then

C (1) a

name

for the

(2) to

Kdfu R.

I.,

333.

Kdfu, R.

I.,

334, that

apparently

Mendes nome.

Schneider, Knltnr

a political

Note

und Denken,

389, regards these Pyr. texts as

combination of Set with Thoth.

THOTH

follows

the

important

gloss

that

n /wvwv

A j

parallel

THE LEGENDS OF

*&quot;

&quot;Re,

of the is,

and

Thoth&quot;.

ancient text in

Cairo text

(Cairo 20520)

commentator

ancient

have a

this :

AND HORUS.

OSIRIS

(

(2) there the

M. K.

of the f\

gloss reads

O f^ww^

D -IT III A v vJ obviously a slight misreading. Sun and moon are here the Rhwi. Since Re is, like Horus, a sun-god we might just as well have here Horus and Thoth as the rhnn. (3)

Edfu text

In an

(4)

Thoth

called

where A \=? But Thoth could

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

the determinatives point to sun and moon. not be a &quot;judge&quot; of himself, and we need not concern

selves greatly with Ptolemaic determinatives. (5) There are not wanting in ancient Egyptian

passages which

our

literature

and friendly This is true, those ancient texts in which

represent Set as a beneficent not always the enemy of Horus.

deity. He is for instance, in Pyr. 478,

and in he cooperates with Horus for the benefit of Osiris. As god of Ombos Set is often as kind, and as helpful as any other deity. (6)

often appears as a friend of Horus. (7)

ob Thoth

It is

then, that the three divinities Horus, Set and do not appear always in three distinct roles in ancient vious,

Egyp

Their characters are not always self-consistent, the ancient legends they are represented as variously

tian theology.

and, in as the

backgrounds of those legends required. developed, and political situations changed, Set came to be, less and less, the mere god of Ombos, and, more and more, the symbol of evil. He is gradually excluded from the ritual, and ritual honours and functions which had been his arc gradually handed over to Thoth. Thus, for in

As theology

in the coronation-ceremonies of ancient Egypt Set an as of one played important part representative great di-

stance,

(1)

Cf.

(2)

The same

tor parallel.

p. 63,

14,

text

found

incorrect form

Book of

the

Dead

178,

17.

(3)

For Re

(4)

Edfu R.

(&amp;gt;)

Mission,

24, 25

What

-Horns,

Thoth and Anubis (o)

(If.

(7)

\ id.

vr.

Horus.

cf.

Pyr. 956.

297.

the

meaning of

whom

the

the text,

R/nri

Horus being

t rgtitterlied

and the Sisters

identified

with Osiris?

370.

Pvr. 141.

(if.

Pvr. 1012

Kl-Chargeh (Roeder, \\ b.) Are the Rlnri here

raise&quot;

i6i3.

THOTH

THE LKGKNDS OF

OSIRIS

AND

IIORUS.

and religious change, he naturally fell out of the ritual of coronation. His place was taken by Thoth. In 50 lists of divinities collected by Schenke (Amon-Ra, p. 124 127) Thoth Set eleven times. When we look closer times, appears eighteen at these lists we find that Set has been forced out of his place seven times by Thoth, twice by Anubis, and eight times by Horus. In the primitive forms of these lists Thoth would, then, have appeared only four times, and Set would have appeared vision of Egypt.

Set became

When, through

&quot;Lord

of the

political

desert&quot;

Schenke thinks that the exclusion of Set thirty five times. began in the XVIIIth Dynasty. Doubtless, political reasons had much to do with it. Set s unpopularity seems to be con

somehow with the occupation of Northern Egypt by the Hyksos and the great number of Thoth-names to be found among the rulers of the XVIIIth Dynasty, suggests that the cult of Thoth was important in the movement which shook nected

;

off the

of the

domination of the Hyksos. Horus and Set, the gods Lands&quot; which made up Egypt, were necessarily

&quot;Two

the chief figures in the early ritual of coronation. When Set \vas excluded, his phice was naturally taken by the constant

companion of Horus (== Sun-god), the moon-god Thoth, the Lord of sacred ceremonial.

We may

here bring together briefly the results of our inquiry into the position of Thoth in the legends of Osiris

and Horus. 1.

Thoth has no place

the primitive saga of the ve

getation-god, Osiris. In the developed, anthropomorphic, form of that saga an important dramatis persona. His place in the is due partly to his own primitive character, and, partly, to the proximity of Thoth s shrine in the Delta to the home 2.

Thoth drama

of the Osirian legend. The main features of Thoth s character in the legend seem to be largely individual and peculiar to

him out of all relation with the Osirian religion. But there no need to deny that the activity of Thoth in the Osirian drama may have helped to define his character more clearly for the people, and to extend his worship throughout Egypt.

In the older form

Thoth plays an

of the

legend of Horus and Set

essential part as guardian of the

o ^^.

THOTH

THK LEGENDS OF

OSIKIS

AND HORUS.

This office naturally belonged to him as a primitive moongod. deity protective of light was a necessary figure in the ancient sun-saga of Egypt.

developed form the Horus-legend has become Thoth here appears either as arbitrator between two political rivals, Horus and Set, or as the active partisan and ally of one of the two. The texts which represent Thoth as an ally of Horus seem to be strongly influenced by the saga of Re and the Apophis. Features from the legend of Osiris and Set are also here present. The po In

its

entangled with the Osirian story.

of Thoth

is further described in this developed and form of the of Horus as that of a judge in complex legend a suit between Horus and Set (as in the Pyramid texts), or as that of an advocate defending Horus in the case (so Plu

sition

or as that of a wise friend of the contending parties seeks to reconcile them. Here, as in the older form of the Horus-legend, Thoth still appears at times as an astral

tarch),

who

deity

allied,

and sometimes he seems to represent a political power, at one time with llorus, and at another, with Set, in

the pre-dynastic battles of Egypt, (i) nl

Horus

text

The is

position of

new

Junker

that

)

round the Kye from that of the

the various legends that centre

manner

differing greatly

remarkable book, Die Omirislegende (Wien, 1017). The text was that work reached the present writer. Much, however, of the

when

material that Junker essay.

described and explained in a

already written

this

Thoth

Junker sure to

work

work is

supplies

so original

has been examined in

its

for

the purposes

method, and valuable

become an indispensable reference-book

for

its

everv student.

results

III.

Chapter

Thoth and the Enneads The theology of a fusion

of the

of local

texts is largely the product the theology of Osiris. Of important is that of the ancient

Pyramid

cults

those local cults the most solar

of Heliopolis.

with

In the theology of Heliopolis itself trace clearly the inweaving of the Osirian saga with the local worship of Re-Atum. This most shrine, Heliopolis.

we can

inweaving appears

obviously, perhaps, in the Heliopolitan lists of the great gods, and, especially, in the list which is known as the Great Ennead of Heliopolis. In this list Osiris himself as a

appears

member

of the family of the Heliopolitan sun-god, and Isis and Set appear with him in the same group. Further, we find that incidents of the Osirian drama have come to be lo calised in Heliopolis. in which Osiris

This

is true, for instance, of the great declared victorious by the gods, (i) In Heliopolis the court is held and it is the Heliopolitan gods who declare Osiris &quot;triumphant&quot;. At times it would

trial

seem as

Osiris

became

as he

had become a sun-god

ffltl^f^

Abydos.

at Heliopolis,

the

Pyramid

just

texts

the dead king, conceived as Osiris, is often represented in the guise of Osiris. It is to be noted that Haroeris has no place in the ancient He was himself a sunHeliopolitan Ennead. (2)

god, and did not need a place in the Ennead of a foreign solar shrine In being he was really identical with Re-Atum. :

As suggested above,

(1)

this

trial

For apparent references in the Pyramid and cf. Pyr. 3i6 3i8 and Pyr. 1521 1523. story.

Plutarch puts the

(2)

the

Osirian

Whether sun-god tification

the is

ancient

not certain

birth

Horus was

cycle.

late

development

&quot;ancient

heaven-god

trial

Horus&quot;

prior

the

Osirian

956960,

before that of the gods

falcon

of a local war-god with the heaven-god or sun-god.

Thoth. the Hermes of Egypt.

see Pyr.

a sungod. heaven-god or

becoming

shape was primitively he also was called Horus. Possibly there

war-god :

of the

texts to the

a is

here the iden

THOTH AND THE ENNEADS OF

have now

HELIOPOLIS. of Thoth to the

to consider the relation

Heliopolitan deities.

attempts have been made to discover the primitive nucleus of the Heliopolitan Ennead. Schenke(i) regards that nucleus as consisting of the sun-god with Shu, Tefenet, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, Horus. Assuming that we have in Heliopolis an Ennead resulting from a combination of Osirian and Heliopolitan theologies, the Ennead would be

Many

Sun-god

Shu Geb Osiris,

Isis,

Tefenet

Nut Set,

Nephthys.

Horus would have here no place - - except, of course, in so far as he might be identical with the sun-god himself. Thoth His appearance in the &quot;Little is not included in the list. (2 as Ennead&quot; of Heliopolis is of no great importance except )

of Egyptian theology. illustrating the supplementing tendencies deities who appear in the Ennead (apart from Re-Atum)

The

do not appear there as local deities. They have been quite removed from the surroundings of their local cults. Osiris is here no longer the god of Dedu or Abydos Set is no longer ;

the local deity of Ombos. On the other hand, the ancient deities who are not included in the Great Ennead are more tenacious of their local individuality at the time when the

Great Ennead was first devised. This is particularly true of Thoth. He retains his connection with a particular local shrine much longer than the Osirian gods of the older Ennead. It is possible, and perhaps likely, that the Enneadic grouping was not a primitive feature of Heliopolitan theology. It has been maintained recently by Capart (3) that the group of deities in Heliopolis was ogdoadic. He bases primitive

ing

view on the Pyramid text 3 17, and endeavours to show that the primitive grouping in Heliopolis was one of four

his

(1)

Amon-Ra,

(2)

Was Thoth

123

figure in Osirian

drama before

the assimilation of Osirian

the gods It is interesting to note that Pyramid lists of with that of Heliopolis Thoth Thoth. include a as do rule, goes Set not, which begin with Osiris and

cult

&amp;gt;

naturally with

JIT.

(3) Recucil 33, p. 64

See Pyr. 826 and 832. f.

THOTH AND THE ENNEADS OF male

HELIOPOLIS.

over against four female divinities. Pyr.

deities

gests, according to Capart, this

Tefen

Nu Osiris

3 17

sug

grouping:

Tefenet -

Nut

Isis

Nephthys.

Above

the eight, but in a transcendence which excluded him from being grouped with them, stood the local god, Atum. know that an arrangement of this kind existed in

Thoth

the

and Capart suspects -City of the Eight&quot; that the Heliopolitan Ogdoad was formed under the influence of the ancient Eight of Hmnw. (i) If this view of were city

Hmnn&amp;gt;,

;

Capart

accepted, then not merely Horus, Anubis, and Thoth, but Shu, Set, and Geb would be excluded from the most ancient Heliopolitan grouping of gods. Capart has, further, be^

endeavoured to show how his postulated Ogdoad has deve loped into the Ennead of the Pyramid texts. His theory is ingenious Re was identified, in the course of time, with Atum, and in the place of Re thus vacated was another put Set ( .

solar

god, according to Capart). The god of heaven, Nu, was next replaced by the earth-god Geb. Shu, as the son of Re, must follow Re immediately thus he takes the place of Tefen. The resulting Ennead would be :

Re (== Atum) (instead of Tefen) -

Shu Geb

(instead of Osiris

Nu)

Tefenet. -

Nut.

Isis.

Set (instead of Re) Nephthys. The transcendence of Atum having disappeared by his identi fication with Re, the became an Ennead. Ogdoad necessarily

There seems

(2)

have been variety of opinion in K gypt as to the first pair of emanations from the sun-god. They could be Shu-Tefenet Tefen-Tefenet, (1)

;

Hu-Sia, P.

cations.

flike-Sia,

Heart-Tongue

Thoth-Horus).

the fusion

Some

of theologies this variety afterwards of these will be discussed later. The

led

Cf.

PSBA,

vol.

38,

to strange identifi

possibility that Shu, in certain with Hu, Hike, and Thoth would easily lead to the passing of influences to and fro between Heliopolis and Hmunu. Note that

aspects,

the

might be somehow

&quot;grosser&quot;

theories

intellectual&quot;

identified

the

two emanations are male and female:

first

theories the

two

first

emanations might be male (or

(2) Gapart s theory rouses grave misgivings.

taken into

an Ogdoad without Set

The

How

colligation of

the

sexless).

could Osiris and

Re and Nephthys

(as

Isis

&quot;Lord

THOTH AND THE ENNEADS OF

HELIOPOLIS.

view, that the Ogdoad of Hermopolis is due to the influence of Heliopolis, and that the Ennead is older and more popular. is primitive in the latter shrine, are inter it. (i) Maspero has collected the evidence for affects as it ested in the general question only in so far Thoth s position among the ancient gods. In the general

The contrary

that Thoth is clear obscurity of the problem one thing in of ancient in the any family does not stand gods groupings This of supports the view Heliopolis. relationship to the gods not is primitively connected already put forward that Thoth other hand, Thoth s re \vith the Osirian legend. Yet, on the -

lations with the Heliopolitan even in very ancient texts.

Great Ennead are close and that, His relations with the chief god

of Heliopolis - - Re-Aturn - - are, as we shall see, especially intimate. It may be that the inclusion of Thoth in the Lesser Ennead, and his close connection with the gods of the Greater

Ennead other than Re-Atum, are somehow conditioned by his assumption as a persona into the more developed form of the Osirian drama.

The Book

of the

us familiar with the

Dead has made

idea of a trial of Osiris held before the gods of Heliopolis. (2) The same trial seems to be referred to in the Pyramid texts, (3) knows how the idea student of and

Egyptian theology

every

of this trial dominates the entire religious speculation of Egypt. The precise points at issue in the trial cannot be ascertained. In

was declared .JH, and was made one the president of the judges. He even became

the result Osiris

of the divine

of thought here. obviously, much confusion to show elaborated was trial the of Possibly the whole story was the of Dead, subjected that Osiris, as Prince, or Greatest,

There

court.

is,

which every mortal must endure; in of all men. all directions Osiris should serve as the model the himself from gods the Every man of Egypt besought for some verdict which Osiris had obtained. In the trial of Osiris

to the trial

after death

of the

and

ing up

Temple&quot;

new

&quot;Lady

that Tefen in that text (1)

of the

theory on Pyr. 3 17, is

(3) Pyr. 1521

Instead of build very hypothetical.

would be much more reasonable

the son of Re. simply an epithet of Shu,

Rec., vol. 24, p.

(2) Nav.f Totb.,

Temple&quot;)

1523.

169!&quot;.

710.

La myth,

eg.,

244.

suppose

THOTH AND THE ENNEADS OF

HELIOPOLIS.

charge was made against him by Set. Against this charge, apparently, Osiris was brilliantly defended by Thoth, so that the latter received for himself the title &quot;He who made Osiris victorious against his

foes.&quot;

Thoth active before the Ennead pleaded here Horus and Set, and the

Two Ma

find

It is to

ets. (i)

in in

another great

still

Heliopolis.

held

trial is

this lawsuit,

lawsuit

The

parties are the Hall of the

probably, that Plutarch

when he speaks of the successful pleading of the ad vocate Hermes (Thoth) on behalf of Horus against Set. The details of the divine lawsuits in which Thoth was en refers

gaged were thought out after the model of the high courts in Egypt. It has thus come about that several of Thoth s most frequently recurring epithets are connected with features of legal practice in Ancient Egypt. It will help, not merely to explain the development of Thoth s cult, but also to il lustrate the methods of Egyptian speculation in religion, to indicate here some of the titles which were devised for Thoth because of his work in defence of Osiris and Horus before the

Ennead of

Heliopolis. the lawsuits in

presence of the gods Thoth ap as acted recorder of its parently secretary of the court, and V a) In

verdict. This is implied in his familiar title /.

the Lord et.&quot;

Cf.

(i) in

Pyr. 770:

1556 there

origin

Karnak, L. D.

e. (i.

(4) Cat.

for

of the Lord

Pvr. 817. Pyr. 957 refers to a decision spoken bv Geb which Set was accused of having stricken down Osiris.

cf.

this

trial

and verdict Thoth derived the

(r hftiiv-f). Ill,

175

Turin no. 1/3; Edfu R.

297.

nW.t n nb ////;, Turin 912. Cf. the Bk. of Dd. 170) where the dead describes himself as &quot;Scribe of

as Thoth,

titles

&quot;Verdict-recorder

(3) Ssl

(Mission

Other

reference to the verdict in this, or another similar trial: Set

sm) e hnv Osiris (2)

are

^ o-==*

a constantly recurring epithet of the Dead. (5) In the texts of the et&quot;

From epithet

C~\

Ennead&quot;. (2)

&quot;Verdict-recorder

(3)

Book

the

the Jit sr in a trial in

In Pyr.

legal

eternity&quot;,

(4) &quot;Writer

Thoth

same

the

betraying

the Great

&quot;Verdict-recorder for

O Q jjpm^

whose place he takes). du Musee du Caire Daressy, :

Ccrcitcils,

PI.

of M. K. ch. 17 the

Lord of

All&quot;

XV.

1521 he appears also as moon Pyr. 1520 and as nb m] f .t. In Pyr. 1522/3 Thoth is the herald who announces the decision of the gods in regard to Osiris the gods of heaven and earth, of south and north. (5)

Cf.

Totb.

Nav. 182,

THOTH AND THE ENNEADS OF

Graeco-Roman period he

very often referred to as

Ma et

Writer of

dict-recorder (or,

HELIOPOL1S.

for the

)

Ennead&quot;

&quot;Ver

(ssi

;;/&amp;gt;&quot;/

n psd-t).(i)

(b)

somewhat

Thoth

similar title of

AA~wv

Thoth puts the verdicts or decrees of the Ennead of east and west rejoice, jj

^( 2 ) writing

M-

=&amp;gt;

down

not merely writes

\\ c

-^&amp;lt;=:&amp;gt; T the decision or verdict

but he

s&amp;gt;^

publishes

heaven and earth.

With nb

mjt.t

the

cf.

given to Thoth in Edfu R.

title

56 nj WWVN

*~ O*

Ijj

Philae (Phot. 995) Tiberius presents mr.t to Thoth, and in the text he says: nii r .t so as to gladden your heart, for she is the food of Your Majesty

Receive ever.&quot;

Thoth

same place

the

spoken of as the food which Thoth &amp;gt;

described as nb mt

htp hr ml

&amp;lt;^&amp;lt;\

^^= ~ ^xV

most

role

partisan)&quot;.

development from

likely

be unfair

his role in the Osirian trial,

Edfu. R.

Cf.

(1)

the

quoted

that

text

means more than

truth&quot;

word seems

the

(TO

&quot;just&quot;

for

fair

of Ancient

law-officers

advertised

goddess a

which

that

Hence

to carry

laws

the ritual ct.

their

selves,

appears often as Egypt often bear the title

et).

the

0:7;xo;

(particularly

truthful in

word or

Since

forensic

ritus

where

cult

prescribed

sacnficii

expression, since

for

cf.

Osfo:

men

for

that,

least

would be

~^. is

have

can be

an appropriate and hence

of justice

et&quot;.

The higher

wearing an image or amulet of official speaks of wearing on his

is,

&amp;lt;1

.ov),

goddess &quot;priest

&quot;

legally prescribed

determined by

may assume

prescribed

divine

As including what sacrijicionon,

\Ve

loyalty

legally

out what

(ritus

the

Cairo \Vb. no. 7 3

(cf.

figure

verdict.

the officials

and then from his

forensic sense, something like which itself stands close to &quot;^, done as well as spoken. Ma ct, in the sense of o(/.a

breast

fairness

I. In the text have taken .v.vf mt r .t as 297 etc., etc. This sense is not certain. But it docs seem clear in the titles

the

the judgment-scene generally.

&quot;Verdict-recorder&quot;.

name

L-J \2$&amp;lt;*^L Thoth s character of judicial |

abomination

&quot;his

and

s kl loves,

the Egyptians,

theory,

the

accomplish

just et,

for

our

and

fair.

fulfil

all

particularly perfect performance of

cult

~TS n:j) or soo :).

would correspond

what

to ritiis

of precept, and to can also include what is is

can claim true speech from their fellows.

reference is sufficiently clear in ma et, it is natural that the Heliopolis should stand under the patronage of the two ma cts (cf. Pyr. 3 17). Possibly the two ma cts symbolise the union of N. and S. Egypt under a single Supreme Court. It is possible, however, too, that the dual in the case

great court in

merely symbolises the ideal fairness of the

justice administered

Heliopolis.

this sense of intensified

used

the votive in-

.cription

of Ahvdos

fairness

Thebes,

Not. descr. 851.

^^^

hath reached unto heaven (2) Cf.

the dual

singular

(line

Tomb

61/62). of Userhat, Sethe

Book of Dead

3o (Ani.

3).

17:

Tomb

of Inin.in.ib

Champ.

THOTH AND THE ENNEADS OF

HELIOPOLIS.

more than a mere recorder he gives judgment with ~^ e 1 (Luxor Court of RamZE | ^^ the court but he

:%&amp;gt;

^ -

\I/N| U

&quot;o

c&amp;gt;

-- he gives his judgment along with the 105)

II, Sethe 2, Ennead. This activity has given him some special names

ses

the

Graeco-Roman period

(Mar., 7JcW.

II,

/8 (Mar.,

his

activity

the

court

Thoth became the scribe of the Ennead, to

probably,

be explained his

Ennead

the letter-writer of the

Q cm

ff\

title

(2)

be noted that

It is to

New Kingdom,

of the

II,

7J&amp;lt;?;zd.

a),

62 b). (i)

Through

(c)

and

these

all

1^ ^\ t//W _

Thus,

general.

Anastasi V,

titles

Ennead

of the

fjQi

9, 2

^^^

1=1

to the period the details of

belong

to later times.

the legendary trials of Osiris and Horus belong to the early period, it is likely that the legal epithets of Thoth which arose out of his connection with those trials, were drawn from

the traditional legal procedure of Ancient Egypt. find, in fact, in the texts of the Old and Middle Kingdoms abun

dance of legal titles analogous to those of Thoth, ascribed to important personages in the State. We have seen that the court in which the trial of Osiris was held, and in which also, probably, the case between Horus and Set was tried, was the Great Hall of Heliopolis probably the Supreme Court of Ancient Egypt. In the texts of the Old Kingdom the Supreme Court is called the D3d1-t (3) and the court in which Osiris was tried is called by n&amp;gt;r&amp;gt;t,

same name in the Book of the Dead (Totb. 18, 3). This shows how the general idea of the Osirian trial is dominated, from the beginning, by the thought of actual legal procedure

the

This

(1)

Gf. the

(2) *&quot;i

of the 2 .4

te.vt

title

*rr~i

title i

Lands&quot;.

AAAAAA

Thoth

of ancient

functions

as ar

&amp;lt;-

Topographical Catalogue,

roval scribe of the despatches of the Lord

Gf. Karnak, similarly the despatch-writer of the Knncad. as is Thoth 3i where appearing 34 represented Sethe, 22, is

&amp;lt;IZ&amp;gt;

o^;

&quot;i |

(3)

with Thoth

Theban tomb (Gardiner, \^^_^/

of Ramses 7F, v7 T\ T \&quot;

of course,

titles

Set.

f~^

Tiioi

examine the

be connected,

may

between Horus and

bitrator

When we

ancient Egypt.

Cairo 61, 65, 66

etc.

n the Hall bearing the royal

document&quot;.

THOTH AND THE ENNEADS OF

dignitaries,

among them

find

HEL1OPOLIS.

not a few which

stand in

the closest relation to those above identified as forensic

Such

of Thoth.

181, 3 77

61,

65,^66,

-W

are

title

Hi fl Hi 1^

&quot;(Cairo,

of O. K.).

Statue

titles

The

(Cairo, 181, O. K.).

r &amp;gt;sh.t

the Hall of The

~)&amp;lt;l3 ^-^ JiOol Supreme Court at Heliopolis, often appears in titles of the Old and Middle Kingdoms. In Mar., Mastabas D. 19, Ka man and &quot;leader of the Hall&quot;. appears as a &quot;priest of Ma et&quot;,

Thoth

not leader, or president of the the &quot;Scribe of Ma et in the Hall&quot;, he

recorder (the hrp

the chief scribe or

Great Hall, and &quot;Scribe of Ma et looked on as an official of the as an ancient Egyptian dignitary

in the

.v.vf)

Thoth the same way

the

for

but he

&quot;Great Hall&quot;,

Ennead&quot;.

Ennead in would have been an

of the Pharaoh, (i)

official

and the connected with it, were modelled largely on the legal customs of ancient Egypt. Even in the later periods of Egyp probably, then, the great trial of Osiris,

Very

details

we find this method of constructing the divine on the analogy of every day civil life in Egypt still steadily at work. We can see this from such epithets of Thoth as tian religion

&amp;lt;c=&amp;gt;

-r^JKi&amp;gt;

given to him

-2Jn

Thus

78; 80).

II,

^i|

Graeco-Roman period (Edfu

the

J/ld

also

explain other late epithets of our

Phot

CPhilae,

8 54\

55 b; Edfu R. II, 73 etc.). Sib sbhti a familiar legal title in the O. K. (2)

III,

is,

(Mar well

&quot;

Dcnd

&quot;

known,

the pictorial representations of the Judgmentof course, closely connected with is,

Through scene

^^1

which scene

the Osirian legend, Thoth has come to be associated with the weighing of the heart. Thus he has received the title I

(cf.

Totb.

Ani

c. 3o,

the Ptolemaic period. for

(1) Cf.

Louvre

III

instance

36, Inv.

(2) S)b *bhti

ssi

hrp

r) ss)

.v.v j

vol.

LIII,

wsh.t

dhjLt

the

3i3i: he

dignitary at Gizeh (L. D.

antiq. eg.

\vr.t.

II,

of a

titles

ssl

34, g)

Again

again,

title

very frequent in often written with the ibis-deter-

f &amp;gt;n)

well-known

110.46. r

The

3).

cf.

no. 65

man

sib sbhti legal

no. 61

pr ml title

the

.t,

and in

XIX th Dyn. recorded

and JIT

siij

dwl pr

the O. K.

(ibid.):

set

here the

where we read the

niswt.

Dlnvti.

Cf.

Catal. gen. dex

man

titles

bw hr

hrp

.vjfr

ss},

imi s)b

imi

THOTH AND THE ENNEADS OF minative

Dum.,

IV, 760,

1).

(L.

HELIOPOLIS.

48)

liaiigeschichte,

appearing thus as a name of the god. (i) In the scenes of Judgment Thoth appears in two chief roles on the one hand, as ibis-headed god who weighs the heart of the dead, and, on the other, as ape seated on the tongue of the balance. the

Thoth

In this second role

described as

J^vfl

&amp;lt;z&amp;gt;

(Edfu R.

3i)

II,

that sits on the

&quot;He

O$ ^

explains his epithet

a f)

Dend.

Gf. Vienna,

(2)

Text

also Lacau,

Edfu R.

rcl.

II.

Scales&quot;.

Tomb

was

called

&quot;Thoth,

epithet

&amp;lt;ci

balance,

57a.

Pap. Rhind

7 b. 9

Thoth), &amp;lt;^

calls

^^t_

Thoth

&quot;Lord

5 i

WVW\

fTl

(Ca/a/.

cf.

(Pyr. 1523,

tout

simplement

J/nsa

c///

Cairc. Darcssy.

we have

Pyr. 1287). Thus, as

oii

devcnu

orthographe

^ =0=

dieu

nom

de son

forme

dieu

est

GTGC9I, Tl*l, grue)

copy of Istn

&quot;the

balance&quot;.

par suite d un rapprochement

rectitude,

II,

XX. See

no.

= ^^

avoir etc

apres

Saal

From all this it appears how unacceptable is Lord s explanation th. He says (Bulletin de Institut fr. d arch. or., vol. 3, p. 18):

very early period.

ofThoth

71 b: Diim., Histor. Insclir.

Museum. Sarkophagus

obvious that the Judgment-scene was pictorially represented

i3 b

II,

c. appears as a title of dignity, L. D. Ill 26, o o X O fi, Thebes. Anubis, from his activity in the judgment-

called in the Pyr. texts

already said,

Since Anubis weighs the heart of Osiris along with Thoth. he

Ccrcueils, p. 129).

61 a

Pharaoh

the

* V\ V\

(rh) the ~&quot;)

-crSS

(de

on the same level

Recueif, no. 3^, p. 180.

AAAAAA

U fL

Ill,

Kunsthistorisches

calls

who knoweth

of the

that epithet

jj.

(1) Cf. Mar.

scene,

This po

(2)

of Thoth, as ape on the tongue of the balance, fully

sition

balance&quot;.

avec celui

nom

d ibis*

&quot;

_TJ

justesse et de la

du ibis.&quot;

fil

plomb dc a

matter

of fact

=0=

as ape that

lance

cf.

has nothing to do with

jb^, sits

on the balance.

Harris,

45, 11, 12:

&quot;ibis&quot;

Thn, not &quot;I

made

th,

for iv

;

thee tf\

merely an epithet of Thoth

&quot;ibis&quot;.

For the ape of the ba Thoth sits thereon

balance:

as srcat and

Gf. also

Studien). &quot;opener

text

Kuban

the

Lexa

of hearts

has the

&quot;th

1415,

Stele, s

text

(cf.

the

Nay., ct&quot;.

and Lexa

Totb. XIII

(Spiegelberg, Dcmotischc demotic gives as the name of one of the porters

Totb.,

125, 42

These two

44), while the corresponding hieratic

epithets belong to Thoth, and the apparent

want of agreement of the hieratic and demotic here what has been said above.

easilv explained in

view of

Chapter IV.

Thoth and Re

in the Solar barque.

Thoth, as has been shown, stands with other ancient such as Ptah, Min, Hr ;rr, Neit Anubis etc., outside the primitive Ennead of Heliopolis. Yet it cannot be denied that there are very close relationships expressed, even in very deities,

early texts, between Thoth and the Heliopolitan sun-god. In the Book of the Dead of the N. K. period Thoth often appears as secretary of Re (or of Osiris, thought of as

and he constantly appears with the sun-god in the - generally accompanied by Ma et. Thoth barque (i) is therefore a companion of the chief god of Egypt, wlierf the latter goes on his administrative journeys. It is not un likely that the Pyramid texts which speak of a &quot;ScriSe^ of the divine book at the right of Re&quot; refer to the presence and function of Thoth in the solar barque. The Pap. Harris, I, 6 8, refers to the &quot;writings of //wmr~the accountant of ReHorus of the horizon&quot;. Thoth is also spoken of as &quot;Re s scribe sun-god)

;

solar

A/VWV\

/&quot;s

Tomb

c et&quot;

(Thebes,

of J\

_D | &amp;gt;

L. D.

judgments of Re. function for the sun-god

= he that records the

Text

III,

299)

Thoth per Atum. Thus in find

forming a similar &quot;Atum decreed unto thee the Votive inscription of Abydos Thoth wrote it (/. c. the decree) down, his own length of life :

beside the Lord of All

(/.

Re-Atumj&quot;.

According to Pyr. 955 the Scribe of Re is dismissed in order to make way for the dead king: and Pyr. 1146 makes (i) Cf. Nav..

1 otb.,

12: Turin Pap. (P. and K.) i3o

69, II

etc.

the

funerary texts of the M. K. there is a formula by which the dead may become a scribe of Re (Lacau, Text rcl. Rcc. XXXI (1909), p. IO. n). When the dead becomes, at the same time, scribe of Osiris, the identity of Osiris and Re is im plied.

Note the strange N. K. passage Leyden

spoken of as being in the

prow

ship.

346,

which Set

THOTH AND RE the dead Pharaoh the the

bably

of the divine

&quot;Scribe

sense

&quot;Scribe

THK SOLAR BARQUE.

of the divine

&quot;Scribe

Re&quot;

Pyr. 955 in

book&quot;

book&quot;,

Pro

(i)

identical

with the

and the general with Thoth as

Pyr. 1146;

Pharaoh becomes

that the

identified

moon-god, and assistant of Re. (2) This is implied also in Pyr. 490 491, according to which the dead king becomes the

prow of Re

Dhli in the

sends out

ship

who

messengers, and does

seals the decrees of in

general as he

Re,

ordered

to do.

268 transforms the king into &quot;Sia Pyr. 267 (the bearer of the divine book) at the right hand of Re&quot;. (3) It may, probably, be assumed that the bearer of the divine book is one witli the scribe of that book. But who is Sia ? In the

Book

Dead

of the

(Nav., Totb.,

174, 18. 19

f])

the dead

am he who declares what is in the heart of speaks thus the Great one on the feast of the //z.v-garment (4) I am Sia at the right hand of Re who makes snk the heart of him who :

&quot;I

stands before the tph-t of Nu.&quot; Sia is here again at the right of Re, and his functions in to Re are, regard probably, con cerned with, or determined by, the &quot;divine book&quot;. The mean ing of snk is not clear, but the whole passage recalls Pyramid texts like 962 and 963, where Thoth beheads the king s ene mies, and cuts out their hearts (cf. Pyr. 1999). In the late periods there is no doubt about the identity of Sia and Thoth Sia being freely used in the Greek period as a name of Thoth. Further, the &quot;Scribe of the divine book&quot; is also clearly Cf.

(1)

dead.

the

prayer

Totb. 94,

ink-bottle

for

4 (Nav.)

The dead is to be equipped as a scribe. (2) The title &quot;Scribe of the divine book&quot; was O. K.

the

Cf.

Sethe,

Imhotep,

Der el-Gebrawi 11, pi. XIII, XXVIII etc. We know that were wont to recite the sacred formulae of the Brugsch, Drci Fcstkalendcr, Plate VII, 7

divine

book&quot;

O. K.

Cf. the

who

recites the

title

&quot;Praises&quot;

9, 14

(the

1||^^^

Dua (L&amp;gt;

21.

Cf.

ritual, is

the

one of

a series

the

15, 19

Dl H

( .her

also

hcb

Davies.

Scribes of the divine

the

book&quot;

of the chief

title

17: Krman, \Vcstcar

and palette for the

( .her

&quot;Scribe

hcb.

of the

of ritual books).

IVth D vn -

of the History of Religions will remember the Stoic (and the earlier Orphic-Pythagorean) idea of the moon as the abode of the blessed dead. (3) Students

(4)

Sechmet,

garment Cf.

Pyr.

A Isis,

nb ins

referred to

and Hathor

in the

Totb.

99, 4 (Nav.).

Greek period.

ins

was some kind of garment worn (by the 268 where the same text as in Totb. 174, 18

Xb.t ins

an epithet of

means bearer of

priests&quot;)

on certain

19 occurs.

the ins

feasts.

THOTH AND RE

identified

enumerates them is the text adds:

&quot;he

Pap. Salt, 825 VII, onkh (= Library) among :

of the divine

book&quot;

Since

Thoth&quot;.

texts (i) the dead

Pyramid

of the Per

the officials

Thoth.

late texts with

&quot;Scribe

THE SOLAR BARQUE.

and a gloss

in the

that

many

find

and since

identified with Thoth,

the identity of Sia and Thoth in the later periods makes pro bable their identity also in the early texts, we need scarcely

whom

hesitate to take the scribe

the dead displaces in Pyr. 955

as Thoth.

The idea of the &quot;divine book&quot; seems to have been bor rowed from the methods of government administration in Kgypt. Just as the Pharaoh received reports from his mi nisters and various officials, and just as the details of all ad ministrative work in Egypt were carefully recorded, so must the king of the world, the sun-god, have official reports, and official records. (2) Thoth, as the friend, and trustworthy minister and scribe of Re, kept for him the great book of government (the &quot;divine book&quot;) in which every detail of Re s empire, and its administration would be carefully noted. (3) The book would not be primarily a &quot;Doomsbook&quot;, or &quot;Book of

but only an institution belonging to the practical The presence of Thoth and s world-government.

fate&quot;,

side of

Ma et

together

of the

methods of Re

the

solar barque

symbolical, probably, denotes the justice

Ma et

government. and fairness of Re s rule and Thoth symbolises like and efficient character. (4) ;

tant

Cf.

(2)

Note the

title

business

1233: I23j: 1^05: 1507: 1725: 2150.

i3o: 505: 709:

(i)

its

Thoth

Harris,

tjpj

accoun

of Re. (3)

Breasted (Rcl.

earthly kingship of (4)

and

thought,

For Thoth and Ma

and often elsewhere.

how

17) notes

Pharaoh were transferred

easily the qualities of the

Re.

the solar barque see Nav., Totb.

the Greek period

Thoth

presence

i3o, 24

26,

the solar barque

looked upon mainly as intended for the protection of Re against his enemies. With Great in magic in the barque of this function of Thoth is connected his title (Totb. 182, 8). The title suggests the power of Thoth s magic as against the Apophis, and other foes of the sun-god. The Book of the Apophis (Brit. Mus. 3 1, 20) says that it is by this hike (magic) that Thoth defeats the 10188, 25, 15

millions&quot;

Apophis-dragon.

Cf.

Horns-Myth

(Naville),

PI. VIII.

In the

tomb of Rameses, Thebes

THOTH AND RE

THE SOLAR BARQUE.

_It may be that Thoth s confidential position as minister and chief scribe in the government of Re, is due partly to

the naive sentiment that the

moon

a representative of Re,

a sort of locum tencns for the sun-god. Thus the two great astral deities would naturally, between them, rule the world.

shall see in the following chapters

how

the idea of their

common government

of the universe led to certain interesting in the developments theological speculation of Egypt. Ma

called

&quot;(I I

Piehl,

amulet

Inscr. in

the O. K.

99/).

U AAAAAA

This seems

the solar barque.

Cf.

imply what was

^37 _

the barque of

that

Thoth wore

said

above about the

millions&quot;.

figure of legal

officials

Chapter V.

Thoth as lunar

deity.

Plutarch represents Hermes as winning&quot;, in a game of chess, a certain amount of light, or a certain number of short periods of light, from Selene, the moon-goddess. The light or light- periods which Hermes (Thoth) thus won, he put to gether to form supernumary or epagomenal days of the Egyptian year. The story brings Thoth into close connection with the

moon, and is probably a genuine echo of the Egyptian spe culation which regarded Thoth as primarily a lunar god. In Egyptian texts Thoth s relationship with the moon appears to be of two kinds. In a great number of texts he is represented as being practically one with the astral body_ -

with the

not as the the

moon.

moon moon

In a great many other texts he appears, but as the guardian, or protector, of In our discussion of the legend of Horus and Set

we have met

itself.

itself,

several instances of this second kind of relation

ship of Thoth with the moon. It will be convenient here to examine in the first place the texts in which Thoth is treated as one with the luminary that rules the night.

Thoth as

identical with the

moon.

The later texts are quite clear as to the lunar character of Thoth, and we can work back from the clearer texts to the less obvious and suggestive texts of the older periods. Every student of Egyptian is familiar with the constantly recurring representation of an ape bearing on his head a lunar crescent, (i) The ape is Thoth, and the crescent iden tifies him with the moon. The crescent-bearing ape is found

(i)

Sethe

Cf.

Naville,

105 etc

elc.

doschen

Thebes,

Tomb

e &amp;lt;

[]

=u)

Abschrifl

THOTH AS LUNAR

DEITY.

every kind of text in periods subsequent to the N. K. He is often adressed as &quot;Lunar-Thoth&quot;. Thus, for instance, in the Turin Pap. (P. and R. 25, 3 f.) in

Hail

Lunar-Thoth who enlightenest the Duat

the necro

Hail to thee Lunar-Thoth, thou self-engendered, the

unknown

polis

Renewal

of south and vigour are besought at times for the

king, so that he may become like Moon-Thoth. Thus Seshat &quot;Thou shalt renew thou shalt says to Sethos I thy youth :

;

when he

flourish again like looh-Thoth I,

51 a,

3233

cf.

Mar. Ab.

child&quot;

(Mar. Ab.

II, 7).

find that in the temples of looh there was usually a special cult of Thoth. To this a passage in the Book of the Dead (Nav., Totb., c. 80, 8) refers have made provision :

for

Thoth

the house of

and the moon which

identity

between Thoth

here implied is, at times, much more the Book of the Dead. In ch. i3i, 1 2

clearly expressed in (Lepsius) the dead describes night&quot;,

&quot;I

The

looh.&quot;

himself as

that

&quot;Re

shines

and the context makes it clear that the sun of the no other than Thoth. The idea that the dead becomes

night is Thoth, or the moon, is often expressed. The deceased &quot;tra verses the heaven [like Re], and speeds through it like Thoth&quot;

(Nav., Totb., c. 178, 20, according to a). of the dead king in the Pyramid text i3o /v\

The same

said

r-1

(N.)

()

o (0

The dead Pharaoh becomes one with the sun-god Re by day, and \vith the moon-god Thoth by night. The verb which describes the movement of Thoth as moon underlies the (i)

Cf. the

Chons-text

Edfu (R.

269)

/WXAAA

.I-

The

texts

vary between

AAAAAA

Pyr. 920 the dead king

called

l and

JU Jkwijh -4=*

mediately preceding text he is identified \vpi here symbolise Thoth as moon-god.

^^^

n ^

,-*-,

l. jk ^f

xnivi.

the

im-

Possibly

chief cult-centre

one of his chief positions was that of wp ntrivi or wp

AAAAAA

the sun-god.

Thoth

and

the

was

wni and

ID/IP,

and

THOTH AS LUNAR

DEITY.

name

of the Theban moon-god, Chons ^the rrv of the Hebrews). familiar

wanderer&quot;

&quot;the

There are extant a great number of votive stelae dedi ~T* ^=^ cated in the N. K. to Jl (0 &quot;Moon-Thoth&quot;. J| On one of these (HanOver no. 20) Thoth is represented as moon between two astral deities, with the legend

With

Lunar-Thoth

veneration to the stars of recognition of Thoth s astral character. this compare the inscription on the Turin stela no. 157 1(2) to

&quot;Thanksgiving

clear

heaven&quot;

over a lunar barque

the text:

^=^

&quot;

(sic)

1^1. Under the barque T III

read:

veneration of

stars are

him

&quot;Honour

1 1

;

[)

_ZI

Shu (= Sun-god),

rubric Brit. Mus. g$3 &quot;When points to the same astral :

text from

Karnak of

*^j J ] \ J |

vere him like

Amosis

the

IV, 20) conveys the same conception

f V/r.

Re&quot;,

///is

invisible&quot;

of the god.

period (Wb., no.

\J.

&amp;lt;=*

&quot;Praising

The

looh-Thoth&quot;.

Thoth and the character

-^=^

^ rJr

A LA

()^|g-&quot;Re-

looh-Thoth&quot;.

The Graeco-Roman period

furnishes abundant evidence

Thoth

and looh. In innumerable and other scenes of the period the ibis-god (and often and the the ape-god) is shown wearing the lunar crescent texts of the period freely identify, or confuse, the two divin ities. Thoth is described, for instance, in Kasr-el-Agouz (4) the

for

identification

ritual

;

Hermonthis

&quot;Thoth

m Hi

resplendent (i)

Cf.

in Brit.

the

Mallet,

moon.

Osiris

jy u

m 1

Dendereh (2) Rec.

^s.

Thes. is

&quot;

(5)

u, 168

moon

, &amp;lt;m&amp;gt;

find the

com-

well-known

epithet

IV.

Kasr cl-Agouz,

(5) Brugsch,

of the

heavens&quot;.

Mus. 807.

(3) Mistake for (4)

J^p JJ

p. 82.

3J, 27.

called the

&quot;bull

&quot;Bull

who

ought

of the is

heavens&quot;

u m. is

renewed each day

heaven&quot;

(Pierret,

THOTH AS LUNAR title

posite

of the

bull

o&quot;]

&quot;Osiris-Moon-Thoth.

i^j

heavens&quot;.

5^^ The same

&amp;lt;o&amp;gt;-

DEITY.

composite name, a symbol

of far-reaching identifications in theology, appears also in Philae. At an offering of the &quot;Healthy Eye&quot; to Min, the words are spoken &quot;Receive the Eye, that thou mayest go forth therein in thy name Osiris-Iooh-Thoth, that thou jj mayest illumine the Two Lands, and make full the Eye on the 15 th [of the month].&quot; :

&quot;]

The Ptolemaic texts abound in epithets of Thoth con sidered as one with looh. In is called Dendereh(i) the king

of him that increaseth

&quot;Son

where

size&quot;,

from

T^OfjT?

the parallels obviously is Thoth. One of the most familiar lunar epithets of Thoth which is as old as the N. K., (2) is &quot;Lord of heaven&quot;, ^. Other lunar epithets given to Thoth in the later periods, are I^f^. &quot;the Beautiful one of the night&quot; (Metropol. Museum, New

York

12, 182, 2);

Mar., Dend.

IV,

Etudes,

nant the

242. the

see

(i) Mar.,

moon

Q Y /

Thoth

IV, plate 741.

Chons

56)

the

-that

make

the

moon

et&quot;

preg as

(4)

A Chons

of the

&quot;Bull

A./. 33(i895,

Hymn

125)

For Osiris

II).

West&quot;

&quot;Bull

(Pap. Rhind). For Thoth

Thoth

of the

(Brit.

Mus. 22q3 see Pap.

Westerners&quot;

23.

Dend.

Ill

Another

Der el-Bahri

the

-^0^^

of the

V-

I^T^

For sun and

1440.

(Chons)

Dead

*^AAA

i3i,

R^Twho

(Lep^us).

obviousl v Tll oth, the -

Thoth. the Hermes of Egypt.

Thoth

60. 59. i36.

Fldfu reads

Book

54 == Urk. IV, 232.

II,

see Edfu R.

moon-epithet

^ j(

text

Dendereh

night&quot;

For

ps idea of

epithets

-Bull of

called

/,-

Cf. the reference to

$^F=y=*.

also

described as

moon-god).

also called

Amenhotep

(2) Cf. Naville, (3)

/ft

Thoth ,

Mus. 10188,

Brit.

(Mar.. Dend.

&quot;Silver Sun&quot;

theology, see Frank. Studien zur babyl. Religion. in Berlin Thoth is called kl m h.t~ l.t bull (&amp;lt;94i)

an ape-statue

of time of

the

Pyr. 420;

Babylonian

*&amp;gt;WJir::

statue

Edfu (R.

(thought of as

Temple&quot;.

(j^j^

cf.

shining&quot;

same lunar origin are Thoth

Dend.

Mar.,

females&quot;

(3)

;

the

27).

bull&quot;

&quot;mighty

Cf.

29: I,

58)

82). (4)

(Mar., Ab.

II,

-the brightly

J^[j(j

(

-shines

THOTH AS U NAK

^z^^, O

&quot;Lord

(Brugsch, Thus. IV, 759), and f{{{ p^ Reckoner of time&quot; (Karnak,

time&quot;

&quot;Ruler

Bab

DK1TY.

(ibid.}

years&quot;

^O J

;

Of O

(

)

Pllilae )

(

Edfu R.

Q the

*&quot;

el-Abd, Scthe)

&quot;Reckoner&quot;

^^^

A $

Cf. Nav., Totb. 100, 10).

25.

very ancient lunar

(Pyr. 2150). epithet of Thoth is &quot;Chief of heaven&quot;, It is evident now that in the New Kingdom, and sub

sequent periods, Thoth was with the moon (iiwh\ itself.

made

K. and of Thoth

the M.

Certain hints

commonly regarded

How

earlier periods s

as identical

this identification

far

it is

was

difficult to ascertain.

lunar character seem to be conveyed epithet of our god

in the texts of El-Bersheh. In ITatnub the

and one cannot help com paring this title with the lunar epithet of Thoth in the later periods &quot;Bull of the heavens&quot;, 2) The identification of Thoth with the moon in the M. K. ran readily assumed, if it can of

&quot;Bull

MaVt&quot;

fairly frequent,

be&quot;

be shown, that this identification was made already in the ). K. Then- are indications in O. K. texts which, though they (

do not. perhaps, make certain that identification, point to at

all

events,

it,

or less clearly.

have already discussed the Pyramid passages which

speak of Sia, the bearer, and, probably, the scribe, of the divine book at the right hand of Re. It is very likely that Sia is here, as elsewhere often, identical with Thoth. The Re&quot; would be the natural position of honour second of the great astral deities, and it is reasonable, therefore, perhaps, to assume that Sia is one with the moon, as well as with Thoth. We saw above that the text of the Book of the Dead (Nav., 178, 20) which describes Thoth as

hand of

&quot;right

for the

moon

the

traverses

that

the

sky,

directly

paralleled

Pyr. i3o.

we have a ritual text which was, apparently, awakes Thoth is high&quot;. Ancient Kgypt /?)/ in somewhat similar text Pyr. 1520 seems to explain the In Pyr. 126,

widely used

&quot;Thoth

phrase

high&quot;

&quot;u

lunar sense. O

(i) Cf.

Thoth

12) Cf. the &quot;powerful

no.

young

epithel in

epithet bull

20); see note

(I (g.

of Nannar in Babylon

with mighty p.

hilat

64,

(^).

horns&quot;

bunt

(Phot. ion). ikdii

(Perry, f/rinnen

sa karni kubburu

und Gebete an

Sin,

THOTH AS LUNAR &quot;Osiris

shines

Ma Ma

Lord of

The

forth et at

purified

every year

DKITY.

the shin

high

tin-

s-beginning.&quot;

Lord of can scarcely be other than the Bull of and the reference to time-delimitation accentuates the et&quot;

;

lunar reference, (i) find a parallel text again in the M. K. (Cairo 20520), and in the Book of the Dead (Nav. 178, i3). If Thoth is thus identified with the moon in a widely used ritual text of the O. K., his identification with the moon-god must be regarded as one of the oldest features of

Kgyptian

theology.

The Pyr. text i3o, already referred to, is the clearest ancient statement of Thoth s identity with iouh, the moon:

-U. If

the sun, Thoth must be the moon. able text Pyr. 128 points in the same direction

The

&quot;wayfarers

and moon Jf

The remark

heaven&quot;

are

Cairo, 20520). (2) must be admitted that the

Re and Thoth

as sun

(cf.

Pyramid

texts

sometimes

clearly indicate the identity of the moon with Thoth, it be shown that certain obscure Pyramid allusions become intelligible

when looked number

may more

the light of that identity.

332 a

of beings are warned against the Pyr. 829 failure to recognise the blessed dead. They are Re, Thoth, Hr spd, and A pt. Re is, of course, the sun K) pt is Saturn ?

almost certainly an astral being of some kind. Thoth spd will then be here simply the moon and we have then in this have the same equapassage a list of heavenly bodies. (3) is

(1) Cf. Prisse,

Mon. egrpt.,

The whole

pi.

for another

echo of Pvr. 126.

Re and Thoth as sun aiul moon. They are to take with them the Pharaoh so that he may live on that on which these gods live, so that he may rest where they rest, that he may be strong with that with which they are strong, and sail in that in which they sail (/. c. the (2)

context

Pyr. 128

i3o

barque of Re, which carries Re and Thoth). very corrupt text in Totb. 178,

1517

(Xav.).

takes

The passage The gloss in

Pyr. 128

reads (3)

Pyr. 956, 709

^eem

also to identify

Thoth and

appears

the Cairo text (20520)

the

moon.

TROTH AS LUNAR

68 of Thoth

tion

/&amp;lt;&amp;lt;&amp;gt;//

where Thoth

Pyr. ii53b,

with the other gods are called the children of

Horus /.

with

DEITY.

and

jj^^g,

Heaven.

iHatnub II, 7 etc.), Just as Thoth is the &quot;Bull of Ma of heaven&quot; (i) (Brugsch, 77/f.v. I, 371, so is he &quot;Bull The epithet of the gods&quot; (Pyr. 12370). &quot;Strong one et&quot;

and the the

(2&quot;)

be a lunar epithet referring perhaps to the brilliancy and power of

&quot;chief

(Pyr. 2i5oc)

Nut&quot;

of Thoth

seems also

the luminary that ruled the skies of night. (3)

Thoth as protector

of the

moon.

not always identical with the moon. The theology of ancient Egypt is not a logical and It s-lf- consistent system. frequently combines contradictory same the in divinity. It is, there-fore, not strange to qualities

Thoth, as a lunar deity,

rind

that,

while

the

moon

that

the

Thoth

set of texts

traverses

merely

presented

one

skies,

guardian,

identified with

another set he

the

specially

protecting

deity, of the 1110011.14) Here we arc- reminded of the Pyramid texts already discussed, in which Thoth brings back to Horus

the eye of the latter. AVe have seen that those passages may be taken, in general, as dealing with the various perils, such as eclipse, darkness, storm etc., with which the luminaries of

heaven, and particularly the moon, are frequently threatened, and with the rescue from such perils of the moon, and the other luminaries, through the power of Thoth. In all such

passages Thoth appears rather as the guardian of, than as one with, the moon. It is well known that iu ancient Egypt the sun and moon

were regarded as the eyes of the god whose face is heaven. in the Papyrus Xs-( lions, II, i, it is said of the eyes

Thus, of

Amon (i)

(2 i

In I

the

among

vr.

Dyn.

III tli

id.

text

Brit. Mus..

05 snp\i.

no. 22^3

Thoth

called

&quot;the

Bull

Note.

I29C speaks of the strength of Thoth.

the

Pyr. X23 the

hoth

;in

stars&quot;.

title

&quot;Father

moon

epithets also,

called

evening&quot;

nv.f

///.&amp;gt;.

/ nth. 85,

as will be seen below,

eye

15, to be referred to

of Nut

and possibly

Thoth with the moon. was familiar with this conception.

the

epithet

Thoth? one of

this Pyr. text really ex

presses the identity of 14) Plutarch

Vid.

Is. ct

O. 41. 4

THOTH AS LUNAR

This idea

DEITY.

very familiar in the Ptolemaic texts. Thus &quot;On the i5th day of the II, 3ib):

Dendereh (Mar., Dcnd. month

is full and the left eye is ip, and their rays This making lp of the left eye, and the union of the rays from both eyes are thus referred to in another Dendereh

the right eye unite.&quot;

&quot;Osiris into Jhc_JcjjLjr yc1 _cm text (Brugsch, Thes. 1, 54 j^nters the isth.&quot; This entrance oT)siris (here perhaps sun-god )

into

left,

eye

again referred to

tfrfi

its

beauty

g. union of th^rays from both eyes) Dendereh thus:

to his place

&quot;&quot;7oo/z~comes

- -

the

eye equipped with (Brugsch,

left

Osiris unites himself with his left eye

Tties. I, 3o). (2)

The implied

moon

idea that sun and

are the eyes of heaven

P. 3055, col. 2, 3-~4 when Bull that shi-nes in his two eyes&quot;. The Bull

the

text Berlin

ritual

speaks of &quot;the is here Horus of the rising sun, who, like the moon-god, is a bull or mighty one among the gods. Horus is the gnihs (bird) &quot;who brilliantly shines in his two eyes&quot; (Edfu R. I, it

That the moon, then,

366). (3)

Cf.

(1)

moon anJ moon

the

as (]f.

(2)

Tutb. Nuv.

called

in certain

Ley Jen.

&amp;gt;Aa).

the left eye in the O. K.

aspects was regarded 350.

Ilvmn

from Pyr.

appears

the eves of heaven see Junker, Onwislegcnde, Plut. Is. ct O. 43. 5. At the ne\v moon of the

Amon. That

I2.ii.

13^

the sun

etc.

month Phamenoth

because on that Jay. at the beginning (sij-iJaai;), of spring, Osiris enters the moon. The union of the right eye \\ith the left means the reflection of the sun s light by the full moon. (if. for this iJea Mar. Dcnd. \\ celebrated the feast of

3i b.

Herodotus says at the

moon-god

-Lntrance&quot;

(11,

47)

time of

full

that

swine were otleieJ

moon. This

spoke of Set as having swallowed the left The swine would thus be offered

of a swine.

Cf. Totb. t

enemy.

that threatened the Cf.

(3)

112

Cf, the \\

sacrifice in

Kgypt

to the

the

moon-god

its

defeated

- for a sacrifice of swine in connection with a calamity

moon on

Kdfu R.

perhaps, an echo of the legend which eve of Horus while he was in the form

is,

the

151)1

Horus

of the

month

^b^

eclipse;.

Horus Myth., XXII,

ivi/..

/j\

where

said

Horus:

THOTH AS LUNAR

70 rather as the in a text

eye of the god of heaven than as an inthus obvious. This is expressed poetically

left

dependant deity

DEITY.

of Philae (Phot. 997)

The mysterious Ba came forth from earth was still wrapped in darkness ~

&quot;

@-oz^

&amp;lt;C

&amp;lt;

while

the ocean,

{

D O

T^^^^ F^ ?TJo

D***&quot;

Properly speaking sun and moon are the eyes of Heaven, not of the sun-god, and it is only one of the many incon sistencies of Egyptian thought when they are spoken of as the eyes of Horus of the horizon, or of any other sun-god

Ptah

Berlin P. 8048, col. 6 ; 6 8). Considered merely as the eyes of Heaven, sun and moon were to the Kgyptian of divine substance, but they were not gods. Hence they might require the help or care of some (as,

for instance,

personal deity.

The two eyes which

a term

of heaven are often called wdl-t, of

the

their

bright splendour. perfection expresses Hut, in the majority of texts, and practically in all the texts of the Graeco-Roman period, jrdl-t is the name of the left

moon. (Y) After the days of waning, disappearance, reappearance, and re-growth, the moon could well be described - the as the jrdl-t healthy, or sound, eye. After the perils of eclipse, the moon would come forth again perfect and rye, the

brilliant, it

&quot;heiilthj-&quot;

as before.

disappeared each evening

The

right eye of heaven, though

showed

in the west,

itself

again

every morning in the splendours of the dawn. Its eclipse was rarer. It was exposed to fewer perils, and to lesser change,

CT\ f

Cf.

Macrobius, Sutunialiii

antiqiiitas.

text of

Dendcreh (Brugsch, Thcs.

ontaining the n\1i.t preceded bv Thoth, savs I

Solan ,/om oculum

21.

3o) referring to a barque

*L**^.

(i) Cf.

barque

containing

HKt&quot;&amp;lt;.scn,

Thcs.

Osiris

.^4.

IJJ

follows.

&amp;lt;d3&amp;gt;

n -- ? JJLJ

The accompanying

35. 36. 37 etc., etc.

oQ UQ text

runs

THOTH AS LUNAR

DEITY.

left eye. And hence to the left eye, rather than to the right, was given the name n dlt. In the incidents of the Horus-Set legend we have seen

than the

Thoth playing the role of defender of light against darkness. In this role, as we have seen, Thoth brings back to Horus the eye of the latter, which had been injured b^ Set. Most of the Pyramid texts which refer to this function of Thoth, speak of the eye brought back as the left eye of Horus, the i-., /

moon. There

however, a number of ancient texts

are,

which

a rescue of the right eye of Horus by Thoth, is spoken of. (i These texts belong to the circle of thought which has pro duced the numerous legends of the sun-god. The 17 th chapter

&amp;gt;

of the

Book

Dead

of the

the most familiar collection of such

those of them

in which Thoth appears, he acts, as friend and very naturally, protector of the powers of light their foes. The against right eye is not always represented

legends.

back by Thoth to Horus it seems often and Thoth s function towards it is a some what unintelligible one of soothing it when it finds a rival

as being brought to return of itself

established

place, and,

its

resetting

finally,

on the face

of Horus. (2) (1) Cf.

Altestc

Te.\-tc

Cf.

(2)

Book

the

particular

Nav. Totb.

37-

167.

of the Nubian Hathor.

legend

the

M. K. ch.

(

whole problem

Sec for the

Grapow s study, Das i~. Kapilcl dcs Many points of Thoth s work the

Dead of

the

17.

l.epMU&amp;gt;

20.

2,s

3i,

dg. Tnlcnbuclu the

for

eve

right

Junker

tin-

tli

ch.

ni2.

Horus are

reflected

Auszn^ dtT ILithor- l efnut Akad. loin, and Scthe s valuable

essa\

aus Xnbicn (Appendix to the Abhdlgn. der erl. work, and statement of the ancient I

criticism of this

row Sonncnaugc, das

Merlin Diss.

/.nr

legends

alta^.

Sage

rcnuic war (I.eipxig, nji2). The whole problem has hinrislc^cude \\ ien. KM/ recently been reexamined by Junker in his studv. /)/ ( in

dcr

(

this

work Junker shows convincingly

concerned the right

the

eye

left

eye of

of Horus

Horus sun

(the

that the eve with

moon

which Thoth

primarilv

Apparent connection of Thoth with

interweaving of legends whose Junker has cleared up manv points which lirapow s studv had He has also been able to take into account, and use for the (the

due

the

motifs are similar. left

unexplained.

further exposition and confirmation of his views Spiegelberg s recent the Leyden Papyrus I, 384. Junker s is the fullest and

Onurislcgendc

ing

treatment

The

present study

author, and as

of the

new

am was

problem of Egyptian

religion

that

has

publication of

most convinc

hitherto

appeared.

OnuHslegcndc reached the pressure of other work prevented the writer from making full u^e

points

practically complete

of view

put

before

the

forward by Junker, he desires

indispensability of the Onurislegende

for students

of Kgyptian

emphasize the

religion

general.

THOTH AS LUNAR

DEITY.

When Thoth brings back to its owner the left eye, or moon, he does not bring it back as a raging serpent (like the solar eye), but as a &quot;healthy&quot;, or &quot;convalescent&quot; eye. Egyptian literature delights to recur to the relations of

Thoth towards the left eye of heaven. With constant repeti tion it tells how Thoth sought out the eye, and finding it probably, as a result of violence inflicted by Set, healed full moon, delivered it up to it s

ailing,

and then, on the day of

it,

owner

in the fulness of its splendour, (i) Through his healing of the eye Thoth acquired his title &quot;Physician of the eye of are told that the eye Horus&quot; (Pap. Hearst, XIV, 5 7). was cured by the application of Thoth s spittle (Book of Dead

33:

167, 3),

- -

a detail of the legend

derived,

obviously, possible that Thoth s position in the later period as patron of physicians may be due to the legend of his healing of the moon-eye but it is equally possible that this activity of Thoth in the legend 17,

from the naive

medicine&quot;

of the people.

;

may

be due to the general popular conception of the god. Many of Thoth s familiar epithets are derived from his

itself

relation

protective

for

H-ifi-/-eye

also

that

&quot;ba

its

&amp;gt;.

lord&quot;

the

157).

for those

the

present

associated.

the

this

latter

seeks the

&quot;who

3055, col.

eye&quot;

Erom

is,

Traraux sur

function

and he

9):

the

further, Ic

ritucl

arises his

name

Birth-House, Phot. 978), determined by

who would wish

on Thoth

The angry eve which

of Horus

forehead

(Berlin. P. full

(Champollion,

particular

study

moon.

Eye&quot;

(Philae

and

the

makes

&quot;who

fills

apparently

and is

the

length

serpent

supplement the information supplied with whom he is most often

deities

pacified

bv Thoth. and

of the Kgyptian

diadem.

set

on the

The angrv

is pacified and restored to its own original place is a motif that belongs Nubian legend of Hathor (Telenet to the legend of Onuris who brought the goddess-lioness from the eastern desert to Kgypt, and to the legend of the beautiful goddess, Hathor of Byblos, the heroine of the Papyrus d Orbiney. Thoth s

eye which i&amp;lt;&amp;gt;

the

function of bringing back the moon-eye to Horus has brought him into connection with these other legends and also with the legend of Hathor as destroying Kye of the sun-god.

Thoth is spoken of also as having avenged the Kye of Horus. So, Pyr. 1233. ) treatment of the enemies of- the Kye is perhaps described in Pvr. 575 63j 1 336). The enemies arc Set and imiir ht-f. The legends of the Kye of Horus i

His cf.

are, of course,

obsequies. Cf.

interwoven with those of Osiris, and also with

Abydos

Ritual

XXXVI.

PI. 20.

the

ritual

of royal

THOTH AS LUNAR the ibis-headed god. (i) Thoth it is (equipped ?) with all that blongs to

DEITY.

the one too

makes the eye

&quot;who

(Edfu, R. I 274 etc.) back the The text of brings Eye&quot;.

&quot;who

it&quot;

M seems to refer to this last-men Pyr. 58, jj 1%&amp;gt; N AAAAAA T 7T have seen already that the tioned function of Thoth. on the of the ibis-god of the left eye home wings bringing

JSM

&amp;lt;nn&amp;gt;

Horus across Lake Nht

frequently referred to in the an

Pyramids. Egyptian ritual generally teems with reference to that same incident of the legends of Horus. Thus, for instance, in a Leyden stela-text of the N. K. (Leyden, cient ritual of the

VI,

Thoth

Jl t&

to its

Eye

lord&quot;.

(^ ar

^fS

Si o %

I&amp;gt;

-&amp;gt;

^7, a).

lord

lord&quot;;

J) \-l

The same

&quot;who

gives the

&quot;who

brings the

implied

Eye&quot;

the Edfu

break the seal:

25):

its

^=^

I bring the Eye to ~^^ who to I am Thoth l\ bring the Eye n __ JJ Q and again (Edfu R. II, 16) Thoth comes A 7 ^^

ritual (Edfu, its

&quot;*&quot;&quot;

\1^J

Thoth

.Similarly,

*lb

d^=

*^AA

-&amp;lt;2&amp;gt;-

Eye

he places

on the forehead of

its

creator&quot;.

This function of carrying or bearing&quot; the Eye is expressed in the ritual scenes in which Thoth is depicted as bearing in his hands an eye. It is here we must seek the origin of Thoth s title

A ^

V ^ ie

Pyramid phrase

]\ AA/WNA

niay be a shortened form of the

titte

The

passage of the Leyden Papyrus (847,

mouth

Sia

1^13x6

chief.&quot;

H v^vx.

^JJJ

(2)

The

heart

A^AA

24)

12,

&quot;Hn

me and honour me ^- ^^. Behold, 1 am V/zz .v;r, your with Hu and Sia makes it highly :

praise

^i&amp;lt;^=&amp;gt;WP_l

collocation

appears

epithet

&amp;lt;HI&amp;gt;

probable that the /;zz ;; of this passage is Thoth. If /;zz sir ;zz .v;r //r-.v, the is not to be understood as an abbreviation of to as due the of a scribe be carelessness explained might who wished to write a feminine, but actually set down a mas culine pronoun. tlow ever, it might be possible to explain the sn as due to the fact that the Eye is here regarded, not as :

;

s&amp;gt;

CXOC

(i)

(2)

For

ini

.vji

fcast

^ 1C

t 1

^ a}

nionth,

full

compare 7o^. 110. Introduction 20 (according to

moon. at

THOTH AS LUNAR

DEITY.

an eye, but rather as the astral body that the eye symbolises. Ptolemaic texts have no difficulty in referring&quot; ,v;r to n dl-t icf. Edfu R. II, 1 6, supra etc.\ probably for the reason that :

equivalent tolooh.(i) Thoth s title j\ an explanation of the fantastic script for the word n di

(Brugsch, Rcc. 16,

The as

sign

word which

the

y&amp;gt;

which

&JU .-Ki)

54 the ape-god Thoth carrying the Eye,

an( l

l\l

&quot;king&quot;

Benedite, Philae, p. 145: for X. K. vid. Chamber of Mut in Temple of Rams. II). (2)

V, 921

YVif.v.

supplies

Thoth

thus cryptically written

would seem as

/;/

be read here at least

VSAA/V

(rather than niswt

.v;r

Thoth

is,

&amp;gt;.

then, on

the one hand,

the

moon-god

himself,

and, on the other, the protector of the moon. Which of these conceptions is the more primitive? Jn the oldest texts both points of view are found. Both were indeed, perhaps, equally natural. The worship of moon-god was inevitable in ancient

Egypt, and the identification of the moon-god with a local divinity, such as Thoth may have been, was quite parallel with what happened in the case of the sun-god. This identi fication, however, had the very natural result that while, on was regarded as completely one with tin- one hand Thoth the

moon-god

heaven, his reality as a local deity living

well-known Egyptian centre would not be forgotten. Hence the need of detaching him from the moon, so far, at least, as to make him the guardian and protector of the Sacred Eye of llorus. Logically the second point of view is corrective of the first but which, in fact, was first in time we do not know. a

Sethe

(}) I

ritual

inclined to explain

DJS

phrase Thoth

fur

*A/VW&amp;gt;

as a

name

The

V *

in ^^&amp;gt;

ptt

ti.

1 -

Sethc believes

7). p.

appears. &amp;lt;&amp;gt;.

Onuris

rTl

A/.

\ id.

(ibid.)

.(.

the use of in

proves that

/...

that the .vir

&amp;lt;

for the bearer of the eve of llorus

name sometimes i

incurrccf script lor

as an

Obcrj^

exceedingly ancient.

This puzzle-script reminds one inevitably of the form

(2)

\\ ien,

.vir

K&amp;lt;iig

^ ce

OI &quot;TlC

un ^ cr

which Onuris

/MI hri.t.

&quot;he

who

brings the

One

that

was

far

away

of the sun-god, so that there is a direct connection between ini AP and Onuris. The writing of the name Onuris with the ape is probably due to associations with the legends of Thoth and the \rd].t referred to in the text. hri.t

the eye

THOTII AS LUNAR DEITY. This

not

the. place to discuss fully the cult of the ancient It be said, however, that moon-god Egypt. may we have sufficient evidence to show that the moon had a is

own

the Old Kingdom. It is reasonable assume that the worship of the moon, like solar worship, was universal in Egypt in the earliest period. It may be also assumed that, as the sun-god came to be identified with a

formal worship of

its

number of Horus,

local

Am on

appearing thus, as Atum, Ptah, without losing his own individuality as so also the moon-god was identified with

deities,

etc.,

the sun-god, Re, deities of local shrines at a very early period without losing his own special character of moon-god, fooh. One such deity was the ibis-god of the 15 th. Delta nome. Another was the

ancient god Chonsu of Thebes. Both the Ibis-god and Chons appear as lunar deities in the M. K., though they have then as yet no other features in common. In the oldest texts - - the Wanderer&quot;, as his name simply the moon on other the Thoth, hand, though certainly a lunar implies, (i) in the older is also, even then, much more than period, deity a His character, even in the earliest period, merely moon-god. shows considerable complexity. The easiest explanation of the fact of Thoth s double relation to the moon is to assume that we have in his case an ancient identification of the moon-god

Chons

with a local deity of pronounced individuality. (l)

appears always ibis

or ape.

interesting in

human

note

that

Cnons

form, while Thoth,

the

Thebes

same

the

period.

earliest i&amp;gt;

period

alwavs either

Chapter VI.

The symbols

of Thoth.

The most

familiar symbols of Thoth are the ibis and the Sometimes the god appears simply as an ibis or as an ape sometimes as an ibis-headed, or an ape-headed man. It is difficult to decide whether his ibis-symbolism or his apecharacter is the more primitive. The evidence seems to point

ape.

the

period.

predominance

of the

This symbolism

fits

ibis

symbolism

best with the

the

earliest

Pyramid

ritual

which makes the ibis-god carry the Kye of Horus, or the soul of Pharaoh over the seas of heaven. The ape-symbolism seems of itself, to have had less to do with the lunar and - for the ape was connected in funerary functions of Thoth some way, with the rising sun, and had nothing to do in

Kgypt with the rule of a psychopompos. i) The presence of an ape on the balance in the Judgment-Scene is a secondary feature. In the later periods, it is true, Thoth is often repre sented as a moon-god in his ape-form. But these is no trace of this kind of representation prior to the N. K. The lunar ape of the late period is, of course, a product of the identi (

fication

the

regarded as a moon-god, may be that the ape-symbolism gives expression to fundamental features of Thoth s character which have no relation to his role as moon-god. (2) with

ibis-god,

the ape-god.

already

111 \\ c need not take too seriouslv what Horapollo savs about the uneasiness and sadness of male and female apes during the time of moon s invisibility. Horapollo tells

by an

(c. 15)

ape

that

raising

moon was represented symbolically in Kgypt towards heaven. Note, however, the presence of

the rising of the his

-hands&quot;

the kfilnw and the bnti apes in the

One

///

sbkt

Diim. Hist.

In.

II.

tempted to think that Thoth s first association whith the ape-form was brought about in Iftnunn. where the sacred apes were spoken of in the (2)

Hcrmopolitan

legend

of the

birth

of the

sun-god

IJmmr.

Later,

the

popular

fancy which attributed peculiar knowledge and astuteness to the apes will have tended to invest the ibis-headed god of wisdom with the ape-symbolism. Hut this is little more than mere conjecture. It is to be noted that, though the ape-god is often

usually

represented

shown

presiding,

were,

over the work of scribes, he

not

as equipped with writing materials, or as himself engaged in writing.

THK SYMBOLS OF THOTH.

Even if it were possible to decide whether Thoth was more primitively ibis or ape, it would still be necessary to explain how he came to be represented in these forms. In the Pyramid texts, and in all texts of the O. K., Thoth appears as an ibis. We find, however, in the O. K. period statuettes and other representations of dog-headed apes which may, possibly, symbolise Thoth.

(

we knew the precise origin we should, perhaps, be able to the more primitive as symbol

and meaning of the name ^j decide whether ibis or ape is of Thoth, and we might then also be able to say why Thoth was thought of under a particular form. If the name Thoth meant as has been conjectured, god of ibis-form&quot;, (2) we ,

&quot;the

should

was the more ancient and charac

infer, that the ibis

symbol. It might then also, perhaps, be inferred that the primitive god of the 15 th Delta nome was an; ibis, and that a sort of crude animal worship anciently prevailed there. teristic

But

was conjectured above, Dchuti is simply one Dehut&quot;, the doubt must remain whether the ibis-symbol as

if,

from

stands for a sound-value,

or indicates

the

actual

&quot;the

&quot;physical&quot;

appearance of the god. In the midst of such uncertainty it is idle to set up theories of a totemistic worship of Thoth in the Delta of the prehistoric period. Neither can we say with certainty that the symbolism of the ape to the nature and cult of Thoth. 3 (

secondary

regard

)

See Petrie, Researches in Sinai, p. 123. pi. 127; Abrdos II, pi. 9. Benedite, Scribe et babouin (Paris, 1911), p. 22 tV. Bene dite maintains

(1) (If.

that the

Hermopolitan ape-god does not begin to appear in art before the Thinite doubts, however, whether the early ape- figures of Hieraconpolis and

period.

The dog-headed apes of the 3 rd god Thoth mastabas of the Memphite period are not. according to Benedite, representations of the ape-god, Thoth, but rather represen tations of an animal which, because it was not native to Kgypt, and had to be fetched from a great distance, had become a, sort of exotic for the Abydos are really symbols of Dynasty tombs at Medum and

the in

the

plaything of Pharaoh s household, and for the high nobilitv of the early period. Benedite is inclined to think that the splendid statue of an ape shown on p. 29 of his

members

work, which that period, (ibid.

Thoth

and f.

assigned by an inscription to the age of Snofru, really belongs to is one of the earliest representations of the sacred ape of Thoth

For Be nedite

see pp. 20

view as

(2)

See BRUGSCH, Rel.

(3)

meaning of the ape-symbolism

Myth, pp. 439 ft. Thoth should be consulted Theodor Hopfner, Agypter (Wien, 191 3), pp. 2632. Hopfner has there it.

the ape-symbolism of

Der Tierkult der

to the exact

f.).

alien

THE SYMBOLS OF THOTH.

78 If

be assumed, as has been suggested, that a

local deity of the i5th nome of the Delta, who was pictured as an ibis, was subsequently identified with the moon-god, we

can

discover

various

the

for

grounds

of an

identification

Krman

ibis-god with the moon-god. transformation of the moon

(Rel., p. ID ascribes thr an ibis to popular fancy

into

)

which noticed the resemblance of the curved beak of the ibis to the sickle-crescent of the moon. In the later periods of Kgyptian speculation all kind of explanations of current reli gious symbols were devised. One of these finds an echo in Plutarch when he says (/.v. et (). 75, 8) that the mixture of white and black in the plumage of the ibis remends one of the waning moon, i) It may be, too, that the Egyptians saw in the dignified flight and pose of the ibis, something of the i

majesty of the moon as it fared across the skies, or looked silently on men. In Haremheb s hymn (Turin) we read:

whole attitude

like the gait of the Ibis-god n f n n over et U (like the

5i*|, &quot;&quot;*^

nose&quot;

beak]).

[or,

&amp;lt;*\

^UuS

&quot;His

and he rejoices

down

with the

&quot;one

12)

Book of the Heavenly Cow (very late elaborate period) attempts to explain the various symbols of Thoth based mainly on the theory of the creative efficiency find

of divine speech.

who

The ibis-symbol

Thoth

says to

those

the

&quot;1

are greater than thee

brought together the chief references in lireek and Latin authors. i

stein.

Aelian. J)c

jninuilium.

&amp;gt;uiti\i

the ape-form

II.

the

ibis

Hermes

with

(rD^ \ _M\s-

-^J

f.)

A^\ /

thereupon there came into

c. 3.S,

Die hellenistischcn Hf\ sterienreligionen,

as equating

thus accounted for (71

cause thee to send

will

has

Thoth which

a similar

statement.

are

found

Reit/en-

R. quotes Aelian hist. an. X, because the black of its wings corresponds to p. 94.

2&amp;lt;),

and the white to the X. rso^o ci/.o:. The explanations of ibisput forward by the non-Kgyptian ancients are carefully reproduced in llopfner. I ierkiilt. ii.S iiq. The ibis of Thoth is the so-called &quot;white Ibis&quot; (Ibis relitfiosa)

the Xoyo: ivoiaOzro:. cult

was

familiar throughout the

survived from ancient Kgypt.

whole of Kgypt. Thousands of ibis-mummies have For the and black&quot; cf. Philae, Phot. 1420: &quot;white&quot; &amp;lt;C3&amp;gt;

Tiberius presenting U

(2) -

Cf.

Nav.

t/J./

Totb..

described

12;.

^-*

(Confession)

o o OiO

f=^

&amp;lt;&quot;&amp;gt;

pi.

&amp;lt;H^&amp;gt;

CXXX1V

*~C

3. (j i

(]

?| xi

^ A ^ &amp;gt;

&amp;lt;::=

THE SYMBOLS OF THOTII. being the Ibis of as the ibis of ibis-form

(fQ^, J

Thoth was called

^* D% /wwwJ^V

thn as well as

in detail

but the general sense

text.

clear

And

(j)

that special The text

lib

same

similarly accounted for in the

obscure

Thoth&quot;

says

This same quaint text of the Heavenly Cow attempts in analogous fashion to explain the origin of the ape (i. c. the ape-form) of Thoth.

(3)

says to Thoth (73, 74;:

/x/i

Thus

tive

the animal symbols of Thoth are due to the crea efficacy of Re s words. In the same context of this

Hathor-legend the lunar character of Thoth

counted

(2) &amp;lt;zz&amp;gt;

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;

with

//?,

(3)

Ifi.stor.

Insc/ir..

text M

(Mammisi.

II,

to pacify Tefenet

Kdfu

Cf. the c\ n

154):

The

this

- the word

king,

know.

TJV

knower of

&quot;the

The nxriAOOoyr

which may

;7/.v.

of the magical

the

Two

=^&amp;gt;

Re sends

57 d (Dendereh).

Hathon

&amp;lt;rz&amp;gt;

Nubia

Thoth)

says to Thoth:

Diimichen,

Cf.

(1) (i.e.

for.

similarly ac

M^\^ ^

his

name

heir of

the

Lands&quot;

x heart

his fib

T -e-

ibis,

_j:

&quot;

(ibisj&quot;.

T tfj

\ 1

here connected

;= Thoth.

apyrus of Paris. The ape of Thoth

(Cynocephalns hamadryas). The ape of Thoth monkeys which were kept as pets in the houses

the /.jvo/j-.paAo;, the dog-headed ape is

not to be confounded with the

of the Kgyptians

(xfjfjoi,

^Sfi

*?~,

S *^

^ atui

ofte

t&quot;)

dead owners. At times however the ordinary house-monkeys were treated as they shared somehow in the sacredness of the ape of Thoth. In the Demotic text of the legend of the Eye of Horns (Leyden Pap. I, 884) Thoth appears as pi sm n \nis A-))/ &quot;the little jackal-ape&quot;, ;. c. the dog-headed ape. The sacred their if

animal of Thoth ag.

My thus

also

in the same text simply pi k\vf (Spiegdberg, Berliner Akad. Sitzgber. 1915, p. 878fF.).

called

vom Sonnenaugc,

Dcr

THE SYMBOLS OF THOTH.

w iU cause thee to embrace the two 4,3^ JI IN?* heavens with thy beauty, and thy rays. Thereupon sprang into being the moon ofThoth&quot;. Thus Thoth s connection with the moon would be due to a chance utterance which fell from the lips of Re. All this, however, is more interesting as an x**x

jfi

&quot;*&quot;*

&quot;I

w&amp;gt;

illustration of Egyptian belief in the power of divine speech, than as an account of the genuine theological origins of Thoth s symbols of worship, and of his lunar character, (i)

(i^ The ape-symbolism sometimes appears combined with the ibis-symbolism manner which, at first sight, is very disconcerting. Thus, for instance, in the

Judgment-scene we sometimes see the ape-god seated on the weighing scales and recording the result ot the weighing. Again, in Mission II. 4. partie,

the ibis-god plate

3&amp;lt;)

see represented

ape

seated

and holding

his

hand an

ibis.

See

Thus the remark of Be ne dite, Scribe et Babouin, p. 20, regard two symbols of Thoth 11 est certain .... que tout en se rapportant a

also ibid., plate 49.

ing the

une seule

absolutely correct. in in

(If.

2(&amp;gt;

(

holding

deux formes

ces

n arriverent jamais a se confondre is not reference to a representation Hopfner, 1 icrkult, p. 27 the temple of Sethos at Biban-el-Muluk of Thoth as ape-headed man holding his hand an ibis. A\ also .\//.\\v/ II. plates 3g and 49. for representation of ape divinite,

ibis

headed

god ^

his

Taf. Xl\

Abtlng.,

holding

right .

hand. See also Diimichen. Grabpalast des Patnamcnap, the 6th hour of the Great Amduat is shown an apeibis

work on Thoth,

who

plate VII.

called

&amp;gt;^

fffixi

K~-?

Cf.

also

Chapter VII.

Thoth as the representative

of Re.

The text quoted at the close of the last section gives expression to a familiar Egyptian idea the idea, namely, that the moon is a representative of, or substitute for, the sun. -

The

idea

says to

expressed by calling Thoth

usually

Thoth

in the

jn$

Thou shalt be

be called Thoth, the

Book

of the Heavenly

jj^J

Cow^J :$ ?

u^^j

place as

locum tcnens

for

&quot;Substitute

Re&quot;.

thou shalt

While the sun

traversing the Duat during the night, the moon is to take his place in heaven. The legend of Re s commission to Thoth is told, of course, in this late text, merely, to explain the familiar epithet of Thoth &quot;Y.vtf of Re&quot;. This notion of Thoth we meet in many places. The Book of the Dead (Lepsius, c. i3i, speaks of the dead as &quot;this Re that shines in the

12)

night&quot;

(/. e.

the dead

identified with

Thoth, the locum tcnens of Re).

In the

same book

styled

/iCIH^lJk^U-

(Naville,

169, 20 accord, to Pb.) &quot;

7 sV/ -

&quot;

Thoth

as c P ithet of

is common in the N. K. There is no instance of (i) use in the texts of the M, K. In the O. K. the Pyramid texts speak of the dead Pharaoh as of Re&quot; (Pyr. 1107 1464), and, since in other Pyramid passages the Pharaoh ap pears as Thoth, it is just possible that we have here an in dication of the use of of Re&quot; as epithet of Thoth in the O. K.

Thoth its

&quot;isti

The appears

idea that the

in a

somewhat

for instance, in the

moon

a representative of the sun form in a few texts. Thus,

naturalistic

Book

of the

(i) Cf. Leyden V, I: Turin 2204 Thoth, the Hermes of Egypt.

etc.

Dead etc.

(c.

i3o, 17), Osiris

(/.

THOTH AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF

the dead) thought of as

made

brilliant

the face of Thoth

;

f J)

RE.

the light of the

has

moon

but a reflexion of that of the sun. have already considered a number of texts in which Thoth is represented as a companion of Re in the solar barque, is

and as sharing with the sun-god in the responsibilities of world-rule. The idea of the mutual relations of Thoth and Re implied in those texts, appears, however, to be quite dif of ferent from that suggested by the Thoth s epithet Re&quot;. Yet in both is implied the closeness of the relation in which the two divinities stood to each other for the Egyptian mind. In the day-time Thoth journeyed with Re in the solar in the night-time he travelled alone in the lunar barque &quot;/.v//

barque as substitute for, or representative of, the sun.. When the two luminaries appeared at the same time in the sky Thoth s light was but a weak reflection of the glory of Re. Thus all apparent difficulties were solved.

The Egyptian legarding the same

did

not

feel as.

any sense of incongruity at once, the

lunar disc in the

divinity ape-god on earth, a guardian of the &quot;Eye sky, an ibis-god of Horns&quot;, a companion of Re in the &quot;Barque of millions&quot;, &amp;lt;&amp;gt;r

and a minister and counsellor of the world.

The tendency

the

government of

of Egyptian theology seems to have

been rather to assign to each divinity all possible qualities and functions, than to conceive its gods as clear-cut indi vidualities.

Chapter VIII.

The

special functions of

Thoth as lunar

divinity.

The general aspects of Thoth s r61e as moon-god have been already considered. It now remains to show in some detail how the notion of Thoth s lunar being worked out in concrete details. The ancient Egyptians were an were

interested,

The moon would

naturally

details of the calendar.

moon

agricultural people. They setting up an exact calendar. play a chief part in fixing the easily observed regularity of the

therefore,

The

phases furnished a better basis for marking off periods of time than the variations of solar phenomena. Hence at a

very early period in Egypt, as elsewhere, the as the chief measurer of time. This

moon was

taken

importance of the moon is in the later expressed very clearly Egyptian texts it is obvious enough also in the earlier texts. The Great Oasis text (Brugsch, 16, states the work of :

3334)

the

moon very

time-delimiting

clearly.

said that

Mf ,

Moon

seasons,

and

night,

ruler :

of the (i)

stars,

who

distinguishes

he cometh ever-living, rising

setting.&quot;

In the said

the

months and years

&quot;to

(1)

same text

(1.

3off.) the left

Of Genesis Cf. the

years&quot;

the

It is

(2)

14. 16.

Babylonian idea of Sin determines days, months, and years. Perry, (2)

eye of the sun-god

distinguish seasons, months, and

muaddii nine arid u

Hymncn und

Gebetc an

satti Si&amp;gt;i,

&quot;who

no. 6,

TROTH AS LUNAR

SPECIAL FrNCTIONS OF

DIVINITY.

sun that marks off day from night, but it is the moon that determines months, and seasons, and years. For the agricul turist, then, the moon was a more valuable time-measurer than the sun.

we have

But, as

Thoth

seen,

therefore, the chief time-measurer.

press this /Vjt

position.

IV.

.v.

-H

Many of

lord

old

e I.

Mar..

II,

ruler

of years (Brugsch,

43^(2)

rj,

determiner of time (Kdfu R. time (Kdfu R.

(Kdfu R.

757

;

^j^

the scribe of

27. 291):

fft]^ the

divider of time

Mar., Demi.

IV, 759)

77/f.v.

-ii^ JL

522):

27. 3i

II.

&amp;gt;

Reckoner (Kdfu R. I. 259): n _

the

Dcnd.

Philae

297, 27):

reckoner of time (Brugsch, Thcs. IV,

M/WVAAA |

(

8&quot;

reckoner of years (Kdfu R.

is,

of his epithets ex

lord of time (Brugsch, | ^,

^=^

^^Q@f% e

759^(1)

Phot, ion):

looh. the moon.

&amp;lt;

II,

j3 c)

and multiplied! years (Kdfu R. I. Kdfu text (K. R. I. 27) many lunar 77). (3j In this last-quoted activities of Thoth are brought together. He it is, according to this text, &quot;who divides seasons, months, and years, who increaseth time and multiplied! years, who maketh record of are at kingship for the Ruler of the Two Lands. Thousands tens of thousands in his right hand&quot;. his disposal The most prominent function of Thoth as measurer of he that

increaseth

time,

the royal annals of Kgypt is his determination of the regnal years of the Pharaohs. This function is symbolised by which Thoth carries in the cere the notched

time

palm-branch monies of coronation. (41

brought before us

finitely

Rameses

(2)

,3)

the

&quot;incrcaser

(4) See

III.

moon-god Chons

time and multiplier of

of days.

Karnak. L. D.

II,

Thoth

re-

207.

frequent epithet of the

to ijrant length

a function which is first de the New Kingdom. In the temple is

(Mar., Ab.

Abydos

Kdfu K.

invoked

Cf.

1241!.

Pap. Leydcn

Greek

years&quot;

/s^sjsa ..

vkl. A.

Thoth was popularly

36q (Letters of XlXth Dyn.).

SPECIAL FUNCTIONS OF THOTII AS LUNAR DIVINITY. presented as

the roll

holding&quot;

who

and stylus

behind him stands

writing, and a apparatus write for thee years Thoth says without number, and hundreds of thousands of Hcb scd feasts&quot;. Again in the Temple of Chons built by Rameses HI at Karnak (Settle 4, 25) we find Thoth in his role as &quot;Scribe of write for Ma et of the Ennead&quot;, saying to the Pharaoh

the

god

-cs&amp;gt;-

carries

sort of ink-bottle (^7)

the

for

&quot;I

thee a mighty kingdom I give thee life unending as king of the Two Lands, and everlasting life in years of peace.&quot; Some times Thoth records the promised years of reign by making sometimes he inscribes the hcb notches in the palm-branch ;

scd feasts on the Isd tree, (i) Thoth is often assisted in this function of determining the years of royal reign by the godd ess Seshat. (2)

But Thoth does not merely determine beforehand the length of Pharaonic

reigns

;

&quot;a

reckoner of time for

Thus he becomes

a god of fate generally. (3) of his life. duration the for each individual foredetermining The number of a man s years Thoth determines at a man s

gods and

birth

men&quot;

or,

Ptolemy IV Thoth

the scribe of

commands

said,

&quot;on

the mcskhcn

the hsb

&amp;lt;.

In the time of

/&quot;.

Edfu appears as (4^ the lord of 7/w;z;r. for the Ennead, who determines time, who

fixes

(i.

the length of

life,

on the

fate)

meskhenet (== stone or brick on which parturition took place). (5) is obviously looked on in this connection as a god

Thoth

of fate. (6) (1)

Rameses at

Vid. L. D.

III

Karnak.

124 and 220

Ill, It

times like Thoth with (2) (3)

Ill,

notched palm-branch.

the

220

(4) Kdfu R.I, 27

Amon

the

Temple

&amp;lt;&amp;gt;f

appears also See Dendereh, L. D. IV. 58 a.

god

////re

(///&amp;gt;

&quot;.

% |A

III

/NAAAAA ITD

Rhind Papyrus I, 4 b 10; a 10: 5b I; Luxor, Court of Amenophis III (Mission XV,

Cf. also

(6) Cf. is

Hymn

For the Graeco-Roman period cf. Kdfu. R. I, 1 12, 291. Kdfu R.I, 112, 207: Cf. Philae Phot. 1010, where Thoth engraves the Cf. L. D.

annals for the son of Osiris

(5)

Cf. the

interesting to note that the

thus described

&amp;lt;-

\Vise as Thoth on

whose mouth

10, 3)

the breath

11,

when of

the kin-

life,

behind

whom

Meskhenet (here thought of as goddess) stands&quot;. For Thoth with four Meskhenets see Mar., Dcnd. II. 40 c. In the Rhind Pap. I, I b 7 a, 8 Thoth inscribes the day of death on the meskhenet. In a text of Philae (Phot. 1010) Thoth s func ;

ffi I

lllc=]

&quot;raises

up his

(the

Pharaoh

fate

THOTH AS LUNAR

SPECIAL FUNCTIONS OF

DIVINITY.

The god who can predetermine length of life and reign must himself be raised above all limitations of time. Hence it is not strange to find Thoth described as one that looks into the future, and perceives it like the present. In the Book of the Dead,

182, 10

*^- J^X 4

*1^

&quot;

^&quot;&quot;

w ^SiK

&quot;

Thoth

a &quot;nounceth the

morrow

said of

(Naville)

wll

and gazes oiTtlu future&quot;. In Deir el-Bahri (Nav. II, 47) Thoth appears also as one that knows the future, (i) Past present and future must be all the same for the &quot;Lord of time&quot; and the

&quot;king

Nav.

(Totb.

eternity&quot;

35),

him

for

&quot;who

guideth heaven, earth, and the nether world, and maketh for

Nav.

(Totb.

men&quot;

182, 10

life

f).

Thoth determines, not merely the bare schematism of existence lie not merely predetermines the length of men s :

but he also

beforehand the details of each indivi is connected his determining of the &quot;Annals&quot; of the kings. (2) As he determines the &quot;Annals&quot; (gnji t] of the kings, so does he also for the Ennead. (3) Thus, as in other cases, so here, from an ordinary court-official, there has been formed a god. As the Pharaoh had his annalist, lives,

fills

dual career. With this role of his

Knnead also have its chronicler. But as Thoth mere annalist depending on actual experience, but

so must the is

not a

Ills

)nc*klh

sarniti naiiin

uho

nct&quot;.

Similarly,

liatti

siititi

who

givcth the sceptre,

Babylonian thought. Sin. the moon-god,

a&amp;gt;ia

tone

ruknti

determineth

isinnuu.

unto distant

fate

callcth

&quot;who

nabn

to kingship,

Kurther Sin

days&quot;.

purnssc siimc it irsitiin ta kibitsn manman la inuikkani, &quot;who maketh de cision tor heaven and earth, whose decree no one changeth&quot; (Perry, Hrmncn nnd

;\7r/\

an Sin, no.

(tcbctc Isis

Hathor

^^ J^ i

tnn &amp;lt;&amp;gt;l

later

I).

(I..

Dcnd.

(Mar..

sli

and

(1) (2)

Kdfu K.

(3) .issigncs

&quot;^^

cf.

further,

god of

the

Karnak.

cit.,

54)

XIX

fate

sei

the

appears

(

J. p.

Oyn.) Ptah

fate&quot;

called

of an individual

fate

forms

.optic

the

f.).

so also docs

the mistress of

no. :

n&amp;lt;7OI

and

Agatht)daimon of

the texts quoted.

from Thoth about the future mother of Makere.

inquiry L.I).

op.

/.,

&quot;Meskhenet,

(Quibell X. 4

personal names such as lv}at:.

Usb

Pern,

A a/.

(so Diim..

term for det-ermining the

technical

llc

Kamesscum

the

(= Thoth ?). Amon makes Cf.

209): Nephthys appears as

II.

(]

(ireck

Jastrow, p. 437 of fate

ct&quot;.

as mistress

4.*).

&amp;gt;n.4fin.t

times

Text II.

times

appears

III.

15:

Mar. Ab..

34 b

Brugsch,

Then. IV, 735:

77.

Brugsch, Thes.

the

years of

IN&quot;,

rule

Strabns nbcr den hciligcn

759 (Dendereh):

to I-

the

sacred

Cf.

falcon

alkcn ron Miilac,

Mammisi, in

pp. 21,

hilae

(rid.

WZKM,

26.

i.?i,

140.

Junker,

Thoth Itcricht

THOTH AS

SPECIAL FUNCTIONS OF the

&quot;Lord

time&quot;,

his

role

of annalist

NAK for

DIVINITY. the

Knnead

god of fate. When the Egyptian wished merely to think of Thoth as god of fate, he thought of him, on the analogy of the Pharaoh s court, as an official of the Knnead, recording the decrees which the gods issued beforehand for the life of each individual. This idea gives a still more con crete meaning to Thoth s already familiar title, &quot;Scribe of his function as

Ma et

for the

Knnead&quot;.

been said, at the coronationceremonies predetermining by notches on the palm-branch the number of the Pharaoh s regnal years. It is but an enlarge ment of this function of his when he is said to determine the titles of the Pharaoh. We read of &quot;the day on which the

Thoth appears,

Great

Name

(/.

determined, the

the

has

sum

of the

titles)

of the Pharaoh

Name which Thoth made

while

was

Re was by

was a very Name&quot; &quot;Great that natural but was it and proper work of the god or one work in that Thoth should have associated with him more of the great gods of Ancient Egypt. his

side&quot;,

(i)

To determine

the

of late

(i)

Karnak Memorial of Rums

IV.

chain

copy

Chapter IX.

Thoth as founder of

social order

and of sacred

ritual.

have already examined some of the most obvious lunar functions of Thoth. great many other activities are ascribed to him which may also -- but not with equal cer

belong

tainty,

him as moon-god.

Among

these

may be

suitably considered here his activities in the organisation of various departments of civil and religious life. In a country in which, as in Egypt, the daily life of the people was largely ordered by reference to the phases of the

was more or less inevitable that the moon-god should be looked on as the ordering principle of civil and religious life. The easily noted regularity of the moon s phases moon,

come

gave the moon

necessary predominance in fixing the date of the chief feasts in the temples, and of the chief events of the Egyptian civil year. This will have given a special impor tance to the early and general spread of moon-cult throughout

Egypt and with the growth of lunar cult must have gone on equally the growth of the cult of the moon-god Thoth. It is not strange, then, to find that Thoth is described, at an early period, as the founder of the cult carried on in the ;

as the originator of divine sacrificial worship,

temples

as the author of all order in the State.

and

Though, however, these

important aspects of Thoth his

role

s activity may be largely due to would be a mistake to infer that

moon-god, for the Egyptian wholly or essentially a lunar The divinity. gods of Egypt can seldom, indeed, be described in a single formula. Et is possible that Thoth s association with the origin of civil and religious institutions is due only by it

Thoth was

accident, or secondarily, to his lunar character. Plutarch recognises (Is. ct ()., c. 55) that Hermes (== Thoth) is the source of cosmic order. Hermes cut out the sinews of

Typhon

= SetJ,

and from them made the chords whence are

THOTH AS FOUNDER OF SOCIAL ORDER,

ETC.

derived, ultimately, the harmonies of world-order. This is but the mythological way of saying- that Reason is the source of

The same idea seems to find expression whose Egyptian texts when Thoth is spoken of as words have established the Two Lands&quot; (Tntb. Nav. 182, 4). A similar idea lies behind several of Thoth s epithets c. g. all

order in the world.

&quot;he

JlM^I

^||

Tutankhamen &quot;Lord

the most ancient

&quot;

laws&quot;

Legislator&quot;

Rec., 29, 166, cf. Anastasi

29,

Xav.

(Totb.

182,

3),

9):

(Stele of

^^7^

rDS_^^JR n ^^ DIII 11

who gives laws, and arranges promotions&quot; (Cairo, Wb. no. 116). In the Ptolemaic texts he is snin hpir &quot;he that establishes laws&quot;. laws like the Lord of Hsr

&quot;Establishing

(

Thoth)&quot;,

constantly recurring epithet of the Pharaohs in the Graeco-

Roman

period. the time of the N. K., then, Thoth was regarded as the source of law, and, therefore, as the founder of the

From

social order, (i)

was regarded simply

&quot;Lord

are not told, as a rule,

whether Thoth

as the author of special classes of laws. He of laws&quot;. Yet most of the legislation which

is is

directly referred to him in the texts deals with cult. It is as author of the institutions of temple-worship that

find

ing

Thoth engaged so often

of shrines of

all

kinds. (2)

building and furnish him often with the

in the

see

architect-goddess Seshat measuring&quot; the sites of future temples. He did not content himself, however, with marking off sites

the erection, internal arrangement, and decoration temples were regarded as designed by him. It was usual for Egyptian shrines to boast of their complete conformity with the plans and prescriptions of Thoth. This is true particularly of the shrines of the later periods. Thus, in Dendereh (Dii-

the

michen, Bang.

II)

the inscriptions

ments of the house of Hr

nb-t

how

the different apart correspond in structure and tell

arrangement with the plans of Istn (== Thoth). length and breadth of a temple are

that the

Gf.

(i)

Thoth

therein

entire land (2)

Kdfu R. as

333.

Ptol.

IV brings to Ilorus the L

&amp;lt;^.&amp;gt;

II,

are told

&quot;according

nome

of Hcrmopolis.

tt:

&quot;he

that

For M. K. sec L. D.

150 s (XHIth Dyn.).

established! order

the

THOTH AS FOUNDER OF SOCIAL ORDER,

ETC,

word of the knower of the Two Lands

c. Thoth), ac (i. e of Sia arrangement (/. cording Thoth)&quot;. (i) The walls of temples are decorated with the designs and with the script of Thoth. Rameses built a temple for Amon whose walls of

the

to the

The Pharaoh boasts thus of

(RiiHiesseuni, L. 1). Ill, 170).

the

7th chamber of the Temple of Dcndereh, which he has built

Mathor

for

the horixon, duly constructed

- \^, JJ/&amp;gt;&amp;gt;

i-i I

Two Lands

(/.

&quot;by

work of the knower of

the

Thoth j, by that which Thoth s plan). (2)

the

&amp;lt;

heart

his

created&quot;

according Hach tiling has its place assigned to it in the Temples, the decree of Thoth. The statues of the gods are said to by {i.e.

set

m ^up

&amp;lt;=

&quot;as

Vj^| 73

lv.

the

shrines

due places y &i

their

D L

hath decreed

Tlioth

thereon&quot;

Dcnd.

again, according to Mar.,

(Mar., Dcnd.

Wf -:-

&amp;lt;=

&quot;splendidly

glorious words of Sia is

sculptured to the

cording Mar.. Dcnd.

II,

II, 57 c the sacred * i

dera

e/ W

&amp;gt;

executed according to the

Thoth). The patron goddess of Den-

her temple

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

T Y

&quot;ac

Two

ordinances of the knower of the 3y b

Lands&quot;

The hieroglyphic inscriptions on the temple-walls which are intended not less for ornament than instruction, are ac

cording to the directions of Thoth (Mar., Dcnd. in

own

his

Dcnd.

II,

engraved

script.

3 e,

So we are reminded

with

etc.

the

Dendereh

d),

and

(Mar.,

that the temple-chambers are &quot;splendidly words of Sia&quot;. The individual temple&amp;gt;

23)

&quot;as

meses

(i)

w~s

(Kdfu R. I, Tlioth hath written thereof&quot;. In the temple of Ra at Abydos the Nine are said to be duly depicted

spaces are said to be disposed y

Mar..

f|i i

\\\

Dcnd

III,

2&amp;lt;&amp;gt;

Ct&quot;.

Mar.. Ab.

II.

pi.

prescribes the length and breath of Ramcses* Temple. 2) Mar.,

\v*

DcnJ.

IK 291!.

Thoth with an

assistant.

THOTH AS FOUNDER OF SOCIAL ORDER, &quot; &quot;

ETC.

their

Ptah hath fashioned,

according- to that which Thoth hath written concerning their bodies in the great register (?) which is in the There is here a clear re Library&quot; (Alar., Ab. II, 9).

ference to a set of regulations of a formal kind, dealing with the arrangement of temple-interiors regulations are ascribed to Thoth as author.

writing,

and these Thus it would ;

seem as

if Thoth were regarded as the framer of the rules of ecclesiastical architecture, and of temple-decoration in ge neral. Thoth was the first who set down in writing the laws of sacred architecture: Ptah was the Builder who executed the plans devised by Thoth. This explains such phrases as we find in the account of the mysterious roof of the Temple of Dendereh was built by Ptah and sculptured according to the writings and the beautiful words of 7.v//z&quot; (Mar Dcnd :

&quot;it

III, 70). (i)

know very

ture of Egypt.

little

of the ancient official ritual litera

But we are

entitled to assume that there ex books of directions for the designers and builders of temples, and that these books were regarded as composed by Thoth. These architectural handbooks were put on a level with the books of ritual magic called (Mar., Dcnd. The various handbooks dealing with the plans of Ill, 29 a). temple-structure, and the adornment of sacred shrines pro bably formed a substantial portion of the Egyptian isted

&quot;ttaii

Re&quot;

temple-

libraries. (2)

Maxims of Anu

(beg.): Pap. Hood, 1. 12. an interesting point that Seshat, the goddess of script, is often as sociated with Thoth in all matters dealing with sacred architecture. This implies that there was nothing casual, nothing left to the inspiration of individual architects in the designing of Egyptian temples. It may be noted here, also, that the Egyptian was conscious of no essential distinction between the pictorial decoration of the walls of tombs and temples, and the hieroglyphic script which went along with it. The pictures had a meaning, and could be read, just like the hieroglyphs. Hence the presence and activity of Seshat in connection with the arrangement of temples. (1)

(2)

Cf. ft

Chapter X.

Thoth as author of the

Words&quot;.

&quot;Divine

Thoth was not interested in the provivsion of temples for worship merely he it was also, who devised the minutiae of the divine service which was carried out in the temples. ;

Similarly the complicated ritual of the sepulchral services was traced back to his inventive and organising genius, (i) In the M. K. the formulae of the mortuary offerings are

expressly ascribed to Thoth. So the

tor

to tliis

dead were arranged writing which Thoth hath

are told that the offerings

^-*

&amp;lt;^&quot;

Tip]

~^&amp;gt;

_r.

^ .^

&quot;according

(Lacau, Sarcophages, dead ^Ui for the should be made 147). Kvery offering &quot;-f acc rdin s to this

given&quot;.

&quot;

ilfil

&quot;h

both himself hath made the Divine words which (Lacau, Sjrcttpluiges. p. 206). (2\ Thoth appears, then, in the M. K. as author ot the &quot;script of the Divine words&quot;. We have the same 1

suggestion in the texts of El-Bersheh. We read there ^vol. II., ^ g^S\ p. 451 of an offering for the dead, J v * Jr If * ^ ^Ll q Tk ^ to ^ 1C hymn ot glorification accorc n Jy Vtfn *&quot;

&amp;lt;WWVA

&amp;lt;v

&quot;

8&quot;

\J. N^AAVV \ \ -H of divine words which Thoth hath I

(i tiie

(

12) \sith

crrv,

There

some form

matters.

Bab\ Ionian

the

!f.

sacrifices&quot;.

no.

of Sin

title

nnikiii

ninJjbie,

&quot;lie

established

that

3.^.

nothing to show that

made&quot;.

&quot;IVivine

words&quot;

were so

called in contrast

of script or speech used in connection with unimportant or profane

Kisler

/)/V

kcnitisclu

Inschriftcn

ifcr

Freiburg,

Hyksoszeit,

i&amp;lt;M

15.

Anm.

pointed out

has

means

that

&quot;statV&quot;.

being associated with

U .side

side

with

&quot;Divine

carried the heads of gods,

Hebrews

Kislcr

would connect

solchc Stabe. b/w. seinr&quot;

words&quot;

1^ of

tile

word&quot;

&quot;Stubrunen&quot;,

Misler points out (ibid.) the existence

&quot;Divine

other divine

&quot;linchstitt&amp;gt;en

III starts&quot;

or sceptres on

which were

symbols. The mysterious E

the

Solltcn die Tcrajim with the Kgyptian itrf. tahle mil &quot;llieroglyphen&quot;syinbolen dcr (iotter als Knauf gcwesen (ibid,

Kislcrs speculations are interesting, but they

collected in

well

and has inferred the possibility of such implications as &quot;kcrbstock&quot;

&quot;rod&quot;

text.

must be corrected by the

facts

THOTH AS AITHOR OF THE

here that Thoth

notice

expressed &quot;Lord of the Divine

Lord

plained as

no doubt that

connection with

which emphasise

contexts

WORDS&quot;.

&quot;DIVINE

role as

This epithet has been usually ex

words&quot;.

(or founder) of hieroglyphics&quot;.

&quot;Divine

ritual

familiar

his

words&quot;

mean

often

There

is,

indeed,

&quot;hieroglyphs&quot;

the texts of the late period. But in the texts of the M. K. quoted in the preceding paragraph the &quot;Divine words&quot; seem

be something other than mere script they are carefully (== the written sign, script), and distinguished from the U

seem

be what is conveyed or expressed by the written signs, rather than the signs themselves. to

It is

familiar idea of ancient

literature that

Egyptian

of the formulae of funerary offerings was sufficient to supply the dead with all the objects named in the

mere

recital

Thus

the formulae.

the

words of such formulae might be

regarded as possessing a magical efficacy of a creative kind. They could call into being that which they signified or named. It is not unreasonable, perhaps, to conjecture that this magical or creative effect of ritual formulae is expressed by calling such formulae as in the M. K. texts above) mdn ntr. Mdir suggests rather the spoken word than the written symbol, (i) his Hence, when Thoth is called &quot;Lord of the mdw ntr is over than script, expressed. lordship over spoken words, rather r

In his familiar epithet

Thutmosis the

word

symbol

)

Karnak,

(Of. Mariette,

Jr *^^ L v he who hath given word and is clearly distinguished from

III)

(md)i

I^\&amp;lt;c=|

16,

script-sign&quot;

the

written

(drf}. (2)

Even though mdw ntr does mean &quot;hieroglyphs&quot; in the Graeco-Roman period, it may not always have had that mean ing. There is in Egyptian. &quot;drf

no lack of other words to express &quot;hieroglyph&quot; familiar of those terms is drf, or better,

The most

of Thoth&quot;.

drf of

Thoth&quot;

(1)

Mdw

ntr ever actually

ntr could (2)

speak:

means

have such

For

expert in hieroglyphics

(Berlin

&amp;gt;3

cf.

16:

XVIIIth

MOyTC.

divine staff

&quot;,

There

&quot;he

Dyn.).

divine

the

no satisfactory proof that nidw Per ,sr, of course, mJw

rod&quot;.

meaning. Cf. the reference to

possible connection of drf with ITSYJ

Inschriften der Hyksoszeit (Freiburg, 1919), p. 145,

who knows

&quot;Hieroglyphics&quot;,

Is.

w&quot;:s i:?&quot;^

see

Anm.

Kisler, i.

Y11I,

Die kenitischen

THOTH AS AUTHOR OF THE

WORDS

&quot;DIVINE

inscription written in hieroglyphs, would be Dlnt ti (Leyden I, 350, recto 4, 23) or .v.vJ ;/ Qhwti (Cairo, 20539, etc.). Thus the distinction between the script

meaning

rendered

.v.vf

and what was expressed by

could be

made with

sufficient

clearness in Egyptian. hear also of

&quot;books of the Divine Words&quot; (Totb., which, obviously, cannot be &quot;books written in hieroglyphics&quot; merely, for in what other script could books of the time be written ? The title implies rather that such

170,

&quot;)

books contained collections of specially effective formulae. The Book of the Dead speaks (c. 68, 910) of a journey which Hathor made to Heliopolis &quot;bearing the writings of the Words (u1)r), the

Book

The

words&quot;

which we

title

&quot;overseer

&quot;President

find

hieroglyphs&quot;

above

terature, and,

The mdn

the early period, (2)

to the bearers

says, (3)

&quot;Book&quot; can hardly be other formulae ascribed to Thoth as of the mysteries of the Divine

of sacred

author.

mean

This

ofThoth&quot;.

than a collection

&quot;special

all,

seems

can scarcely

to point, as Schaefer

knowledge of

of sacred

literature&quot;.

script

ntr were, then, primarily not signs but

words, above

and

(4)

words -

spoken by the gods (as in Pyr. 2047), but such words or formulae as bore in themselves a divine, or creative, efficiency. Of such kind were the for mulae of sacred ritual. These formulae are technically known as mdw. Every ritual phrase of importance is prefaced with then,

also,

&quot;Recitation

Book of Jipr

all,

all

&quot;Divine

&quot;,

as a stereotyped rubric.

place&quot;.

words&quot;

when

with the effective or productive it

says

M/WNA

v~&amp;gt;

(i)

the

&quot;Thoth

&quot;words

arc.

The

puts this rubric more solemnly, Pyr. 333 c. seems clearly to

17, 3i

(c.

of the liturgy,

&quot;word&quot;

;;/c/;j

mdiv takes

&quot;the

the

identity

Dead

the

mdit:

of the

himself comes to

&amp;lt;S^-^

tlice

with

I |

I&quot;

where

apparently, the formulae ot the funerary service.

(2} (A. Schaefer, M\-stcricn, p. 38.

where I-cher-nofret appears with

this title.

(3) Ibid. (\)

who

reads

PI. VIPi. book&quot;

who

Note that the the

diia

(

title

&quot;Scribe

glorifications&quot;)

Pap. Salt 825,

II.

of the Divine in

Thoth

glorifies Osiris every dav.

the is

Book&quot; is given to the priest (hrugsch, Drci fr\ stkalendet\ described as the &quot;scribe of the divine

ritual

THOTH AS AITHOR OK THE &quot;It

your messengers who bring&quot; him him to ascend&quot;. The nuiir

that cause

WORDS&quot;.

&quot;DIVINK

the Divine words

it is

ntr carry the

Pharaoh

to heaven, (i)

the close contact of ritual and magic

Through came

mdn&amp;gt;

ntr

be used, not merely of ritual formulae, but of all formulae which could be regarded as having a magical value. Possibly, indeed, indn ntr may have meant &quot;magic formulae even before it was employed as a designation for formulae connected with divine worship. In very ancient texts we find mdw ntr brought into connection both with ritual and magic. to

Thus

a tomb-inscription of the M. K. (Louvre C. 14) the knew7 the mysteries of the Divine words,

deceased says

&quot;I

the celebration of the Heb-sed feasts, and every kind of hike no one surpassed me therein

Hence Thoth

epithet &quot;Lord of the Divine words&quot; im plies his lordship over the formulae of ritual and cult. That lordship implies, again, that to Thoth was assigned the duty of superintending the celebration of ritual ceremonial, and that in

Thoth w^as found the source of was contained in charms, and

such mysterious power spells, and all invocations all

of the gods.

There

abundant evidence

the texts that to Thoth

was assigned the authorship of the forms of cult. Thus, the Mendes stela (I). 10) &quot;His majesty showed veneration :

the gods of ram-form

&amp;lt;

&amp;gt;

&amp;lt;\.wwv

&amp;lt;==:

&quot;according

what was hymn to Thoth published by Turayeff in A. Z. XXXIII, p. 123, it is who has given words and script, said of the god that it is who makes the temples to prosper, who founds shrines, and makes the gods to know w^hat is needful (/ c. sacrifice and found in the writings of

Thoth&quot;.

In a

&quot;he

The

materials to be used for the various purposes ritual)&quot;. (2) of cult had to be prepared in accordance with the directions In

(1)

the Metternich Stela

(107/9)

hear of the recitation of hike along

mentioned the nuiw which the heart of Horus has formed-. Here Wc/ir (obviously mdw ntr} hike and i)hir are put on the same level, and all seem to refer to words of power of some kind. Cf. \\ estcar, with iihw,

VIII, 25 VIII,

and

26,

the

same context

where hike

the

are

words spoken by the magician:

cf. ibid.

VI. 12;

20-21. (2)

Cf.

Diod. Sic.

thing connected with liturgy.

who

ascribes

Hermes

the authorship of every

THOTH AS AITHOK OF THE

WORDS&quot;.

&quot;DIVINK

The

ointments, we are told in Dendereh (Mar.. 72 a), have been duly prepared according- to the or ders of, and to the accompaniment of the recitation of the

of Thoth.

Dend.

Thoth (who is called usually in this connection the IkisXu) The various oils used in the divine

formulae

of,

^Y^

worship were prepared according to the directions of Thoth (Dumichen, Rezepte XXVI XIII Mar., Dend. I, 79. 1,2). Even :

was carefully prepared, we are told in the SethosAbydos, &quot;according to the writings of Thoth which

the incense in

temple

are in the the*

library&quot;,

according to the rules laid down

c.,

rituals of the temple.

may assume that the details of cult-ceremonial were ascribed to the authorship of Thoth, though it is only rarely that this is directly implied in the texts. (2) But it is evident that his closest connection with ritual is through his role as master of potent words, as &quot;Lord of the divine words&quot;. The

ordering of the details of cult will have belonged to him as the orderer of things in general, in the Temples, as well as in the Stateand his function as order-bringer is, probably, to ;

be connected with his character as moon-god. Yet, it must be noted that the ancient moon-god, Chons, was not regarded in the early period as a founder of cult or ritual. It is only

when Chons

later,

that he ritual.

is brought into close connection with Thoth, associated with the origin and celebration of cultis possible, then, that Thoth s association with ritual

is It

may have been

primitively due to non-lunar

aspects of his or derivable

The being of Thoth is not reducible to, single formula. The double symbolism

character.

from, a

ibis

and ape

points to a fundamental complexity in his nature. It might be conjectured, perhaps, that the symbol of the ibis points Daui,

Vid. Mar..

(i&amp;gt;

50 b

and

;

von

cf.

Lemtn.

Ritualbuch dcx

Amon-

JieHstes. p. 64. (2)

cession

Cf.,

for instance,

Ttitb.

determined by Thoth.

Nuv.. 44,

f.,

where the order of

Tex tea

Lacau.

Cf.

re/., no.

divine pro

: 4&amp;lt;)

hoth

the

;

&quot;Hook&quot;

contents

book here

of a

ntrw the md\v

(ri

mentioned

ritual-book ntr.

hands

cf.

are

supra

guide the utterances of the

(. )

p. 04,

utterances

and notice

(/tir)

the

gods&quot;.

NVith

suggestion that the of the gods. Cf. with the hw n

THOTH AS

THOR OF THE

&quot;DIVINE

WORDS&quot;.

mainly to Thoth s character as lunar deity, and that his ap pearance as ape suggests those aspects of his character which reveal depths of mysterious knowledge. It seems to be true, at all events, that before the N. K. Thoth is never represented as a moon-god in any variety of ape-symbolism. But, even if we were to assume that ape and ibis show us the god of

wisdom and the moon-god

How

respectively, other problems remain. s function as funerary god

deduce, for instance, Thoth

from ibis-symbolism, or from ape- symbolism alone, or from both together ? There is not merely a fundamental dualism in Thoth his primitive character seems to show far more than :

two aspects,

(i)

(i) In Babylon the moon-god, Sin, is not merely the &quot;Lord of knowledge&quot; id. [EN-ZU], as his name implies, but, also, the founder of shrines and sacrifices. Jastrow, Bab. Rcl., p. 437. Possibly the Egyptians also associated the moon with \

mysterious powers of knowledge,

moon Is. et

and,

mighty in hike. The \vdl.t O., 8: and Psalm 121. 6. is

Thoth, the Hermes of Eg\pt

especially,

used as

with

magic.

Cf.

Pvr

823

;

the

luck-bringing amulet. Cf. Plutarch

XI. Chapter.

Thoth the all-knowing. The Pyramid

texts, as has been seen, represent Thoth and as the scribe of Re, the sun-god. It has been conjectured above that this peculiar association of Thoth and Re may be due, in part at least, to the circumstance that the two greatest heavenly bodies, the rulers of the daily and nightly heavens, were inevitably put into a close official

as the minister

the primitive theologising of Egypt. In this official relationship, the moon-god would, of course, be sub ordinate to the sun-god, but would be immediately next to relationship

him

rank.

As Re was thought

of as an imperial ruler after

the fashion of the Pharaoh, so the

&quot;silver

sun&quot;,

the substitute

the sun-god was naturally looked on as Re s chief minister, or vice-gerent in the government of the world. To rule the world as chief minister of Re, Thoth for,

and representative

of,

would require a high degree of intelligence, and a great range of knowledge. Yet the position would not demand any mar vellous po\ver of insight, or mysterious depths of knowledge. If,

then,

find,

texts ascribe to

do,

the Pyramids,

that

ancient

Thoth a peculiar power of knowledge as com

pared with other gods, we need not look on this as necessarily derived from his role as lunar vice-gerent of Re. It will be more probable that any gift or power of special gnosis which

Thoth belongs to him out of all connection with the world-government of Re, belongs to him, that is, in his own right. have learned something already about Thoth s activity in the construction and furnishing of temples, the texts ascribe to

and

the daily performance of the ritual in the shrines of Egypt. The power of Thoth as lunar deity to delimit men s lives, and to determine the course of their careers, has been in

also discussed.

Functions such as these imply a very special

endowment of mysterious knowledge,

and,

however the

origin

THOTH THE ALL-KNOWING. of that knowledge that

Thoth appears

be explained, Egyptian texts

not strange to find

- -

especially in those as the All-knowing One, as the dispenser

of the later period of every kind of strange and mysterious gnosis. assigned the invention of language and script. He as^

the patron

jnen

s hearts.

the

who

&quot;one

regarded can read the secrets of

of the sciences,

To him is

(i) in

knows&quot;

every direction.

In the end he comes to be looked on as Understanding (or shall here look rapidly through Reason) itself, personified.. the texts for evidence on these points.

Invention of script, language and literature.

One

common

of the very

epithets of

Thoth

given words and

who

hath

Berlin script&quot; (cf. Nav., Totb. c. 182, 3 f etc. th Dyn.). The texts of the late period are particu 2293, larly clear as to his invention of writing (Pap. Hearst VI, gf. Ebers i, 8 10). The script of funerary tablets is called the of Thoth&quot; (Berlin 7 3i6, XVIIIth Dyn.). means &quot;drf .

XIX

Drf

primarily legible signs, the separate characters in script but it sometimes means in the sense of documents or &quot;writing&quot; texts (cf. Mar., Dend. Ill, 72 a), and, in this further sense of :

Thoth was also regarded as lord of script. One of most widely used epithets is nb ssl, &quot;Lord of writing&quot;.

the word, his

All kinds of texts books, temple-inscriptions, collections of liturgical documents (&quot;rituals&quot;), inscriptions on stelae, and

were called

tablets

with

Parallel

familiar title of

/%.

ffii

the

Thoth etc.).

&quot;Lord

\&amp;lt;^ I

74 b: Urk. IV, 53

\v&amp;gt;

title

goes another

script&quot;

books&quot;

(Mar., Dend. IV, --~

e-^-a

similar title

^^^d

&quot;^

&quot;Pre|

The Egyptian scholar (Philae was accustomed to set up in his study or library a of Thoth as ibis or ape. This custom, which implies

sident of

books&quot;

Phot. 1010).

or scribe statue

Thoth

peculiar connection with script and literature explains J

a Ptolemaic library&quot;

(1)

ledge of

(Louvre

Gf.

C. 232). (2)

Thoth

(2)

of the god

title

cf.

S&quot;

&quot;the

dweller

Dendereh. Mar., Dend.

II,

295

&quot;Thoth

the

For the prophetic know

supra, p. 86.

Edfu R.

In the temple-archives of Den-

of the house of

books&quot;.

THOTH THE ALL-KNOWING.

TOO

Philae Thoth presides in his ape-form over the niches where the documents dealing- with the Temple-services

dereh and

were stored,

(i)

As we might expect Thoth_\vas

jDeculiarly venerated by the_scribes, and by the learned generally. Apparently it was in his ape-form mainly that he received this veneration. have an interesting illustration of this in the fact that in the

department of the Egyptian government-offices was

scribes

The scribal profession was, up of course, one of the most highly respected of all in Egypt. It was respected, partly because of the comparative ease and pleasantness of the scribe s life, but, mainly, because the power a figure of the ape-g-od. (2)

set

down records

of setting

script suggested to the

common

mind the possession by the scribe of mysterious and potent knowledge. Hence, as lord of the scribes, Thoth was regarded as the lord of all knowledge, and, peculiarly, as lord of all recondite and mysterious knowledge. He was the &quot;knower&quot; v.x~.*

::y/,v.

Greek sources which are based on information ac quired in Egypt we find that Thoth was regarded as the founder of human speech in its various forms. Diodorus says In

Hermes

Ofjvx;

j-c,

-ztj.-j.

/.&amp;gt;..

--y.z

TCOV

TCJTSJ TTCJOTSV

y.sv TT,V

Sia/.ey.Tcv

/.sivrjv

TU/SIV Trpsjr^ spia^ (1. 16,

av(ovj;/(ov

cixpOpw-

From

the

same source we learn that Hermes first introduced Ypap.^aTa and that he was versed in the harmonies of the stars, and of sounds generally, and that it was he who first established the Palaestra, and laid the foundations of the sculptor s art. To him also are due, Diodorus tells us, the lyre, and discrimiWith

this circumstance we must connect the texts in which we are documents were found under the protection of Thoth, or in important

(1)

that

shrine.

Cf. (2)

Totb..

See A.

Nav. /..

1907,

i3;A, 23 p.

59 n

j-\

Office.

tcmb of (f^-j

the

lift I

called

the midst of

148.

on the Egyptian Foreign

Article by Borchardt *=

which

Thebes iSethe

17,

105)

depicted

an ape wearing a lunar crescent

sits

his

18 etc.

who

an is

^5^

writer&quot;,

24;

told

&quot;fcv

and

fl &amp;lt;ci~-.

The deceased

Numerous

a -royal letter-

statuary groups representing the

ape-god honoured by

client of the scribal

profession are

still exstant of the veneration which the ancient Egyptian scribe paid to Thoth.

token

THOTH THE ALL-KNOWING.

101

nation of musical tones, and the beginnings of the art of oratory (Diod. I, 16). In the Egyptian tradition, thus preserved by Diodorus, Thoth is the inventor of the fine arts, and to him

Ts^ascribed everything which helps to give to and refinement, (i) b)

civilisation

life

Searcher of hearts.

The knowledge of Thoth extended to the things hidden knows what is in the heart&quot;, away in the hearts of man. says a text of Karnak (Architrave of Hrihor, Sethe, 3, 66). &quot;He

tablet of theJN. K. _ says a_Turin memorial __. ^ .^^ et Ma lovest (Turin no. 101), y lookest into hearts&quot;. When the eulogy of Hapi is sung &quot;thou art Thoth,

&quot;Thou

who

(L.

Rams.

175 a

Ill,

of him

11),

&quot;&quot; itj^said &quot;

&quot;&quot;&quot;

heart

&quot;his i

&amp;lt;==&amp;gt;

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

SiH

^ is

&quot;

like tha

which they love&quot;. In Thebes (Tomb of Nb~nmnf\ copy by Sethe) Thoth is described as knowing one who doth search out the hidden things of thaUooketh throu_gh__bo_dies, and testeth the body&quot;, and as Thoth,

seeking

the

plans

(?)

&quot;the

&quot;he

hearts&quot;.

(2)

to note that in Plato (Philebus VII) OsuO is spoken of (i) It is interesting he that distinguished the different letters, the vowels, the sonants, and the stops. Thus Thoth s connection with script and literature must have been known at an as

early period in Greece.

one

who

Hermetic texts of the Hellenistic period Hermes

With

we may compare Thoth

this

the

distinguishes laniiua^es and dialects (Reitzenstein. Poimandres, p. 3y note). s title

Mus. 551

Brit.

&amp;gt;

. ;

x.a

who

ypajj-tj-atcuv

In the

efficacious.

supstrji;

of course,

physician were,

Book

tongue of

the

distinguishes

cf.

Dieterich,

possessors of

the

of the Dead.

by Gardiner.)

mens

hearts

(2)

communicated

all

^-Jsee

The

p. 70.

that

] \_

For Thoth scribe

and the

was unusual and

who

called

identified

with

a porter

Lands&quot;,

r&amp;gt;

;)

lands&quot;.

knowledge

Two

H^C*

AAAAAA

P.S.B.A. 1915^.117-125.

familiar thought of the O. and N. Testaments that God, or of the Spirit of God which

a prerogative of to

Abraxas,

of the

&quot;^v^

article

foreign

125, SchluOrede 42

Dragoman Thoth. (For

all

o D J^ *-^

men.

Prov. 2r, 2: 24. 12;

Cf. Jer. ij

10 :

Yahveh

and nnn pn Prov.

16, 2.

nvV:

^ Vn

Cf. Ps. 7, 10

Gf.

knowledge of is sometimes the title nzr pr

Apoc.

23.

When

and all-embracing knowledge of the Pharaoh is described in Egyptian we find such phrases as &quot;who knows what is in hearts, who estimates bodies, texts, and knows what is in them&quot; (Luxor, Court of Amenophis III; Mission XV. 10, 3). the minute

THOTH THE ALL-KNOWING.

102

In the texts of the late period

find the epithet

used as a sort of a nomen proprium with the ibis-determinative (Mar., Dend. Ill, 6ia: III, 8ie, etc.). This title is connected, as we have seen, with Thoth s r61e in the Judgment-scene but it seems to convey also the divine power of Thoth to ;

read the thoughts of men.

As possessor and source

god whose mind

of every kind of knowledge.

all-penetrating,

and all-compre C

hending appears very

naturally

himself as &amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

(Nav., Totb. 116, 7) and as

Mysterious

&quot;^\

&quot;the

o @

W^A

&quot;the

_ffi^ U

^ x^

&amp;lt;

Unknown (Turin Pap. P. and R. 25, 3 4). His gnosis which nothing could withstand, raises him above the ordinary Egyp tian divinities. He cannot be classed with them, and is, there Unknown and

fore, the

Thoth

power.

prudence

&quot;prudent

Rams.

Stela of

pared what

II;

said

&quot;prudent

best described

Rccueil, 16,

Rams.

heart&quot;,

56X Ill

so that a great

when he

Lord of

the

(i)

just as remarkable as his intellectual

the

and successful ruler of heart,

Mysterious, is

said to be:

(Luxor, should be com

Hermopolis&quot;

With

this

Med. Hab. RIH, 1421:

-Vfj

The prudence and

the heart-searching power of Thoth of also in the M. K. Cairo text of the XII th Dy spoken nasty (Cairo 205881 speaks of the Pharaoh as &quot;the god Sia

arc

who

men

hearts

his

eyes examine the hearts of

The

similarity with the later texts dealing with Thoth s ledge, and the otherwise familiar identification of

Y:wr,rov

Cf. f.)

OEO V,

prayer Thoth

Thoth

not surprising then that the source of apocalyptic knowledge

in the

Thoth, in his form as Hermes Trismegistos. with the above generally the prayer to Thoth in l\timandrcs (Reitzen-

literature

2) stein,

(i)

Hermetic

all&quot;.

know

InixaXoujAat as TOV Ta rcavia xriaavta,

rov

Travib:

ae-!ova,

a3 TOV

UTO-

zavra 6fuv:a /.a-, ravra otxo-iovra xat arj In the same 6p( j{jivov. QJ ouoe-.; Oio JV ouvatat Ibziv (Hermes) is described as T^V aXr Oiv^v

lov

(

;iop^r]v.

The

note of mysteriousness

here present, as

the epithet

THOTH THE ALL-KNOWING.

io3

with Sia suggest that here also the reference Thoth. (i)

primarily to

Other epithets which imply the great knowledge of Thoth are not rare.

Tomb wise

This, he

0^ ^^

When

10, 3).

&quot;

the expert

Hist. Inschr.

Dumichen,

of Paser:

one&quot;

LI,

\^8() (Luxor, Amenophis

one&quot;

and

&quot;the

Mission

XV,

48 a/3 III,

(Thebes,

)

the court-scribe wishes to give an adequate idea

mind and knowledge, he speaks thus there was hold his Majesty knew all that had happened all in was Thoth he know things nothing that he did not there was no word that he did not accomplish&quot; (Rekhmare, 7 of the Pharaoh

&quot;Be

cf.

A. Z.

1901, p. 61).

the

Thoth had a particularly complete is expressed in one of the most

&quot;All-knowing&quot;

knowledge of Egypt

This

of his Ptolemaic

familiar

rOn

Lands&quot;.

cq &quot;he

Two

O&amp;gt;

titles,

Thoth, himself all-knowing,

(2)

that

knows

the

the source of

He gives deep knowledge and acumen which men possess. makes He of mind. faculties the and itself to men knowledge his calls Haremheb and men sharp-witted, ready speakers. all

as Thoth is Lord of Hermopolis. The the donor of all human farsightedness and astute

ssnv a

gift of the

called,

ness. (3) d)

We of Sia

Sia.

have already discussed the problem of the identity bearer of the divine book at the right hand of

&quot;the

The god Sia appears in Egyptian sonification of Reason or Understanding Re&quot;.

texts as a deified per -- not at all

prima

(4)

but simply as the faculty of Underrily as a personal Logos, (1) in

Cf.

Moret,

Mystcrca,

171.

who seems *$

(2) etc

)

Often written with the ibis-determinative

The

reading

(3)

Note that

knowledge&quot;.

(4)

?&quot;?

same view.

Sec,

Dend.

29 d

indicated

Possibly Sia

(Mar.,

II,

Dendereh (Dumichen, Baugescliichtc. 42/6)

wise one Sin, the moon-god, is Sumeran name EN-ZU is to be explained &quot;the

Babylon

rt\

ft |

his (Perry, no. 8). Possibly

to take the

particular, his note 2, ibid.

Perception.

Gardiner see P. S. B. A., vol. 38, p. 43

For 54-

valuable

study

of Sia

of the gods as

and

&quot;Lord

THOTH. THE ALL-KNOWING.

I0 4

standing personified, and treated as a god. It is a deification to that of Seeing-, and Hearing, (i) and Utterance = Hu\ It may be said here, in general, that Sia is in no sense a Logos or Nous thought of as an emanation from, or as a self-manifestation of. a primitive divinity. This is indeed simply to say that Egyptian ideas must not be misrepresented in a Greek, or other non-Kgyptian, method of parallel

The very

exposition.

existence, however, of a

god of Understanding

Egyptian theology inevitably raises questions of parallelism and dependence as between Egypt and the Hellenistic world matters of philosophical theology. Some of these questions suggest themselves in the course of this study but here already the general principle must be laid down that Egyptian conceptions must be studied as exclusively as possible from the native Egyptian point of view. in

That Sia Yet the latter

divinity.

times, identical with Thoth we have seen. often enumerated along with Sia as a distinct Sia and to Hu is assigned a special manner of is,

origin which marks both of them

of the

Book of

Dead (Xav.

the

off

from Thoth. 28

The lyth

ch.

represents them as sprung from a drop of blood which issued from the phallus Re. This legend of their origin reminds one of the ma 17,

ff.)

terialistic creation-story connected with Shu and Tefenet. And there are indications that the story is but a crass form of a

myth which represented Understanding and Utterance as the first potencies which sprang- from Re, by the help of which Re then proceeded to build up the world. (2) As we shall see later, Thoth and Horus were regarded, at least in one important ancient school of Egyptian philosophy, as the two creations of Re so that there is good reason in Egyptian for bringing Thoth into close connection with Sia and Hu. The distinction of Thoth from both Sia and Hu, and the close relation in which he stands with them are illustrated first

;

by the frequent appearances of the three n the same context. At times it seems as t.

the

hymns

dated with s

called the

Thoth appears

Isis

and Nephthys. ap. Brit. and &quot;Seeing&quot; (or, I

-Hearing&quot;

&quot;the

seeing and hearing s

articles,

Museum

possibly,

Hearer and Seer).

(2) See Gardiner

divinities together if the three divi-

Ii.

Turin

one&quot;

A.,

altar

the

vol. 38.

(Transactions,

JJt-ibt. p.

101X8, where where Thoth

&amp;lt;)2

III.

i,of.)

THOTH THE ALL-KNOWING.

105

felt to be three phases of a single deity, or three to speak, of a single concept (cf. Urk. IV, 49/18 so aspects, IIu and Sia appear frequently in the Dcnd. Ill, 32 k Mar., 1). is It solar barque, (i) only reasonable that Re, the ruler of

are

nities

the world, should have with him in his royal barque, as his counsellors and as the symbols of his rule, Understanding and

Command. There can be no doubt that the Egyptians looked on Sia and independent deity, but it is, by no means how clearly his individuality was realised. to determine easy He seems to have had a character easily identified with that of other deities. Whenever it was necessary to emphasise the special wisdom of any god, it could be done most simply by as a separate

identifying that god with Sia. Thus, of Amon it is said in &quot;All i the Leyden hymn (Leyden I, 350; 6 [== s.], 2j men and gods say countenances are turned towards him

TA,

cq 1

move,

&quot;thou

Similarly

Sia&quot;.

of Horus

said

knowest bodies even when no tongue doth

thy name Sia&quot;. (2) Sia was, indeed, so abstract could be thus easily assimilated to other

in this

a divinity divinities

that he

to none more easily than to Thoth, the most wise and prudent of the gods. Though Sia is mysteriously at different times, identified with very various gods, he is identified far more frequently with Thoth than with any other.

and

Throughout the huge body of texts of the Graeco-Roman period the identification of Thoth with Sia is so frequent that simply a second name of Thoth. Particularly is this the case in the ritual scenes in which the figure of Ma et is presented by the Pharaoh to the deity who is being honoured. Sia

In nearly

presents

all

these scenes Thoth

Ma et

styled

&quot;son

called Sia, Sia&quot;,

and the king who

&quot;likeness

Sia&quot;

apparently because he takes the place of Thoth in the ritual action. In the Ptolemaic texts Sia is very frequently deter

mined with the ibis-headed god,

(1)

(2)

Totb. M. K. 17. I.epsius, A. / Cf. Ps.

3 9 ,4-

thus,

162,

17.

(Mar., Dcnd.

Cf. Mission.

168.

II,

THOTH THE ALL-KNOWING.

106 52 b, yib).

Sometimes the

pressed in an epithet, Hermopolis&quot;

i^Mar.,

as,

Dcnd.

of Sia with Thoth

identity

&quot;Sia

a).

Lord of

the presence of Ma et fairness and justice of

barque of Re symbolises the the sun-god s rule, so also, in the ritual scenes in which the Pharaoh offers to the god an image of Ma et, it is implied that the rule of the Pharaoh is just and fair, like that of Re. When the king offers Ma et as if he were Thoth, and is called in

the

claimed implicitly by him that

Sin, or &quot;Likeness

generally, and

is.

his

life

Sia&quot;,

the

particularly, a veritable Thoth, an expression of Sia or Reason. ritual

due performance of

whose every action

must not be supposed, however, that in the deification of Sia. and in his identification with Thoth, there is any subtle metaphysics. Sia is merely a personification of understanding or perception he is not a Logos in the sense of a selfIt

revelation of a primitive deity. The reason, or perception, or understanding of any god might be thus personified, - - and not merely the understanding of a primitive deity. It was

and indeed inevitable, that the intelligence of Thoth, the wisest of the gods, should be more frequently personified than the understanding of other divinities, fi) As god of literature, and of science, of theology, and of ritual, as the fountain and source of all knowledge and wisdom, Thoth, knowing one&quot;, would, most easily of the gods, come to be fused witli Sia. But there is no deep methaphysics in the fusion. Thoth, simply as Sia, is not to be regarded as a worldnatural,

&quot;the

ruling Nous in the Stoic sense. How far a conception analog ous to the Stoic Logos was possible to Egyptian thought will be seen in the following chapter. (i) tor

How

instance,

Horus

simply other divinities could be identified with Sia may be gathered, text quoted above, p. 105, R. II, 15, where it is said of

from the Edfu

&quot;Thou

knowest bodies without the movement of

tongue, in thy

name

Sia.

Chapter XII.

Thoth as Creator. Egyptian theology does not show, in general, any clear tendency towards system. The great mass of religious texts in Egypt is marked by vagueness and even inconsistency. Individual gods are very rarely clear and well-defined per Indeed, it is a feature of Egyptian theology that one of its gods is capable, in one way or another, every nearly of being fused with others. This fusion takes place, usually, as a result of the popularising of cults over wide areas, (i) In the earliest period each district was under the almost ex clusive patronage of the local deity but, as the intercommuni sonalities.

cations of the various districts

and as one or

intense,

became

other

dynasty

course of time more or

district

became

specially powerful in the political life of Egypt, or, as certain cults, of their nature universal, or, at least, national, became

more prominent, fusions of all kinds took place among the Egyptian gods. The local cult of each district generally showed itself ready to identify its god with the more powerful and popular god of a wider area. Thus, it might happen that a god like Re, or Atum, or Ptah could be identified with practi

And when fusion of local divinity in Egypt. gods of wider influence had taken place all over the country, it was easy, as a next step, to interfuse the local cally every deities with

divinities with

each other.

must

not, therefore, be surprised to find that local of gods apparently slight importance, often appear decorated with the titles of the great cosmic deities, or that these great

cosmic deities often appear to be particularly related to some local cult. The case of Set, who, from being a local god - was raised to the rank of enemyprobably a storm-god (i) political

Such popularising was,

movements.

many

cases,

the

direct or indirect result of

THOTH AS CREATOR.

loS in-chief of the

The

powers of

has been already mentioned.

light,

existence of solar divinities with

varying attributes

and often widely separated districts pf Ancient Egypt, due also to the fusion of local cults with cults is, probably, of their nature more widely known. The policy of identifying different,

of local cults with the greater gods of Egypt, this, also, as suggested above, that each local god could assume the qualities, and activities of any or all of the the divinities led

great cosmic creative divinities. In this way any local god might become, through the ambition or zeal of his priests and

worshippers, the primitive god, the creator of the world. Not only was there much fusion in Egypt of local gods with the cosmic deities, but the latter also tended to become interfused with each other.

Thoth, who

that

and learned one, should appear as a wise cre a sort of demiurgic Reason, or Logos. This

as the wise

ator,

not strange, therefore, to find among the great ancient gods

It is

stands forth

may be due

the

primitive

divinity.

the

be the product

familiar

god of

attribute

of a

might,

tendency,

just

shrine

local

mentioned,

the activities of a

on the other hand,

of course,

genuinely speculative turn

of ancient

thought, taking Thoth, or Reason, as a creatively active mode of appearance of the primitive deity a turn of thought -

similar

that

which

excogitated

the

Demiurgic Nous of

(ireek speculation. It is well known

that the solar theology of Heliopolis, and the religion of Osiris dominated the theological specu lations of Egyptian priests at all periods familiar to us through texts and monuments. The Osirian cult and the Heliopolitan theology appear, in most of our texts, as inseparably con nected. The main speculative and systematic elements which

appear

their fusion,

The dramatic

logy.

are due,

probably, to the solar theo by the cult of Osiris.

factors are supplied

Solar theology secured, at an early period, predominance Egyptian thought, and retained it throughout the whole course of Egyptian history, (i) Each of the ancient centres of in

The

fact

of any other ancient

most probably a

that

solar

was the centre,

to be accounted

very early period.

solar theology

that

of Heliopolis,

secured predominance

rather than that

Ancient Kgypt for by the political preponderance of Heliopolis in

THOTH AS CREATOR.

109

sun-worship had, however, its own peculiar system of theology. This was probably due, as has been suggested above, to the presence in each shrine of features derived from local (possibly non-solar) cults. But there was, of course, something common in all the local theories of solar theology. In all of them, so far as we can see, the speculation of the great primitive shrine

and centre of sun-worship

at Heliopolis

made

itself

strongly

an early period. In each centre of sun-worship, the the place, transformed into a copy of the Heliopolitan of deity Re or Atum, appeared as the primitive deity, as creator and in each centre there was a special local theory of creation. Yet, so influential throughout the land was the theology of felt

;

Heliopolis, that the creation-legends of Atum s shrine are reflected in most of the local cosmogonic systems. And this is

true, not

merely of local cults of which the sun-god was

the deity, but also even of districts where a moon-god ap the &quot;City as, for instance, Hmnn pears as chief divinity of the Eight&quot;. Even in this lunar centre we find traces of a ,

solar theology,

deed there

particularly in connection with creation. In to show that some of the most

much evidence

important details of the Heliopolitan story of creation were localised in Hmnw. (i) It cannot surprise us, therefore, if we find in Egyptian theology, not merely a close connection bet

ween the speculations of Heliopolis and those of Hmnn but even an attempt to fuse them systematically. Tn the theology of Heliopolis the great gods&quot; were the offspring of the primitive god. The gods of heaven and earth and air and water, the Nile-god who made Egypt fertile, and ,

who

devastated the land with drought. and burning glow, and storm - - all should be, at Heliopolis, the children of the local god Re-Atum. This is so far true the unfriendly divinities

c. 64, 8 9 c. 5. In the text of the 5 (i) Gf. Nav., Boo A* of Dead, c. 17, 4 the scene of Amon s Great Oasis (Brugsch, 26, 22 becoming is the Height 23) of Htntnv. So in the Ptolemaic inscriptions of Bab el-Abd, Karnak, there is a :

reference

their place

the Eight

who

created

Hermopolis with

light

their father,

the

&amp;lt;-

Height&quot;

the venerable

[of

Hmtnv] and took

one [Spsi ==

Thoth]&quot;.

creation-legends connected with the sun-god, are associated with Thoth s city, we must not be surprised to find that Thoth is identified, in some forms of speculation, with the first creation of Re (see below, p. H5ff.). In certain If

the

oldest

forms of the creation-legend place

where Shu made

would seem

distinction between earth

the

kli

of Hermopolis

and heaven.

was the

Cf. Totb.. c. 17.

THOTH AS CREATOR.

Ennead of Heliopolis presents a sort of summary of cosmological teaching-. The gods of the Ennead are the gods of earth and heaven, and their grouping is indicative, to some that the

extent, of the Heliopolitan view of creation. In the first great group of Nine Thoth does not find a place, and it is clear that his presence in the second Nine is due merely to systematisation. Excluded, then, from the first Ennead Thoth is excluded from the old Heliopolitan theogony and cosmogony. Other ancient gods are also omitted from

Ennead of

the great

Heliopolis.

One

of these

Ptah.

And

be noted that Ptah himself

at a very early period, yet if not primitively, was a solar deity at Memphis. It is clear, then, that some of the most important of the older of is

gods

Egypt were not included among the gods honoured in the shrine of Re-Atum. Yet we find that attempts were made at a very early period to bring both Thoth and Ptah into con nection with the creation-theories of Heliopolis. One of the most interesting documents of Egyptian theology deals directly with the problem of reconciling and interweaving the creation-

theologies of Heliopolis and Memphis, and incidentally also with the relations between Thoth and the Heliopolitan Ennead.

Hie u-xt. it

must

)

document

question

the

so-called

so important for the study of be here summarised and discussed. It

The

chief aim of the text

Thoth

Shabaka cult that

depict Ptah, the local the guilds of stone-cutters and sculptors of ancient clays in Memphis, as the first of the gods, and the creator of all things. In order to find a place for other gods and other theologies, while still asserting the preeminence of Ptah, the other important gods of Egypt, in

god

Memphis who presided over

cluding Thoth and the Heliopolitan deities, are explained to be mere manifestations of Ptah. From the primitive god Ptah there issued eight emanations. These are so many different forms of Ptah, and constitute with him a Ennead.

Memphitic

In the next place

are told that Ptah and the Heliopolitan one, or, more precisely, that the creative

god Atum, are activity of (ij

Atum

Published

7 heulogie. Sitzungsb.

really a function of Ptah. Since the

in d.

critical

p. Akad.

i*&amp;gt;i

cd. i.

bv Erman.

ilin

whole

Dcnkmal mcmphitischer

THOTH AS CREATOR.

creative activity of Atum is but a function, or energy, of Ptah, each creative aspect or element of Atum must be, in some way, a form or manifestation of Ptah. Now all the

members

Atum are to be regarded as creative. Among Atum his heart and his tongue are the most

the organs of

important, for it was by these that the gods were created. Atum is Ptah, and Ptah must create, like the sculptor that he is, by drawing forth plans from the treasure-house of his

and giving them effect by the command of his tongue. Thus the heart and tongue of Atum become, in the Memphitic theology, forms of the artist-god, Ptah. With the heart and tongue of Atum the text identifies the gods Thoth and Horus one of the respectively. These two gods constitute together of Ptah. The emanations or Memphitic eight primitive forms, with identical other to be other seven forms are then shown organs of Atum. Whatever, then, the Heliopolitan god Atum, heart,

the

world-creator,

thinks,

executes,

speaks,

thought,

spoken and accomplished by one or more of the eight primi tive forms or manifestations of Ptah. It follows that the gods who, in Heliopolitan belief, sprang from the mouth of Atum, The old viz. Shu and Tefenet, in reality sprang from Ptah. were certain how brought into gods Heliopolitan legend told of Atum (i) but, since the being from the glands and hands various members and organs of Atum are really forms of Ptah, it follows that the Heliopolitan gods, generally, have taken their being, in, truth, not from Atum, but from Ptah of ;

Memphis.

is Heliopolis, so in Memphis, the primitive god who other then, of all first as divinities, creating thought in turn, create all other beings in the universe. The divinities first created here are Thoth and Horus, the heart and tongue

&quot;of

of Ptah. (2) By the thought ofPtah s heart, and the utterance of his word were called into being Atum and his Ennead (Horus and Thoth standing, therefore, here also, outside the (1)

Gf. Pyr. 1248.

(2)

Gf. the

17, 28ft

the

primitive

telligence)

manner

Gf. Pyr. in

1652 and 1871.

which ]Ju and Sia spring from

important Shu-Tefenct

deity

Horus-Thoth.

Tefen and Tefenet

Perhaps we ought

frequent association of Thoth with IJu and Sia.

find

god Re. Gf. Totb. which spring from

the

to note the various pairs of divinities

tfu-Sia

here

Cf. supra,

Utterance-In

explanation

p. 104.

of the

TROTH AS CRKATOR.

primitive Heliopolitan group).

The next product of

and tongue of Ptah

the

the heart

so that, not only the gods,

words&quot; were created by Thoth and Horus. (i) be noted that the heart (= Thoth), and the tongue Horus) are not here conceived as two independent deities, but as a single form or emanation of Ptah. It is only in Atum that they are sundered - - as separate organs of that god. It is obvious that the creative activity of Ptah, exercised, as here

but the

&quot;divine

It is to

(

described, through thought and Sia-Hu), is just such activity as

command (= Thoth-Horus would

befit

the head of a

school of sculpture. In the ancient

commentary which is attached to the Thoth recognises that Ptah, the &quot;creator of the gods&quot;, is in power than the gods&quot;. It was Ptah who founded &quot;greater and nome it was he who built the temples, and every city

text (2)

up the statues of the gods therein. The text assigns the earliest stages of the Osirian legend to Memphis - - possibly in order to claim for Memphis the beginnings of ritual, or set

because Horus appears in this theology as a form The whole aim of the quaint text seems to be to set

possibly,

of Ptah.

theology of Heliopolis

forth the

serves

well,

therefore,

Memphitic form, and

the

illustrate

tendency,

already

described, to assimilate the theologies of different shrines. For our purpose- it has the special value that it helps us to give a reasonably full answer to the question raised in the preceding

chapter as to the possibility of conceiving the Egyptian Thoth as a sort of demiurgic Nous in the Hellenistic sense. (3)

The

obviously represents Thoth

text

organ,

- not as a manifestation of that god. He faculty, of Atum is a form of Ptah, also, but only in the same sense in which Horus and the other deities are forms of the god viz. as a

member

or organ of

other deities (\

)

right

Atum.

such a to

call

Thoth is not set apart from the way as would imply a special philo-

attention

here

the

statement of Philo of Byblos

Kusebius, l*raep. er. I, 10, 3qo) that TOHUTO; created the hieroglyphic signs as so many images of the gods, and that these images of the gods were then hidden away in the innermost shrines of temples built to receive them. in

(recorded

i2)

P. 941.

See Bousset, AVrio.v (Ihristos,

Cr.

demiurgic function of Hermes by the

pp. 381

for

latter s identification

attempt to explain the with Thoth.

THOTH AS CREATOR.

IX 3

sophy, or Logos-theory dealing with him. When Thoth is described as the heart of Atum, the outlook implied is like that of the Hymn to Amon of Recto Leyden (J,

heart

&quot;His

in his

Sia

mouth&quot;,

ally Egyptian. therefore, his

his lips are

The

(i)

Ptah

850.

style of the

5, 15

that exists

Memphitic text

all

the primitive deity

17):

what

norm

the other gods are, members and organs. Thoth is simply the think ing heart, just as Horus is the commanding tongue of Ptah. Of Ptah, as of Amon, an Egyptian poet might have said &quot;His heart is Sia (=. Thoth) his are Hu (= :

(==

tongue)

lips

Horus)&quot;.

making Thoth the thinking faculty of the primitive the deity Memphitic text does not, therefore, necessarily speak of a creative Logos or Nous. The text, indeed, does not make Thoth the heart of Ptah, but only the heart of Atum, and Thoth is connected with the heart of Atum as the other just gods are associated with the less noble organs of that deity. The identification of Thoth and Horus, as the first creative form of Ptah, with the thinking and commanding faculties of

Atum obviously implies the theory of a creation by command but there is just as clearly implied in the text the more crude and materialistic kind of creation which was carried out by ;

the glands and hands of Atum. It would be a mistake, there fore, to look for a genuine anticipation of Stoicism, or for any form of systematic philosophical in the Sha-

thinking

baka

text.

Since the text is as ancient as the Old Kingdom, the idea of Thoth as the heart of the solar deity must belong to a very early period of speculation. The idea occurs with striking frequency in the later literature of Egypt. Though in the Shabaka text Horus of Atum, appears as the

tongue

the course of time he gives up this honour to Thoth, so that the latter appears both as heart and as tongue of the in

(i)

gods

Cf.

same hymn

350, recto

Another form of him

ocean.

the

he completed (tm) himself as

where

Ogdoad

Atum

he is

is is

said: the

&quot;Amon

begetter

arose from the

of the primitive

the universal lord, the

rlrst

who

existed.&quot;

same document (recto 3, 22 f.) it is said of Amon: The Ogdoad form, so that thou mightest complete them into an Knnead&quot;. Again 350, recto 4), the fingers of Amon are identified with the Ogdoad.

was thy (ibid.

the

first

Tlioth, the

Hermes

of Kgypt.

THOTH AS CREATOR.

ti 4

hoth the (Treat is sun-god, (i) In Abydos (Mar., Abyd. I, 52TJ called the &quot;Tongue of Re, and Lord of divine words&quot;. Pos the same idea is partially suggested in the Turin Papyrus sibly

and R.

(P.

the

23, 51

titles

Re, the representative of

Graeco-Roman period. of Re, tongue of Atuni, throat Cf. Brugsch, Religion, Thcs. IV, 759.

the texts of the

very frequent

Thus we

him called

find &quot;

of p.

(Brugsch,

/;;;;/-;///

ff.

Kdfu (R.

hun-rnf&quot;.

Shabaka

his

text

Chons i= Thoth)

2691

&quot;Heart

the Ptolemaic found to be perhaps

called

&quot;throat

applied to Thoth texts. An echo of is

Re&quot;

Diimichen, Geogr.

of Re, mighty 42 where Thoth is called - where the reference to creation by command &quot;Heart

II,

luschriftcn

&quot;heart

The designation

with striking frequency the

turn&quot;.

Thoth with the organs of the sun-god

Identification of is

the Great, the P.au of

&quot;Thoth

words&quot;

seems to be- fairly evident. So often does Thoth appear as Heart of Re&quot; in the Ptolemaic texts, that the title comes to

name

be used as a personal l:

&quot;

lMar

script

of the god. &quot;

l)Cnd

This

IL62

65 a

seen in the

9^tc.etc.).

oJ&amp;lt;$

thus simply an equivalent of &quot;Thoth&quot;. (2) this explains why Thoth is occasionally called &quot;Heart&quot;

Heart ^of

$ ome

Mar.. Dcnd.

II. 9),

and, possibly again, this throws

light on the saying of Horapollo

Ivcitzcn^lciu

i) &amp;gt;inucr

Re&quot;

accordini:

ninuinJrc*.

\\hich

hoth

(

\\ is

2.^7)

heart

cites

and

Inpassasjc from the Papyrus tongue of the wise man. This

that the thoughts and words of the wise man are the ., means, according to Hence the wise and pious would be in of the words i;od himself. thoughts and I

the yod, and

rice

(:) Cf.

nv\i7 Deiviereh

the

text

iKim..

Hist.

Inschr.

II.

Re wishing

soothe his anurv Jaimhlcr Tefenet sends to her his heart

Jflyv

&amp;lt;n&amp;gt;

^^ U

01 -1C) heart

:-^

(StC \\

AAAAAA

AA/VNAA

/^~

The

.0%

*L*a^_

and the

Ibis

(

through the identification of

D \\

.....

Thoth) are here connected, not however, directly Re s heart with Thoth, but thro^h the assonance of

THOTH AS CREATOR. ASV..5JAC-J $77:5773,

In Kdfu (R.

(i)

as heart of

Atum, and

all

One can

274) Chons (== Tlioth) appears 273) as &quot;heart of Re, which knows

(ibid.

scarcely refuse to see here a reminiscence of the theology of the Shabaka text. There are some indications that the epithet &quot;Heart of so often assigned to Thoth, gave rise to much Re&quot;, things&quot;.

specu

lation in the

Greek period.

The most

interesting indication an Edfu text dating from the probably, (2

)

of such speculation is, time of the fourth Ptolemy (Edfu R. I, 289). The text deals primarily with the origin of the Ogdoad of Hmnn&amp;gt;. It locates their birth in Thebes betraying, thus, the spirit of the solar

theology of that centre, and furnishing another instance of the fusion of systems above referred to. But, though, the text is chiefly concerned with the of the &quot;City of the &quot;Eight&quot; it is interested also in Thoth, the Lord of the Eight&quot;, &quot;City of the Eight&quot;, and tries, obviously, to explain his title &quot;Heart of

Re&quot;.

The

text begins with a reference

Eight great

&quot;the

and mighty ones of the beginning, (3) the venerable gods who came into being at the beginning of all things, the gods who were begotten by Tnn, and who sprang from him .... who

were -brought forth (ms)

Thebes, and sculptured (S=S &quot;Ptah-formed&quot;) Memphis. All things came into being sub sequently to them.&quot; Then the text (4) goes on in

(1) script.

Gf. (2)

Mar.,

Dend.

Ill,

^^s

written

for

Dum., Geogr. Inschr., 2. Abtlg., Taf. 80. For an echo of the Shabaka text in Horapollo,

dg. Religion

(Sitzber. d. preuO.

Ak. 1916,

11511: .).

(heart)

puzzle-

Krman, Beitrdge zur Her: und /unge. The

see

-}.

it passage is Horap. I, 21 speaks of the heart as the leading or ruling principle of the body and the tongue as that which produces everything that is. :

DDO OOO ^ F=^ JV, P=q J), (a\

(3)

They

are called here

(4) Professor

.1.

&amp;lt;ft

\j ill

P P

A A8P

^ (^

XAft A A

Junker has suggested the following emendations (with trans

lation) of portions of the

passage

THOTH AS CRKATOK.

n6 *

D O

O \\

sic? *

^&quot;*

(sic)

^^/

v-7 i

*~~ &amp;lt;~

^&amp;gt;

&quot;*&quot;&quot;)

R y r

*^-

&amp;lt;r&amp;gt;

within

whom

spewed forth from dwarf-maiden

lotus-bud

IM^&quot;

(Til

^^/n

&amp;gt;;

the Shininii to jiaze

(sic

./i

r Qwt)l =

One&quot;

Re)

on.

Behold, the god completed his first (?)

&quot;&quot;.

Plan.

n&amp;gt;

and did not make

the

int-.-rred

oncs

whc

&quot;

known.

ancient

thcir

venerable

timc was

cum

&quot;

P.eted. I-

-l

parall

Prof. Junker lias

who came

The living ijods ,f

referred

Kdfu

the

.... who

from He

forth

text,

repose

Hoch. at

II.

51.

the west

Thebes&quot;

N O&quot;&quot;!

Q ^ ^ &amp;lt;=Z&amp;gt;

Ch=? I

Since the

i^od.

order to seal their

P lallS

^Aywv^

Their time on earth was completed, J^

A/VWVA

&amp;lt;c^&amp;gt;

and

&amp;lt;^~~=&amp;gt;f^

their

Ma rlew heavenwards.

^^^Z

His Majesty (He) gave command that their bodies should b

* &amp;lt;S&amp;gt;-

JCTTD In

Hence

Kdfu

the

-~^*f.

AAAA/VA

II.

51 the venerable dead are called

typ*

above are the tpiw-

the place

where they were.

THOTH AS CREATOR.

^ o

(

g &amp;lt;&amp;gt;

*a e 5^?^

&amp;lt;o&amp;gt;-

,wvwv

ocv/

1^- $ T i e

[

111

c^^^f) T K^_ *~s !LJL

Read

r , c,

Rcad

his

the

born

ocean,

the

rays

cast forth

;

(reading

[from the lotus] was a bud

vomit

was a dwarf-maiden whom Shu delights to look on. was begotten of the thought of his (/ e. Shu s) heart

.... (2) This unique who guides the living. Edfu

Cf. parallel

(i)

^ Q

AAAAAA

which

AAAA/V

The Living 2/3,

him

Lands, called.

who knows

Re,

which

and Re)

(i) .

Two

name

his

One&quot;

heart

Chons,

according &amp;lt;

tongue

with

one, the governor of the

&amp;lt;^*

~Szs$

the

things,

ibis

Thoth,

all

cf.

\&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

the great one, who created heart that knows everything

this :

which

a lotus

flood,

which was a beautiful child who illumines

forth in

J^&amp;gt;

-i

&quot;Conceived

/ns\

Ill

land with

&amp;lt;/

came

^ AN

n (&amp;lt;&amp;gt;

*^^*o

117

all

things **

can

readily

correct

III

* &amp;lt;

into

. j

(2)

of 1

ought

Possibly

Should we read

^ referring

Cf.

Cf. the

description of

instead |

Kdfu. R.

&amp;lt;n^&amp;gt;

Horus

296 Q

Edfu (Piehl. Inscr.

Jj J^ II,

&amp;lt;ZT&amp;gt;

78.

Time

/wv^-&amp;gt;

tol.

III

IX):

THOTH AS CREATOR.

His task

the creation of

buried?) them (i. e. Eight&quot;) the Duat of the Km-ltf.&quot;

The

life

the

assigned (or

western nome

to the

XHMM.

obscure in detail, but its general meaning an attempt, obviously, to explain the im of the ibis-god by a reference to his origin. That portance is shown to be closely connected with the origin of origin the sun-god himself. This is not strange, since, as is well known, the scene of several Egyptian creation-legends was But the point of laid in or near the &quot;City of the Eight is

text

clear. It contains

special interest peculiar to this text is its preoccupation with Here &quot;Heart of Re&quot;. the familiar epithet of the ibis-god Shabaka of the we clear of the have echoes theology again is again chief creator, and the text, tor here 1 nn (=- Ptah )

Eight

are

described

(==

&quot;sculptured

&quot;Ptah-formed&quot;)

Memphis god are the instrument of creation generally. ;

and here again, the heart and tongue of the chief

we had

looks almost

fragment of theological speculation &quot;Heart of Re&quot;, and giving grounds epithet explaining&quot; tor his authority over the Eight of Hmmr. The spirit of the text connects it more closely with Thebes than with Helio-

in this text a

Thoth

polis, but, after all,

Amon

of Thebes

a form of Re.

the first-begotten of legend Thoth appears Re. This relation of Thoth to the sun-god is suggested also by a number of familiar epithets of our god, such as, &quot;eldest In

this

child of

Re&quot;

child of

Re&quot;

(Metternich Stela 244), &amp;lt;

Edfu R.

at the beginning&quot;

266),

(Dendereh

&quot;the

Diim.,

great one, the eldest

&quot;the

most ancient one begotten GVoi,-r.

luschr. ill, 57).

The

primordial character of Thoth, as eldest child of Re, is thus fully expressed in a Dendereh text Brugsch, Thcs. IV, 760): &quot;Thoth, thrice great, Lord of Hermopolis, the glorious ibis i

(thn),

presiding over

Re, born from Re&quot; time of

at is

Egypt

T |,

sprung from

the beginning.&quot; (i) The Thoth-epithet &quot;sprung not confined to Ptolemaic texts. In a text of the

Queen Hatshepsowet

Speos Artemidos Thoth &quot;

(i) Cf.

Diim., (jcngr. InxJir.

111.

4-)

DcnJcrcli.

Thoth

is Q.

THOTH AS CREATOR. described as

one,

great

&quot;the

119

sprung from

Re&quot;,

(i)

comes, thus, to serve as a standing epithet, or per Diim., Hausonal name of Thoth icf. Edfu, Mammisi, p. 14 that the circumstance fact This explains geschichtc, XXV). (2) &quot;Eldest&quot;

in the

the

Thoth

the Demotic script Dlnvti corresponds

Rhind Papyrus

Smsw (Brugsch,

hieratic s

epithet Sinsu

p. -1233).

and with the equivalent epithet

be paralleled another of his

may

or(crbiicli,

titles,

&quot;V\ ^

With =: iiTr

(Den-

D.. IV, 76 e). (3) It is the fact, of course, that other well as Thoth, are sometimes described as &quot;born at as gods, the beginning&quot;, but in every case in which an epithet like to a god, it is claimed for, the deity in this is

dereh L.

applied question that he

one of the great primeval gods. As first-born of the gods Thoth came to be regarded as creator of all that became subsequently to himself. A very at least

is,

natural extension of this creative activity made him creator of himself, so that he is sometimes called &quot;self-caused&quot; or

Turin Pap. P. and R. 25, 3 6). 1.4) In the Shabaka text&quot; we have already seen him functioning as a creator, but there he functions as creator only as a form &quot;self-begotten&quot;

(ftl

01-^1

of Ptah, and not, as it were, in his own right. But, just as many of the local deities of Ancient Egypt were revered as creators, and were not regarded as being sufficiently dignified

without that activity, Thoth of Hermopolis also became a world-fashioner on his own account, and a rival of Atum. Chnum, Ptah, and others. Each of the creative gods of Egypt fashioned the universe after his own manner. Ptah formed the

(1)

.Vw.vir 7v

(2) .(3)

lonian Knlil&quot;

Bel&quot;

With

titles

of Re s son, Shu. properlv speaking an epithet Thoth may be usefully compared certain Baby He is called tinnu sap Knlilld. &quot;chief son of Sin.

these epithets of

of the

(Perrv. no.

moon-god 1. 5). He

(Combe, Cultc dc Sin.

his titles

rkundcn. IV, 387

(Perrv, no.

9).

17). is

Aplu to be

sod, sometimes appears as son of the * (4)

The Turin

text

git

main

moon-god

rcstii

&quot;the

noted that (cf.

.ia

perfect

eldest son of

lid, son&quot;

another of

Babylon Shamash. the sun-

Combe.

K^~

adds

so there being outside himself,

mar

also often called

c..

&quot;

181.

&quot;&quot;^

(? is

no higoer

reality

through which he can be known.

THOTH AS CREATOR.

120

164)

as well as

hath of

&quot;the

himself&quot;

created

Amon

them Chnum fornu-d and so &quot;built wheel, potter up the is maker of all that (Edfu, R. I, heart of Re which hath made the Ennead

gods as a sculptor. gods and men on world&quot;. Thoth also

begot

his

(m.v)

&quot;the

(Edfu,

is&quot;

ibid.)

(Edfu, R. which hath fashioned all

Atum

all

Great one who he is &quot;the heart

&quot;the

289)

things&quot;

(Edfu, R.

things&quot;

274).

obviously regarded as a creator in his own right. But Thoth was neither ram, nor sculptor, nor potter, and could not create like any of these. The Shabaka text, and the many other texts above referred to, give us an idea of the is

peculiar

kind of creation which was carried out by Thoth. He created as the heart of Atum, or of Re, and as the tongue of the

sun-god which commanded thoughts into being.

mode of

work

of creative

later

utterance

creation

the

Egyptian speculation which appear sundered

His special

Thoth

utterance. In the

aspects of thought and in the Shabaka text are

brought together into their natural unity. Eor the Egyptian the knowledge and power of the scribe were mysterious, for the scribe-,

.as Pyr. 1146 a, c

god, &quot;brought into being what was not says of the scribe of the divine book) hence :

of Thoth, the chief scribe, &quot;what

comes from

said:

77r* 1

his heart,

once takes

*~=^ D

(1 I

^ ~

D I

(Brugsch, / lies. IV, 7601. (i) The word of the thinker gives being to his throught, and, hence, the creative power of Thoth is exer cised in the utterance of command. Whatever exists, then, is place&quot;

creation of Thoth s heart projected by utterance into tinphysical reality of experience. The oldest Egyptian texts arcfamiliar with the productive and creative power of certain a

spoken words. That idea underlies the magical formulae of Pyramids. It gives a very real meaning to the votive tablets, and to the stelae of the Old and Middle Kingdoms. It is an idea which comes to expression frequently./ in Egyptian the

(i)

ro .r^xvra

&amp;lt;&amp;gt;f.

prayer to Thoth i;

O VTIOV

ur,

[Thoth s] command&quot;; and Note the epithet of Chons

s-vai.

oimaiulres, p. 22:

(If.

&quot;little

Kdfu, U. there

(= Thoth)

II.

invoke thee

&quot;Whatever

which hath come

p.rj

began through his be without his words&quot;.

an inscription on the statue of

hC3 ffA

&quot;lord

O VTWV 3?vcu

thought&quot;.

THOTH AS CREATOR.

121

funerary literature, (i) The creative power of utteiance is implied in all passages which speak of magical and mysterious names of kings and gods. (2) That speech possesses creative a genuinely oriental notion.

efficiency

Among

the Semites

the far-reaching power of the formula of blessing or of cursing, and the deep importance of the name, are well-known. It is therefore quite oriental and Egyptian to suppose that a word

summon

a thing into being, or banish it into nothingness. The writer of the Shabaka text gives us clearly enough to understand how he conceives of creation through speech or

can

&quot;When the eyes see, the ears hear, and utterance. He says that the nose inspires breath, they convey that to the heart it is which causes every decision to go forth, the heart) (viz. :

which pronounces what the heart has tongue) fashioned (thus) all the gods, and the thought. Ennead (3) and every divine word also came into being through what the heart conceived, and the tongue commanded&quot; (op. cit. p. 989 f.). Thus, even the ancient period associated with Thoth s creative action the idea of a production by thought and utterance, by Sia, if we wish to express it so, and II u. and the tongue

It (the

Shabaka text, the gods and the &quot;divine words&quot;, then produced way, endowed all such formulae as were themselves probably important to note how,

are e.

in the

in this

first

with a productive or creative power. Thoth, then, created by thought and utterance. So it is &quot;Thou art the god sprung from said of him Edfu, R. I. 267 :

the sun-god) himself, for god (/. horizon opened on the day of his birth the

at his

command

Thoth.&quot;

retinue

(1)

Gf.

Nav. 7utb.,

(2)

Gf.

Totb.,

(imhv

known

ht-f]

(3)

word passes

into

when

Gf.

after

17, 5

17,

the gates of the every god came forth

being

thou art Chons-

5-7.

were created. Si] used the

\Vhcn Re devised the names of In

the

Book

word w?ir

Horns-myth of Edfu) Mammisi, p, 14.

Edfu,

his

Dead of M. K.

members, 17

his

(Lepsius,

Re the sun-god came Similarly Thoth appears often

reference to

as (and therefore to be) a cat (m/ir).

(especially in the

Ennead

his

(4)

Alteste Texte) to

whom

as a name-giver. &quot;Thoth

.... Heart of Re, who made the

himself.&quot;

of Thoth as creator are often transferred to Ghons. Thus, 1^4) The epithets Edfu (R. II, 68) Ghons is the heart of Re which knoweth all that hath hap pened in heaven tongue of Tun which knows what is, and commands all that in

;

THOTH AS CREATOR.

122 If

and

Thoth

a creator, like other deities, in his

after his o\vn fashion,

why

own

right,

he so constantly spoken of of Re&quot; ? This seems to make

as creating in his role of &quot;Heart him subordinate, as a creator, to the sun-god. It is possible, however, that this is due chiefly, or solely, to an attempt to fuse the theologies of Heliopolis and Hermopolis, to an attempt,

to equate the god of Hermopolis with the sun-god Re. himself Thoth as creator, out of all contact with Re, was

that

is,

creator who worked like the scribe and philosopher, by thought, and by the power of productive speech. If, then, the attempt were made by a priest of Hermopolis to show that a

Thoth and Re are but different forms of a single deity, either deity must become a form or manifestation of the other. Obviously the thinker, Thoth, could more easily become a manifestation of Re than manifest himself through Re. Besides, Thoth, as moon-god, was already a substitute for, or repre sentative of Re. Vet in the fusion of the gods Thoth must not be made interior to Re. The problem was solved, on the one hand, by transferring Thoth s creation-activity to Re, and, on the other, by identifying the thought-principle of Re, the root-principle of creation, with Thoth. This is what we actually it is also what tind in the strange Kdfu text quoted above is implied in calling Thoth &quot;Heart of Re&quot;. Thoth is conceived as the first product of Re s thought, but he is also, the thinking :

faculty itself of Re.

by which Thoth

god who

the

Further,

produced, Heart of

is,

thought-act of

heart

same time, an act of Thus Thoth is, in every

at the

Re&quot;.

sense, self-begotten.

would be wrong, however, to see here any deep meta physics. There is really nothing here of a Stoic, or Philonic Logos. There is nothing more here, in fact, than the natural It

result of an

Egyptian tendency

equate or fuse the theolo Apart from Re, Thoth

gical theories of different cult-centres. takes place on earth.

the throat of Jinn-rnf. Chons, the great

Again (R.I. 2~5) Chons is &quot;the heart of He which of Tnn which understands every thing.&quot; The theory of creation by utterance, as held cussed. See Maspero.

l-^yftc (Rev. lichc

b ragen,

l-.tndcs,

II.

dcs AY/.. IOOM.

25*); Moret. p.

I.c

knows

all

god

things,

the

Kdfu.&quot;

tongue

in Kgypt, has often been dis Ycrbc crcateur ct rcreLitcnr en

27tV.); Keitzcnstcin. /wci religionsgcxkicht-

THOTH AS CREATOR.

a primitive god, not a creative Logos is himself a creator, sprung from another deity. But, like most other Egyptian gods, he comes to be forced into the system of Heliopolitan specu lation he lias to come to terms, as it were, with solar theology, and then he becomes the first-born of Re, the Heart of Re&quot;, and &quot;tongue of Atum&quot;, and &quot;throat of Iwn-rnf&quot;. Reitzenstein ;

therefore, in suspecting a Greek, and, in parti Stoic influence as showing itself in Thoth s title

appears to cular,

err,

Heart of Re.

work

in the It still

(i)

Egyptian tendencies,

obviously already at

Shabaka text, fully account for the epithet. must remain, of course, an unsolved problem

determine whether Stoic influence may be traced anywhere in the hieroglyphic texts of the Ptolemaic period. The problem will remain unsolved until some scholar fully familiar with the

thought and language of the Egyptian texts of the Ptolemaic period, and fully familiar, also, with the documents of Stoic philosophy, devotes himself to (i)

its

solution.

Awci religionsgcschichtliche I ragcn,

p. 73.

Chapter

Thoth

XIII.

magic.

He is god of wisdom, and orderer word has power to call things into being. It is little wonder, then, to find him endowed with great magical powers. Magic presupposes always a special Gnosis. The magi Thoth

a moon-god.

of the cosmos. His

cian claims to possess a higher and deeper knowledge than others, a knowledge of the secret nature of things, and of the

hidden connections which hold things together. He is the wise one who knows the real names of things, the one whose words have power to control mysterious forces, and to ward invisible

off

perils.

And

the

magician does

all

this

by the

power of his special gnosis, and without any appeal to physical strength.

Thoth, as the wisest of the gods, became for the Egyp of necessity, a magician. saw above that Thoth stands closest relation with temples and cult. Between the prayer

tian, in

and the formula of the magician there was a striking similarity. Ritual and magic stood near each other of worship, in

the ancient

religions.

Thoth, therefore, as lord of

ritual,

became also inevitably, lord of magic. Again, we have seen that Thoth was the skilled physician who healed the damaged eye of Horus, and that he was the patron of physicians gene rally.

names

Magic and medicine were, at one time, but different for the same science. Thoth, as physician, was thus,

already skilled in magic. Finally, the priests and physicians were of the learned professions, of &quot;those wo know&quot;, and

Thoth, as the knowing one par excellence, could not fail to the patron of both professions, and, therefore, a magi cian equipped with all possible knowledge of the worlds of

become

gods, demons, and men.

The pyramid

texts

a great part in the

life

make

quite clear that magic played of ancient Egypt. The funerary cereit

THOTH

IN MAGIC;.

125

monies for the dead king, which occupy the major part of these texts, consist largely of descriptions of magical acts, and the formulae which accompany them. The magic formulae of the

Pyramid

typed, and

texts are already so ancient as to be stereo clear that the scribes who have handed on

Pyramid texts often had no clear idea of the sense of the ceremonial formulae which these texts contain. Some of the formulae transmitted in the Pyramid texts had, already in the the

Old Kingdom, become so unintelligible, that the scribes, in certain cases, add to them a commentary. It is clear, there fore, that a tradition of magic rites and formulae had already become fixed in the Old Kingdom. The question arises, then, whether we can find traces of Thoth s connection with magic in the earliest period of Egyptian literature. In the later periods this connection is clear. \Vc can, therefore, most conveniently begin with the later period

order then to reacli back,

possible, to the oldest texts.

In the Ritual of

Amon ^

&amp;lt;.v^_

Thoth

called

gets the same

41; Berlin, P. 3055, (Formula *n *

n 9

&quot;

In Edfu he

called

the Ptolemaic period of Re&quot;, a personal

Thoth-determinative

the

q^jp^gv

magic&quot;

&amp;gt;

*-*

has become, like &quot;Heart is written with the

and

of Thoth,

^* ^4^ W[ &amp;lt;=

&quot;great

name

tne great

magic jl^Sf) Book of the Dead (Nav. iS2, 8. Af. z~ __^ &quot;learned in magic&quot;. In 1

title in

24,

(Mar., Demi.

Ill, 67 a\ YX^ rt\

Thoth also designated simply Magician&quot; c=^/i(Dum., of There are a traces god Hike as far back ttangesch. 50). l) as the O. K. (Cf. Mariette, Mastabas B. 4), and he appears occasionally at other times (Cf. Lacau, Text. rcl. 78, Rec. 3i,

find

&quot;the

It is, 1646. Metternich Stela, 48: Dendereh, L.I). IV, 58 a beintended the name that therefore, possible c=^p5r(2) might ).

to identify

Thoth with the ancient god Hike.

(1)

The

Great

Sethos IV, 4.^ (2)

Thoth

is,

one&quot;

and the

Magician&quot;

of the

also,

god Hike of

Amduat (yth

hour, according

probably, Thoth.

Ox&amp;lt;=^

course, possible, in the abstract, to regard the the O. K. as a form of Thoth.

described Edfu, H.

164 as

^&amp;gt;-,

v=^F

;

who wrote

THOTH

126

MAGIC.

To make clear the function of Thoth as a magician \\c must here examine briefly the applications of the term hike as a substantive in Egyptian. In the Pyr. texts, and in the oldest texts of the the Dead hike appears as a power (or quality) which

Book

essed by the gods, and by

thing which

needed

the deified dead, (i)

all

make

poss

some

a necessary

divinity complete speak, of a god s equipment. It is represented (Pyr. 397) as a quality of the gods which the king assimilates by devouring the substance of the gods, 2) It is, further, set forth as a power or equipment of the Dead of which they

item,

may be robbed by various enemies in the Underworld. (3) It seems, thus, to resemble, somehow, other qualities, or endow ments needed for the full perfection of the glorified Dead something, that is, on the same plane as the so-called Kas of Re. It deifies to some extent. Again, it is clear from a number of passages that hike implies power over things demonic and evil. It is used, for instance, against the foes of the sun-god, 14) or against sickness particularly against various forms of poi soning. (51 The power thus employed against evil is often described as if it were something carried in the mouth, and put into action by utterance. hike

seems

a few

mean

isolated passages

at first sight, an evil

strangely enough, thing or influence which is to be expelled. (Ebers, 84, 7 etc.) Looking at the use of the word hike generally, we find

that

seems

poison (1)

Pyr.

(2)

Cf. P\

(3)

Book

(4) Cf.

Cf.

(

.v&amp;gt;7

250

403

024

410

of Dead. 32,

i3i.S

IV. 3 Cf.

26 4).

Pyr. 855

3i, 4

Book of Dead.

1472.

&amp;lt;o,

VIII,

3i. 20.

108, S: Naville.

Thoth comes with hike hikt

Myth

to expel

poison.

of //urns, plate XXII.

the charms of the magician (VI, 12 by hike that, according to the Pap. Sallier severed head of Isis into the head of a cow.

Papyrus hike etc.).

10.

Thoth comes with

3i, 4

Thoth transforms the Book of Dead. 24. :

411.

Pap. Mrit. Mus. 10188. 25, 15

the \Vcstcur

(7) In VIII,

might be

destroy the Apophis. (5) In the Metternich Stela (6)

of what

a sort of mysterious power which can beyond the sphere of man s achievement: 7) It

something before which demons of sickness, and of evil demons in general, must give way. Hence the

include the whole field

called magical. produce effects

23.

78.

THOTH

IN MAGIC.

127

who guard the king, are &quot;great Erman, Hymnen an das Diadem der Pharaonen, pp. i3, 24, 3 5, 48, 50). Isis and Xephthis, as protectors of Osiris, are also Great in hike&quot;. Thus hike seems to include the whole sphere of magic, and to extend beyond it. Erman uraeus serpents, the deities in

(Pyr. 1882.

hike

says of

rightly

Cf.

\ibid. p.

i3,

note

2):

It is

&quot;die

Kraft, die aucli aufierhalb des Zaiibers n irkt&quot;. Thoth then, when he is called &quot;(treat in

ubernatiirliche

hike&quot;,

&quot;Hike&quot;,

formulae&quot; appears as a god of magic. As &quot;Lord of divine he was in a specially favourable position to use his hike. No evil thing, whether foe of Osiris, or spirit of disease, could withstand the power of his words. He was in this sense truly

jL He

&amp;lt;t-BS

j ^i

Mighty

in his formulae&quot;

(Dend. L. D. IV, 58 a j.

and the &quot;Lord of dread&quot; to is the &quot;dreaded evildoers, (i) Great in power of charms Thoth protects Osiris, and llis and wards off the enemies of that god by his of

demons&quot;

&amp;gt;

The

.(2)

effect of his

tensify the divinity of the

deprive of

being

whom

which meant

_y|

would be

to in

he guarded, and to

strength the foes of the latter.

all

texts of the late periods, &quot;deify&quot;,

&quot;Glorifications&quot;

The

at first to

^5* T

&quot;glorify&quot;

somewhat finally, to have magical associations in the literature of the Hellenistic period. 3

comes,

like SSCJM .V

(

)

The important part played by Thoth in the legends of the Eye of Horus has been explained already as due mainly to his lunar character. The peculiar aspects of his activity in forms of that legend, however, which seem to lay stress on his powers of eloquence and persuasion, and on his and pacifying capacity to speak words of wondrously soothing certain

influence can scarcely be detached from his role as a god of effects magic. Between the ritual formula which produces the it describes and the words which calm and soothe the anger of the

Eye

Horus

(or of Hathor-Tefenet) there

is in

common

an element which might be called magically productive or

(1)

Cf.

Book of Dead,

1.^4,

(where Istn

Thoth). For

^^&amp;gt;

iYi

see Pyr. 21100. (2) Cf.

Book of Dead,

182, 8

Mar. Dendereh

III.

77a/b, 3

Florence. Cat.

gen^, Schiaparelli. no. 160.1. (3)

Cf. Reitzenstein,

Hellenistische Mysterienrdigionen. p. 142.

THOTH

128

Hence

creative. is

partly at

&quot;cool

repel

the strength or excellence of Thoth s speech

&quot;soother

mouth&quot;,

evil&quot;,

magical, and his predicates &quot;excellent in of the gods&quot;, (2) &quot;pacifier of AAV. (3)

least,

(i)

speech&quot;,

MAGIC.

&quot;the

(5)

/&quot;,

peaceful one that knows how to sweet of tongue&quot;, (6) etc. etc. should all &quot;the

(4)

be connected somehow with his

skill in

magic.

especially that Thoth not but also soothes the only protects, gods. This effect of his It

words

(Edfu, R.

his

&quot;Glorifications&quot;

conveyed most commonly in his epithet and often&quot;). (7) It is said of him I, 297,

iPhot. 151

IT] &amp;lt;HZ&amp;gt;

^ ^ ^ v

\&quot;

&amp;gt;^|

/7&amp;lt;m/.

(2)

S/fty

S////

The words

&amp;lt;8)

it/)-}}

frequent

rK f^

text

Thoth

this

described

munih

Thoth seem

or formulae of

drive

tne Onuris-legend.

A ^A^V/V\

Turin Pap.

&amp;lt;d3&amp;gt;

w_i

and U. 2),

14.

the

same

described as

D theb.

Philae,

soothes

passim.

A .vr./.

&quot;who

r^&quot;*&quot;^

the heart of the gods by his words&quot;. Sin the moon-god of Babylon, who libbi

&quot;^l*

Graberstadt,

^AAAAA

\\- Krman. _zr

iio ll(&amp;gt;rus

--N|

vth

Nav.

The

fclk

of the

tale

I.eyden

Papyrus (I, 384) published by Spic^elberg ivcs a description of some of the ora torical powers of Thoth. and of his skill as a raconteur and of his persuasiveness as a pleader. Junker quotes in this reference an interesting text from Ombo (I, 122): Tiberius presents a moon-eye to Chons: in the text Chons is called Chons-Thoth.

the great */;/

CHon S -Tho,h

who brought from l^r^m

.We

the Great

lle

&quot;

iot^i

l&amp;gt;rincc

wll

)

uc1 g ctl

OO O _J?xJ O with liis honeyed tongue&quot; (See Onnrislegende, /VA/V^^A

was

achieved

are

told

his

tli

The magical

\-iluc

Thoth

gods,

who

Thoth

Cf.

Philae

.v/i/np.

&quot;&quot;-&quot;*

i63),

(Junker (7)

One who had been

far

awa&quot;.

s,,e J:

soothed

the

/-/IIP/

appeasement of the

Phot.

P 4S)

1643:

Thoth.

appears already

the Pvr. texts:

they have

power

open the gates of

(pyr. 1710:

&amp;lt;K\

J*rN^ CT

Thoth (8)

that the

King

Perry, Sin. no. 6.

glorified&quot;. I.

(,:

Cf. Berlin

&quot;who

Cf. Pvr. 706,

where

J&amp;gt;

Anubis. rather than Thoth, seems to effect the

&quot;glorification&quot;:

1188 for

but even here

parallel).

soothes the heart of the

gods&quot;.

THOTH away from

MAGIC.

129

gloom and depression

the hearts of the gods the

caused by the presence of powers of evil. We have here the genuine oriental

idea

that

certain

formulae have a potency to resist or expel the influence of malicious spirits. There are indications that the magical formulae of Thoth existed in special collections. statue in Cairo

XVIII th Dyn.)

(No. 583,

book:

saw the

says:

was

&quot;I

glorifications of

initiated into the divine

Probably the contents were mainly made up of the protecting, and deifying charms, or &quot;glorifications&quot; of Thoth the &quot;Scribe of the divine book&quot;, &quot;who wrote the books of hike&quot;. I

of the

Thoth&quot;.

&quot;divine book&quot;

The magician is necessarily a being of great power, since even the strongest antagonists even demons, are compelled to submit to him. It is not improbable, therefore, that a number of epithets implying the possession of great power and strength which are often given to Thoth, are connected with his role Such

as magician.

Dead n

182, 8), the S. t^__

are,

&quot;Lord

perhaps,

&quot;strong

strength&quot;

of Dead, Lepsius (Book /wwv* a c] cd

one&quot;

(Book c. n,

of 4),

P y n J 7 2 5b),(i) ( (Pyr- ia3 7 c). The -| e o Y^&amp;lt;5 power and strength of Thoth are shown forth in his magic &quot;Thrice formulae. His frequent designation in the later texts |

may

Great&quot;,

and,

hence,

well point to the god s position as Lord of hike, the Coptic magical Papyrus of Paris, when it

Thoth HIO

nCABG may

be regarded as referring to his magical influence, and to his peculiar wisdom by which he acquired that influence. (2) calls

PllO

Cf.Dendereh,L.D.IV76e O

(1)

^ 7I\

o-=&amp;gt;

Thoth 118

&quot;twice

)

&quot;Eight great&quot;

Hence

since

](ft. IJj

(note),

epithet

Philae, Phot. 1448.

Philae, Phot. 1434. Greatest&quot;

&quot;Thrice

(2)

&amp;lt;

and

Griffith,

times

great&quot;

&quot;twice

;

]

must be ultimately traced

For Thoth as

JIT.

)

(2)

High applied

&quot;eight

times

Priests, to

Thoth, explains

)&quot;

finding

thus:

(Rosetta stone p.sya; /at [AS fa;) must times c &quot;eight p.syt&amp;lt;Ko;

[J-eyoc;&quot;

frequent designation

Reitzenstein, Poimandres,

Griffith

58.

to the cf.

great&quot;

his

usya;

text f

)

the

&amp;lt;}

= Now 8 = 2 = Tpiqiiytaios. However 3

fj-syiaro;.

occurs as an epithet of Hermes, and possibly rpiajxlya; and Tpiajj-lyiato; were really felt to be identical: in that case Tptapifttrco; would be simply a rendering rpiafxeyas

q q

JIT.

&quot;Many times&quot;,

Maspero reading &quot;Thoth r

the

nine

his

times

says Plutarch

text of great&quot;

explains

superlative (and therefore Thotli, the Hermes of Egypt.

]

JIT)

(I.

O. 36,

4),

&quot;we

are

wont

to call

Satni-Khamois (Contes pop. de V Eg. that

)

]

psyisro;).

a comparative,

thrice&quot;.

anc., p. 171)

and

Hence when Thoth 9

q is

(or

called

THOTH

i3o his

charms or

MAGIC.

&quot;glorifications&quot;

Thoth

protects

the gods and deifies the dead: by them also he delivers men from the perils that threaten them from the evil demons that surround them. i) To be delivered from those threateningdangers, a man needs only to invoke Thoth s name on himself, (

he becomes thereby, for the moment, identical with the god. This is the thought of the formula in the Turin Papyrus P. and R., 125): &quot;No sickness alighteth on him: he is Thoth the Great, the son of Re on the throne of Atum&quot;. Another for

of insuring oneself against sickness

way

to identify oneself

by potent words with Horus, for Thoth will then hasten to protect the new Horus as he once protected the child Horus from the scorpion s sting. 12) The protection of Thoth seems to have been peculiarly efficacious against scorpion-attacks. The aid of the god is sometimes invoked in sickness by re minding Thoth of his own physical troubles, and his own successful treatment of them. *O Thoth heal me as thou didst times

nine

have

\vc

great&quot;

superlative

of a

superlative,

thrice

greatest&quot;

is to be ex 7pi7ar &quot;.-7o:. It has been suggested that Thoth s title &quot;eight times great&quot; plained as a reference to the fact that eight dog-headed apes were his oopu^opQt in Ihiunr. It is to be noted that the title of Thoth s High Priest at fjininr, \\ r dwl ;

Great of the

&quot;the

primitive divine

(

title

2&amp;lt;&amp;gt;

tV.

became, by the addition of four fenulc

afterwards

Thoth and thus arose

name

the

deities,

of their city JJtiunr.

&quot;The

of Thoth (as well as of his high priest), is related to &quot;rive times great&quot; which Thoth receives (of. Griffith, Demotic l\ip. col. II, in exactlv the same way as &quot;eight times great&quot; would be to the epithet

Great of the the

beings

the eiuht oosjioVr. of

has been similarlv explained as referring to the four deities an early period along with Thoth in Hninir. The four

Five&quot;,

who were worshipped

Five&quot;,

which Thoth docs

^ Note that

title

not.

actually

apparently,

receive

Great

&quot;the

of the

Fight&quot;.

S~~\

&quot;S^

written for

&quot;eight&quot;

in the late

period (Dumichen, (n o^r. Inschr.,

SOL Meade argues (Thrice Greatest Hcnncs. p. 104 tV.) that the epithet ^ was applied to Hermes as early as 250 B. G. The evidence, however,

2te Abt.. Taf.

-c .sit.i*; .--

view

for this great&quot;

Thoth.

slight.

however, no proof of Dend. Diim. Iljug. XXV.

gives,

(1) Gf.

AA/WVS

\_,

comes

=&amp;gt; &amp;gt;

3===i.

iii

*^c=^_

f-~\

words

here

are

the

twice-

hawk-headed

this assertion.

the

&quot;Thoth,

great,

the

eldest

son

and puts to Hi Jit the dread of Hathor.

UO! .

&quot;ft

&quot;Thoth

the

thrice-great&quot;

&quot;Thoth

divine

that

Ghampollion says (Panth. Kg., Plate 30)

the ibis-headed Thoth. and that

&quot;III

W _j

&amp;lt;=^-

AAA/W N

&quot;The

I |

which

Thoth

orings to give strength and wide scope of movement to the dead (Tntb. Nav. 170, 5) are also, clearly, a collection of magical formulae. (2) Metternich Stela

&amp;gt;6

140.

THOTH

IN MAGIC.

i3j

is a prayer of the Book of the Dead thyself&quot;, (71, 6), which reminds Thoth of the arm-wound he received when he inter vened in the struggle between Horus and Set. The powerful

heal

protection

Anastasi, (Anast.

Thoth

nrngic

Thoth

god

&quot;My

alluded to

shield

the saying in

round

about

me&quot;

3).(i)

As magician Thoth

is powerful patron of physicians, and asked to so, give skill to &quot;those who know things&quot;, and the physicians who are in his train&quot; (Pap. Hearst VI, loXfa) We have seen that, in the older texts Thoth acted as physician

&quot;to

From

of the eye of Horus.

the Ebers Papyrus (90, 16; we Horus from something like an un pleasant cold. For the ancients magic and medicine were so closely related that we cannot always mark them off clearly from each other in Fgyptian texts. Medicine was the science which dealt with the rites and formulae by which the unseen malicious spirits which caused disease could be expelled from

learn that he once cured

the bodies of men. Its sphere was, therefore, largely coexten sive with that of Magic.

The

functions of Thoth as physician and magician help enormous numbers of amulets in the form of figurines of Thoth which have been found in all to explain the existence of

parts of Egypt.

had much

Possibly also this side of the god

activity

do with the swift growth of his popularity in the Graeco-Roman period. In this period he appears clearly to

as an Egyptian Aesculapius. Thoth of Pnubs is represented in Philae in a temple-decoration of the time of Tiberius as

Aesculapius, holding in his hand a staff round which a serpent winds itself. (3) In the Nubian temple of Dendur Thoth of Pnubs is shown in human form crowned with the diadem of Shu: he is seated and holds in his left hand the symbol of

(1)

Ps. 3

(2) Cf.

]:q

&amp;lt;-:;i

Ebers

rrrr nr.s.

10.

&quot;Thoth

\/\

he gives success

&amp;lt;IH&amp;gt;

train,

gives

words and

script:

he makes the books.

-WWVS

o to the

learned

and

to the

physicians

diagnose&quot; (?).

(3)

Rosellini,

Monnnwnti

del cnlto, PI. XVIIF, 3.

his

THOTH

and

life,

right

-i-^,

Mj v-v

&quot;He

of the god

this role

* AAAAAN

MAGIC.

a serpent-encircled staff, or wand, (i) clearly associates Thoth of Pnubs with Aes

his

The symbolism culapius. With

who comes

connected his epithet

him that

calls

him&quot;

&amp;lt;;

an epithet which belongs to Thoth his form of Istn. The title given to the has been brought &quot;the Hearer&quot;, god in Kasr-el-Agouz tm into connection with the Aesculapian character of Thoth, possibly with good reason, &quot;since the real Egyptian Aescu (Philae, Pliot. 2). (2) in a special way in

lapius Imhotep, is prominent in the temple of Kasr-el-Agouz. In Daressy s &quot;7V.v/t\v ct dcssins magiques&quot; p. 15 (Cat. du Mus. dit ,

a reference to the need of invoking Thoth in time of peril, and to the haste with which the god brings help: &quot;Thou grantest that Thoth comes to me when I call, and that Caire, 9405)

me from

he rescues

the

&quot;

W {j&amp;gt;

Thoth appears as a - Heilpott, as a saviour, and protector from evil especially the evil of sickness. As the saviour who comes when he is invoked Thoth was one of the most popular of all the gods, and many hymns and prayers addressed to him by individuals of all classes have come down to us. It is to be noted that the form of Thoth in which he is thus popularly invoked, is most frequently his lunar, or ibis form; Thoth, as an Edfu least in the late texts, therefore,

text has

it,

(Edfu, K,

I).

PI.

75b.

Cf.

TT]V

irspav irov

Champollion,

y_tpu&amp;gt;v

u;:sp

For

XLI1.

PI.

Ibis splendid

similar

Lcttrcs ccritcs

scription of Aesculapius see Pausanias, T OV,

&quot;the

II, 16). (3)

Blackman, Dcnditr.

(

1..

Cor. 27:

xs^aXfj;

731

xaOr,-a

symbolism

d Kg^ ptc, .

S* ln\

Philae,

p. 123.

Opo vov

see

For a de

[iaxrspiav

xpa-

TOU opax.ovTo:.

(2) Gf. Dendereh, Mar. Ill, 673. Baudissin, Adonis und Esmun, p. 337, notc 2 Junker maintains (Die Onurislegoidc, \\ icn, 1917, p. y) that the representations of the sceptre with scorpions and serpents is a &quot;spHterc Zntat&quot; of the post-Ptolemaic period. Yet, even though the Aesculapian insignia of Thoth of Pnubs may be of -

(Roman) date, they fit in, nevertheless, with more anciently recognised features of the divine physician, who healed the Kye of Horns. For Junker Thoth of Pnubs is but an Erschcinungsform of Shu (= Onuris). later

Cf. the

(3)

against

the

evil

text Anastasi

where Thoth

spoken

of as

protector

eye &quot;&amp;lt;&amp;gt;

|7\

III,

Thoth, thou shalt be

Helper: so shall

not fear the

eye&quot;.

THOTH The

MAGIC.

i33

make it clear that Thoth was New Kingdom, and troughout the later

texts so far considered

god of magic

in the

is not true, of course, that Thoth is the only great even in the later periods. Every magician among the gods of the peculiar quality, or power something god possessed some gods having more of it, others which is called hike less. Thoth, probably on account of his special gnosis, and his connection with ritual formulae, w as regarded as having a very special equipment of hike. It now remains to be seen whether he was also in the Middle, and Old, Kingdoms re

period. It

garded as a god of magic. Thoth appears with considerable prominence

in the fu

nerary texts of the earlier periods. This, of itself, would sug gest that his connection with magic is very ancient. The early recognition of Thoth as author of sacred ritual would point in the same direction. Yet the textual evidence in the Middle Kingdom is otherwise almost nul. In the Old King

dom

there are traces of a special magical gnosis being as signed to Thoth. The remarkable reference in Westcar to the r*

-O

MAAAA

&quot;^

j I

^*-,

a ^/WvV\

AAAAAA CT]

Westcar wizard

Nut

called

seems

connect the magic of the

^5 \Vfr

^&amp;gt;

fashion with the god.

close,

In the

^^ in

though somewhat

Pyramid I

(Py r

texts the 23),

and

unintelligible, moon as eye it

not un

likely that Thoth s relationship with the moon in the Pyramid texts implied a share of the god in the hike of the moon. The

moon was

associated with magic in

the

thought of several

ancient peoples, (i) and it would seem at times as if that association caused the moon to be invested occasionally with a malicious and .sinister character. This may, perhaps, throw

.some light on the strange circumstance that -Thoth appears at times in the Pyramid texts as hostile to the dead king In certain texts of the Pyramids

(see Pyr. 954; 955).

Thoth

described as a being of dread aspect who slaughters the similar idea seems to be enemies of Osiris (Pyr. 635; 962).

conveyed (== Thoth) ^ 3 fi?

ill

in the is

who

(i) Gf.

Book

of the

spoken of as the

Dead &quot;^^

(134, 10

n) where

V*!

bathes in the blood of the enemies of the

Psalm 121,

/s/;z

god&quot;,

TIIOTII IN MAGIC.

i3 4

This being,

in slaughter and mighty in dread&quot;, seems resemblance to the mild and benevolent ibis-god. There is something uncouth and barbarous in this description of Thoth; but it is at least possible that we have here a trace of an ancient view which ascribed to Thoth such malicious

to bear

&quot;great

little

and dangerous power as the thought of the old world some times associated with the moon. Thoth s title ^^&quot; ^ ft n

Lord of

Pyr. 2iioc may also, as we said above, refer to his function as magical protector of Osiris, (i) The prominent part assigned to Thoth by the Pyr. texts in the ceremonies of preparing the royal dead for burial in

terror&quot;

suggests, almost inevitably, his possession of magical powers. His position as &quot;Scribe of Re&quot; and &quot;Bearer of the Divine Rook&quot;

her

same

the

points

direction.

&quot;Scribe

of the Divine

was

a familiar title of the priest who is called Her-heb, in the Old Kingdom. (2) In the later periods certainly, therefore, probably in the earlier also, the Herheb was

Hook&quot;

d&amp;gt;d*

and,

regarded as peculiarly equipped with magical power. This power, then, must also have belonged to Thoth, the Scribe of the Divine Hook par excellence. When in Kdfu Thoth is called the great Ilerheb it is but another instance of the presence in Ptolemaic texts of ancient religious thought. The idea of Thoth as a god of magic in a special way may be regarded then, as an ancient possession of

(it

Cf. Plutarch, Is. ct

().,

Egyptian speculation.

phases. Yid. (lombe, Sin, p. 36 (2)

Cf.

Krman.

ap.

kno\vn

glorify&quot;

(3i

Her-heb&quot;.

the dead of

Several

be explained from

(cf.

Thoth

I).

Berlin,

Thoth s

pass

often ascribed to

the

and regular

definite

through

cxtcar

21:

containing the formulae to be recited the craft of the

The Babylonians

ch. 8.

fluence of Sin such diseases as \vere

(3)

Krman,

funeral

Kcliifion.

services

716723. The

II.

was

effect

ijHf.

called

of these

the

The book &quot;Book

formulae was

7796).

epithets

not

referred

connection with magic.

One

the text

of these

arc /

cl ca ,-i v

L/ \fr

(l)umichen, Ilaugeschicliti XXV: Kdfu. Mammisi, p. 76): At the close of ritual functions had been presented to a divinity there took place the ceremony of hejijofterings

^ the

bit

(

similar.

Part of the

&quot;withdrawal&quot;).

Moor of the shrine with

This besom was the

&quot;withdrawal&quot;

besom consisting of /uin,

and because

clcanncss and other hostile influences

a it

consisted in sweeping

bundle of shrubs, or something was supposed to remove un-

from the shrine of the god, it was invested with magical qualities and entrusted to the care of Thoth. who thus became nb hdn-

TIIOTH

was Thoth

familiar

MAGIC.

association with

the

hdn

title

&quot;He

of the

/idn&quot;,

o o \tj

Tabl.

Note

&quot;ruler

the

^ ^\ |

&amp;gt;-d

Antcfokci

of Abydos, ch.

^\ foes:

Uendereh (Hang. XX\) the epithets tib hdn, are grouped together in of books&quot;, &quot;Heart of Re

int

The 3&amp;lt;*

~&quot;

AA/WSA

after

how

53r).

Ill,

VJ.

the Ritual

having rescued the eye of Horus from its female doth enter into this house&quot;. Thus the hdn

comes or

20):

given

(Mar. Dcnd.

^J)

sort

x-9\

the

formula to be spoken during the int rd (Mariette,

he acquired as

that

nomcn proprium

(or

,,Thoth

being male

represents)

Thoth.

script&quot;,

.vw.vir,

the

evil

&quot;Lord

same passage.

For

Davies and Gardiner, Tomb of Amencmhet, p. 98 f. and Tomb of 25. Just as Thoth could thus become the hdn so also, perhaps, in

see p.

somewhat analogous

fashion did he

become

the

sh)ii

of the

gods&quot;.

The

shtn

was a staft provided with eyes through which the indwelling god could see and with which the god could be eventually identified (see article by Spiegelberg, Rccucil /! S\ is mentioned /TV ^AAAAA 28, p. i63 rt .). A staff (or sceptre) of Thoth called ,_)Y ^Tv U ^ ^.l \J A sceptre of Chons is frequently spoken of in the texts of in Pap. Bologna 1086. but it mav be the falcon-headed sceptre of Horns. The staff or sceptre Kdfu \

(

&quot;Y\V

of Thoth was, most probably, regarded as possessing magical qualities.

Chapter XIV. Thoth as god of the dead. In the Pyramid texts Thoth is associated with the ancient of the dead, Anubis, in reconstructing- the god body of the dead king- (or, Osiris), (i) and in the removal from it of the traces of burial (Pyr. 1247: 519). It is Thoth also who pro

nounces the formulae of &quot;glorification&quot; (Pyr. 796) (2) though Anubis seems to recite them sometimes, as if he were taking the place of Thoth (Pyr. 796). We have to picture to our selves Thoth s functions in the mortuary ritual of the Pyramid period, in general after the manner of the Her-heb the ritual of later times. (3

activity

)

The Pyramid text speak of the dead king as being borne on the wings of the ibis-god, either up to heaven, or across the celestial oceans. (4) Again, we find that the Feast of Thoth was one of the chief memorial days of the dead. Pyr. 2118 says: &quot;My heart is not weary to perform for thee the service for the dead every day, on the Feast of the month and half-month, on the feast of the laying down of the candle

on the Feast of Thoth, and on the

stick,

5, O~~0 (U^-feast), the duration of and throughout thy years, thy months which thou livest as god.&quot; (5) This Feast of Thoth (or &quot;Feast of (1)

Pyr. 10

(2)

For

83o

this

6^9.

ritual

the

late

period

cf.

Pap.

&quot;Anubis-Horus

i/j)

accomplishes the embalming: Thoth by the charms of his mouth.&quot; (3)

For the Jfcr-heb Pyr. 38j

-j

Boulaq,

no.

pi.

makes thy members whole

functions sec Krman. Religion, 68

f.,

151.

59^: 1170: i3y;b: 1429. is (5) ^ f Pyr. 8:0 f., where the clearly a day of the dead; cf. 861. For the Feast of Thoth in the Old Kingdom see L. I). II, 56, 85 b, 86 a b. b, 89 a b. The Calendar of Rams. II in Medinet Habu puts the n ;g--feast in the (4)

&amp;gt;r?-,&amp;gt;-feast

i8th p. (I,.

Thoth, and the Feast

364. There D.

II,

5).

of Thoth

on the

mention of the Feast of Thoth

The Thoth-fcast continued

K)th Thoth. in

the

Vid. Brugsch,

tomb of Meten, IVth

Thcsr,

Dm.

be closely connected with the ritual of

THOTH AS GOD OF THE DEAD.

i3y

Hermopolis&quot;) is mentioned in very early Egyptian documents and, in view of the contexts in which it frequently appears, it seems to stand in some relation to the memorial services

for the dead.

Thoth must be regarded as a god Kingdom. The details of the Osirian legend bear out this view of his character. Obviously the functions of Thoth as advocate and judge in the trial of Osiris In view of

all

this,

of the dead in the Old

are the functions of a god of the dead. Though, as has been already noted, the various phases of the Osirian Trial were only gradually imagined -by people and priests, and it is dif ficult to decide which features of the Trial are the most pri is likely that Thoth took his place naturally in the from the because of his character as god process beginning,

mitive,

of the dead.

The Osirian cult was developed in Egypt mainly in the form of a mortuary cult, and as the Osirian religion came to dominate the entire worship of Egypt, the daily templeworship of Egypt tended to become a sort of funerary ritual. It

was,

Osiris.

at all events, strongly influenced by the drama of In a similar way even the court ceremonial of Egypt

The numerous

took on a sort of Osirian or funerary tone.

pictorial representations of the Trial of Osiris which existed in the O. and M. K. must have exercised a great influence

on the religious imagination of the people. Thus, templestate -ceremonial, and sacred art, emphasising every where the importance of Osirian religion, and setting its beliefs so concretely before the multitude, must have helped cult,

greatly to

But the

as has

dead

pi. 10,

Thoth in his role as god of the dead. been remarked, Thoth must have found his place

establish

into the

17:

They

late

period. Vid. Ritncl de

of R}-stJ\r

come

to thee

cmbaumcment, Pap. Boulaq. no. 3, 7/;nr-feast they of Abydos on

on the

of the time

they of Hermopolis on the feast of Thoth.&quot; A Philae text of Tiberius says that the Feast of Thoth was celebrated throughout

the land in

memory

the feast of Sokaris

of the triumph of Thoth:

-- \/

__^

(Vin-

__ CIS

cum

judicaris

!).

The

feast is

called in

Philae lib

ml f

hriv (Philae 950: 059).

In Pap. Sallier IV the igth Thoth is celebrated as the day on which Set was given over into the power of Horus. Thus it seems to have changed from a memorial feast of the Dead to be the anniversary of an incident in the myth

of Horus,

THOTH AS GOD OF THE

i38

DEAD.

the Judgment-scene primarily because he was, quite in dependently of Osiris, concerned with the dead. The Lord ot in

sacred worship, and of the &quot;Divine w ords&quot; belonged, of ne there the &quot;Knowing One&quot;, cessity, to the ritual of the dead would naturally be in his right place. the &quot;mighty in word An ibis-god could more easily than other deities take r

care of the dead.

could bear them

away on

his

wings

over all the obstacles of the other world, to their place of blessedness. His lunar character also connected him in popular imagination witli the dead, ^i) The reappearance of the moon on the Feast of the New Moon symbolised very obviously the rebirth of the dead in the world beyond the tomb. Hence in Pyr. 782 we find that the dead king is reborn on the feast of the to

new moon.

(Pyr. 2ii8b)

In the list of

the

feasts

ceremonial days above referred

and

of month and

/^C

half-month, appear prominently, as if the glorification of the dead were- somehow connected with the life of the moon (cf.

The

Pyr. 14531.

close association in

quaintly expressed brother of the dead king. is

Jn the Middle

of the

Pyr. ioor,

moon

where looh

with the dead is

called the

(2)

Kingdom we

close connection with the dead.

can see more clearly Thoth s In this period the details of

funerary ritual become more definite, and the importance of the funerary formulae more pronounced. In the funerary stelae of the M. K Thoth is not infrequently invoked in the formula .

along with Anubis, the ancient god of the (cf. Cairo, 20025). (3) To the dead is held out the glad hope that they shall be able to do homage to jrp-

of the

ns})

di htp

dead, and Osiris

moon

god of the dead cf. the prayer to Chons. \\ b. (Cairo), e Dd-Hnsw-hrf- nh Sethc 22, 70: &quot;Chons who traverses the heavens who Hies with He, and who journevs daily through the Duat to arouse the dead between heaven and the Dual. Fvervthing that lives, lives through the breath which (1)

no.

For the

statue of

15.

;

he gives.&quot; It seems to have been a very ancient notion in Fgypt that the dead farethe silver boat of the moon. For across the nightlv heavens in the lunar barque besides other passages referred to in text association of the dead with the moon

cf.

\r.

(2)

I2.M.

Cf.

for

The dead were

analogous ideas Pyr. 882 and 186. often thought of as identified with the moon.

already discussed in which the dead king it the right of Re. Cf. (.&amp;gt;;

Fl Bcrsheh

II.

.|&amp;lt;&amp;gt;.

45.

becomes

the

Cf. texts

-Scribe of the Divine

Hook&quot;

THOTH

AS GOD OF THE DEAD.

i3g

gaze on the beauty of Thoth (Cairo, 20473 M. funerary text of the M. K. published by Lacau K.j. (i) (Sarcophages, p. 161) represents Thoth as a Psychopompos. He stretches out his hand from heaven to grasp the arm of H

and

him up

the dead in order to lead

to the

kingdom of

the

gods

and Pyr. 1247 d). (cf. ibid., p. 201 In the New Kingdom and later periods the role of Thoth in the Judgment of the dead becomes more and more im In these later periods the ceremonies which Thoth, Anubis, and Horus anciently performed for the dead Osiris are still performed by them for the dead worshippers of Osiris. Mortals were still subjected to the same dread Trial through portant.

great patron and model, Osiris, had so triumph antly passed. The priests who take part in funeral services of the late period call themselves by the names of Horus,

which

their

Anubis and Thoth. (2) The ceremonies of reanimation of the dead were carried out even in the latest period of Egyptian culture, and the priests who perform them appear as Horus, Anubis and Thoth. (3) Similarly, in the ceremony of &quot;Opening the Hcr-hcb priest appears as Thoth. as patron of the dead, prayers for a pleasant burial are addressed in the later periods. A Turin Stela of

the

mouth&quot;

To Thoth,

New Kingdom

(Turin, io3i) prays to Thoth for a ful burial after a great old age&quot;. Similarly in the

the

/C==

fi^f

Thoth, judge

Thebes (Sethe,

Ma et,

tomb

to the prayer: west of old age after invoked by the people as a 17,

give

&quot;beauti

105)

&quot;O

the

Thoth was also to me&quot;, says a wor &quot;Come protector in the underworld shipper of Thoth in Pap. Sallier I, 8, 4, &quot;when 1 go into the presence of the Lords of Ma years&quot;.

et&quot;.

The Thoth-epithet

(1)

ipi

connects Thoth

with

Anubis who,

god of

the dead, \vas also ipi ib. (2)

Horus

;

Cf.

Berlin

P. 3055, Col.

hands are

for

thee

(&amp;gt;

those

My arms of Thoth

;

are

for

thec

ringers

are

the

arms of

for thee as

hose of Anubis, the Lord of the divine Hall&quot;. This text is taken from the ritual of Amon but the cult of Amon is an echo of the funerary ritual of Osiris, (and, ;

therefore, of the funerary liturgy of Egyptians generally). (3) For a good representation of this ceremony in the late period see Sieglin und Schreiber, Die Xckropole roil Kom-eschSchukdfa, Tafelband, Tafel 27. For

the ritual of the

ceremony

see,

Pap. Boulaq, no. 3

Ritucl dc

embaumement.

TIIOTH AS GOD OF THE DEAD.

Thoth as above

functions

stated,

Psychopompos

the Pyr. texts. The same function is often assigned to him in documents of later periods. Even in the Greek period, the

idea is as general as in the O. K. that the dead fly to heaven on the wings of Thoth (tpi dnh I)hn tl}.(i) As the earth opened for the dead at the words of Thoth in the Old K., so in the Graeco-Roman period, the doors of the earth are opened by Thoth for the dead; and by him also the gates of heaven (kbhjr) are thrown open. (2) As Psychopompos Thoth sometimes carries with him the symbol of the west (vid. Daressy, Cercueils, In the temple of p. 99 and the representation, plate XLIV).

Rams.

II at

of the

westerners&quot;.

the

Abydos (Borchardt, p. i3) Thoth is With this may be compared

tomb of

who

Hsr-t, he

Thebes (Champ. AW.

in the

called

&quot;Thoth

his epithet in

161):

&quot;Lord

west&quot;.

Thotlvs role as Psychopomp may, perhaps, have contri buted to his early identification with the Greek Hermes whose role as guide of the dead is familiar. (3) Like Thoth, Hermes was also regarded as t j-y.z .y.s-r z (vid. Eitrem, Hermes und die Toten. p. 46). As the days of rejoicing with the dead fell to gether with the feasts of the moon s phases in Egypt, so also sacrifices were offered to Hermes on every vco;r/;v(a (Eitrem,. l

ibid., p.

At the New Moon, and on the yth day

(i)

Maspero,

Maspero.

the dead is

C.atal.

In Pyr.

ibid. p. 48.

delivered from tknr

(i.

broken down, so that the king

Cf. Pyr.

790

epoques

ptole-

658 we sec how, by the words of the

ritual,

pcrsanes

the earth-god) and the resistance of the

shdw

enabled to enter through the door of heaven.

1713.

Horns and Thoth sometimes

Oueen

dex

month,

Sarcophages

general.

of the

Oxford.

College,

M. K.

act together as guides of the dead. Cf. Ostracon,

duplicate to Anastasi

3, 5):

&quot;Mayest

thou be

may thy limbs become divine with the brothers, while Thoth and Note Thoth s title, 6#nv = Leader (Pap. Hearst, Harachtes make thy soul to ascend sLA

pure,

and

VI, 9

10) and

his epithet in

Totcnbuch, Xav.

82,

io(Af )

Er$

_B&amp;gt;

Q n

and his role of secretary to the Knnead, and to the sun-god, would, of course, also tend to connect him with Hermes. Plutarch speaks freely of Thoth as Hermes. For Hermes as moon-god see (1)

Sieckc,

Thoth

relation

literature

Hermes der Mundgott,

Roscher, Le.\ ikon.

2374

Leipzig.

and speech,

1908.

For

Hermes

Psychopomp

of.

THOTH AS GOD OF THE DEAD.

141

the dead were honoured in

Argos

by special ceremonies in Delphi; and the thirty days of mourning for the dead ended with

a sacrifice to Hermes.

Possibly the special favour which Thoth enjoyed among the people in Egypt, as shown by the enormous number of statuettes of ibises and apes that have survived, was largely due to his role as protector of the dead.(i) The innumerable statues and amulets of

Hermes still extant seem also to be due mainly to the work of Hermes among the dead, and,

especially,

to his protecting influence as guide

of the dead.

(i) It might be urged here also that the pictorial representations of the Judgment, which were so universally familiar in Egypt, in which Thoth appeared so prominently as advocate of the dead, as weigher of the heart, as recorder of

the verdict etc.,

dead.

(If.

must have helped greatly

142 infra.

make Thoth popular

as a

god of the

Chapter XV.

Thoth

Egyptian Ritual.

We as the

have already seen that Thoth was honoured in Egypt Founder of ritual. But his connection with ritual was

not merely that of a founder or inventor. In the innumerable representations of temple-liturgy, court-ceremonial, and funerary ritual which can be seen everywhere in Egypt Thoth appears not merely as the Lord of sacred formulae, but as the leader in

the actual sacred ceremonial itself

master of liturgical ceremonies. This

as a sort of official

obvious

the case

The Pyr. texts seem to imply this liturgical Thoth also. They represent Thoth as acting- with

of Osirian cult. activity of

Anubis

preparing- for burial the corpse of Osiris Pyr. 83o, purifying- witli Horus the body of the god (or i

639^:(ii

king&quot;) iPyr. 5igb. 63g): as pronouncing- the deifying- formulae over the body Pyr. 17131. Thoth it is who equips the dead with efficacious means of protection against tin? dangers of the i

When

the dead has to enter into the presence of the the gods Thoth leads him in, makes plead for him with the Judges, weighs his heart in the scales ingthe feather of Ma et, and, in the end, records the against verdict. The details of all this ritual and ceremonial are fa

Beyond.

Great Tribunal

-&amp;gt;f

Book of the Dead: What Thoth same must he do for every dead since the Osirian ritual was the standard and guide

miliar in the literature of the

once did

for

Egyptian for all

Osiris,

funerary ritual

noted, the priests

the

Egypt.

who took

Hence, as has been already

part funerary celebrations re as themselves garded incorporations of the Osirian gods. It will be true, of course, that the Osirian liturgy was, in its (i)

For

embalming of

the

late ilea.i

illustration

see Mnlli-r,

of the /)/&amp;lt;

cooperation

bciitt

of Horns

WiinJfitfrrus.

and Thoth p. 3i

tV.

the

THOTH

EGYPTIAN RITUAL.

148

turn, largely determined by ancient customs connected with the burial and veneration of the dead. Possibly it may be held

that the gods of the old Osirian drama reflect, to some extent, the priests and magicians who, in the primitive period, provided all that was necessary for the dead. When Thoth was given

a place in the Osirian ritual, it was a place determined partly by his personal qualities, and, partly, by the associations of ancient custom. Thus his role in funerary ritual was imagined as that of a primitive Hcr-hcb of Osirian liturgy. In the later

thought of Egypt the Her-hcb was himself regarded as some sort of incorporation of Thoth. Throughout the whole specu

and religious development of the Egyptian mind there are many traces of this quaint kind of action and re-action between traditional custom and artificial speculation. lative

part in

has been shown already that Thoth played a great Egyptian court-ceremonial. The fixing of the royal

mimes, the determining of the years of reign, the foretelling all these are functions assigned of royal feasts and victories to Thoth in the coronation-ceremonies. They are all fully illustrated on the monuments. In the actual coronation-cere took the part of Thoth. Even in the joyful liturgy of coronation there are echoes of the funerary,

monies a

priest, of course,

or Osirian, ritual. One of these This is very often represented.

Horus and

Set,

the purification of the king.

Sometimes it is performed by sometimes by Horns and Thoth. (i) A very

was the sym interesting feature of the coronation-ceremonial bolical uniting of the Two Lands -- represented by the rush and the papyrus. The ceremony was called SmJ tlwi. Properly who re speaking this ceremony belonged to the two gods -and Set. Horus of Egypt presented the two great divisions an at Set It is, however, a remarkable fact that disappeared His ceremonial. this early date from the representations of is to be associated circumstance This Thoth. was taken place by with the substitution of the name of Thoth for that of Set in lists of gods. In the purification-ceremony at the coronation Set also tends to disappear, leaving his place to Thoth. All with the gradual this, of course, is somehow to be connected

the

(i)

For

role

of Thoth

and Horus

takes part in the temple- ritual see

the

ablutions

of the king

Blackman, Temple of Deir,

plate 42.

before he

THOTH

EGYPTIAN RITUAL.

degradation of Set to the level of a Typhonic being, (i) In several representations of ritual the figure of Set has been replaced by that of Thoth, but the accompanying legends con taining the

name of

Sybilll, 6 5 d;IIl,

The

Set,

have been

left

unchanged

(cf.

LD.

Ill,

2 38a).( 2 )

substitution

of Thoth for Set

be explained

partly by the role of Thoth as Lord of ritual, and partly by the circumstance that Horus and Thoth appear together in

many cult, in

other familiar ceremonies of court-procedure, and templeand thus, \vould be regarded as suitable companions

the coronation functions.

as has been said, many features of - - as a result of the domi funerary ritual were reproduced nating influence of Osirian religion in the temples. If we look In the temple-cult,

any particular temple-liturgy, that of Amon for in find in it numerous points of contact with the Osirian drama. Thus in the temple-worship of Egypt Thoth appears active almost in the same fashion in which he func closely at

stance,

tions in Osirian worship. It is true that the ritual

of Egyptian temples was not religion of Osiris. Other ancient

taken up with the myths and legends, over and above those of the Osirian cycle, are echoed and reflected in the temple cults. Thus, for in stance, many legends of the sun-god (such as the legend of Hathor-Tefenet), and many cosmogonical legends find ex quite

In the

pression occasionally in the worship of the temples. ritual texts

which

refer to such legends

Thoth appears

in the

fashion proper to him in the legend in question. Junker, in his excellent treatise, l)cr Auszug dcr Hathor-Tefnut aus Nubicn, has shown how from the pictorial representation of ritual

an important legend minent part, can be actually,

actions

cf.

which Thoth plays a pro

large measure, reconstructed

also his Onnrislegende).

must be admitted, however, that we cannot discover every ritual act the legendary elements which be behind This is true, for instance, of a ritual action which is very It

in it.

(1) Cf. Lcpsius,

Meyer, Sct-Tvphon. (2)

For

I.exikon. p. 770.

this

Abhandlung

p. 51

f.,

cf. p.

question

fiber

f.,

den Ci

general

erst en

dgyptischcn Gotterkrcis,

83.

see

Rocder

article

&quot;Set&quot;

Reseller s

THOTH

EGYPTIAN RITUAL.

generally assigned to Thoth in the later texts -- the. presen tation of the wnsb (mostly to Hathor). (i) It has been conjectured that the wnsb is a water-clock, and that Thoth is associated with

and measurer of time. But the wnsb (or wtt) is, appar ently, most frequently used in the ceremony of the pacification of Hathor (as the angry Horus-eye) by Thoth, and it is difficult it

as lord

to see

how

a water-clock could serve such a purpose. In the

Nubian legend of Hathor Thoth is sent as an ape-god to calm the angry Hathor and induce her to come to Egypt. It is possible that the ape which appears as part of the object called wnsb was regarded as symbolical of the god who was sent to pacify Hathor, and that, thus, the wnsb came to be a recognised

feature in the

ceremony of pacifying the angry Horus-eye. It is to be noted that the ape-god who calms Hathor, and in duces her to leave Bwgm for Egypt in the form of the Nubian legend contained in the folk-tale published by Spiegelberg, (2) called wns (the dog-headed ape, apparently) and there may be some kind of morphological connection between urns and is

As the Hathor of the Nubian legend is the lunar eye of Horus, there is a close connection between the wnsb and lunar cult. If wns and wnsb are morphologically related (the b of wnsb being a formative element) the lunar implications of the wnsb could be explained from the of the wnsb.

moon-legend

angry Hathor. (3) A very prominent feature of

ritual functions throughout the later periods is the presentation of the figure of Ma et. In most instances of this ceremony Thoth is present, either in person, or as represented by the king (or priest). have already discussed some of Thoth s associations with Ma et.

(1)

made

his

after

Gf.

Denderch, M. D.

5J Ill,

22/a

according to which the

(2)

Leyden

all

has been

^^7

the directions of Thoth.

(3)

N/I

tfQrf

384.

this

cf.

Junker, Omirislcgcndc, p. 147. i63 and passim. See also For the wnsb as a pro p. 22 f.

Der Anszug dcr Hathor-Tcfnut aus Xubien, of Hathor see

tection

Mar., Dcnd. Ill, y3 e Dum., Bang. XVIII, 14. In Mar., 22 a Thoth appears himself as the wnsb: he comes as wnsb in order to protect Hathor. In the Nubian legend the wnsb is generally employed rather to

Dcnd.

Ill,

distract

and amuse Hathor than

to protect her.

Junker (OnuHslegende, p. i63, Anm. 2) notes the possibility that wnsb may be an enlargement of wns and points out the apparent inlerchangeableness in Philae texts of wtt and wtb. Thoth, the Hermes of Egypt.

146

THOTH

EGYPTIAN RITUAL.

have seen the two together in the barque of the sun-god Thoth as chief minister of the Ruler of the universe, Ma et as symbol of Re s methods of government. In somewhat si milar fashion the two come to be associated in ritual. Thoth is the Lord of ritual Ma et is the symbol of conformity to law, and, especially, of conformity to ritual law. Thus when Thoth presents Ma et to a divinity, his action symbolises the perfection of the ritual service which is offered to the divinity in question. When, as sometimes happens, Ma et is presented to Thoth himself, this is partly due to Thoth s relation to justice, and partly to the symbolism of Ma et just described, e., the offering of Ma et to Thoth implies the perfection of the cult which is intended to be offered to him. Another function at which Thoth is constantly present -

the offering of the wdl-t. Since the wdl*t is the lunar eye of it is, obviously, the duty of Thoth, the guardian of the moon-eye, to be present when that eye is brought back is

Horus,

to its lord.

Thoth, as has been shown,

the

lni

.v;r.

Chapter XVI.

The

and shrines of Thoth.

chief temples

shown above that Thoth anciently stood the Heliopolitan group of gods, and that he was not one of the actors in the primitive Osirian drama, but has been

outside

was brought into it in a more or less secondary fashion. Hence it is reasonable to infer that the cult of Thoth was known in Egypt previously to the Pyramid age and previ even to the growth and spread of Osirian

ously

religion.

not possible, however, to determine where Thoth had his most ancient shrine. The &quot;Place of Thoth&quot; i) referred to

(

cannot be located by any other Pyramid re ference. It is probable that in the early dynastic period Thoth had al possibly even in the pre-dynastic period ready several cult-centres. The standards of Hierakonpolis in

Pyr. 1271

(I,

pi. 29)

show

polis, too,

the sacred ibis of Thoth, and in Hierakon a representation of a primitive shrine of

find

Thoth which seems

to point to the existence of a cult of the

ibis-god Hierakonpolis in the days of Narmer. (2) With the shrine depicted in Hierakonpolis should be compared the re in

presentation of a shrine, or other enclosure, in the midst of which stands an ibis, in Royal Tombs, II, pi. Here an 2.

;

being offered in sacrifice to the Ibis-god, w ho is shown standing on a pedestal; and it would seem as if the ceremony takes place on the &quot;festival of the pilgrimage to Hermopolis&quot;. Possibly the enclosure within which the ibis stands represents 7

Hermopolis. Tombs&quot;

&quot;Royal &quot;in

the great

(1)

or,

houses&quot;,

This

pi.

&quot;in

not

speaks of a Feast of Thoth the House of the Great Ones&quot;.

be translated,

&quot;Throne

Thoth&quot;

Tu-

rayeff thinks (p. 24). (2)

which

The set an

&quot;shrine&quot;

Thoth

altar for sacrifice

consists of an ibis standing on a pedestal, before

(Hierak.

pi.

XXVI

B).

10*

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

148

XII

(ibid.) shows an ivory tablet from the tomb of Semon which the ape-god appears perhaps as an object empses of worship (cf. sketch on pi. XVII, ibid.).(i)

Plate

The frequent references to the &quot;Feast of Thoth&quot; in the K. O. testify to the antiquity of the public worship of the god. (2) Hence, we are probably justified in finding in a &quot;House of Thoth&quot; mentioned in L. D. II, 17 (IVth Dyn.) an indication of the existence of an independent temple-worship of Thoth in the earliest dynastic period. Such a cult would imply the existence also of a definite priesthood ministering to the god.

are not surprised, therefore, to hear in the IIIrd(?)

nasty of a priest

the

&quot;of

(Le Musee egyptien, Thoth in the O. K.

p. i3). (3)

hear

House&quot;

&quot;The

(4)

of Thoth

Temple

called

/&quot;Ss&amp;gt;

&amp;lt;^

of a priestess of

also,

Temple)

(or

Thoth&quot;

&quot;of

frequently spoken of in the O. K. (5), and we find in that period the priestly title, or title of dignity, which is later so

familiar

Great of the

&quot;the

IVth Dyn. Gizeh).

(L. 1). II, 15:

of the temple

five

This

(6)

title

Thoth&quot;

fffj,

had a special connection with the worship of Thoth Hermopolis Magna

shall see, in

(

The

(i) pi. 6. Q,

10, 11)

statuettes

of rpcs found

need

not

the

pet

represent merely time. 191

regarded

monkeys \vhich were popular

Capart. Debuts (.Kng. trans.,

Cf.

graves of the O. K. (Pctrie, Abrdos II, of Thoth. Possibly they

as representations

2:0)

Pyr. 21 IS.

Mast. D. 60 Feast of

Cairo,

L. D.

II,

18,

Hermopolis&quot;,

rather than

&quot;Feast

etc. etc.

For

II,

:;)

Yid. Recitcil,

1903, p. 210, article by Naville of Thoth, see Mar., Mast. D. 5.

Cf.

Mar.,

D. 67.

.\fast.

Here should be

Westcar

7, 5

8 to the

(6) In &quot;Judge&quot;

Mediim.

Tomb

tms

text the

(sib),

and

title

of Xefcrmat,

XX.

(O. K.)

we should

of the

;

also,

Rccueil,

I9u8. Vol.

^j d

7Jtn-I\vn

p. 26.

perhaps the

of the Hildesheim

WWNA

p. 22.3;

k^W who

.WWVA belongs to the son of a king For the title see also L. D. II, 84, g i

Mar.,

translate

Newberry, Beni-flassan

recalled, also, 2?

/WWVA

&amp;gt;=^

3o4

question

Ucr-hcb. pi.

d-D

ference in

also a

homes

But, in any case, the public

prophet (4) See Transactions of Confess for Hist, of Rcl. paper by Miss Murray on Priesthoods of women. (

Possibly

Thoth&quot;.

Cairo

(IVth Dyn.):

1485: Mar., Mast. D. 16

worship of the ibis-god seems to be implied. rfe cf. Gizeh. L. D. ($) For the title pi.

Fgyptian

p. 28.

i).

(2)

II,

Benedite, Scribe et babouin (Paris

*y is

Petric,

collection

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

149

scene in the Royal Tombs just referred to re of Thoth in Hermopolis, we have in it the feast a presents It cannot be first trace of a definite cult-centre of the god. If the

said with

complete security that the Hermopolis in question the Hermopolis Magna of Upper Egypt, rather than Her mopolis Parva of the Delta. Both towns are mentioned in an is

ancient

list

of centres of worship in Pyr. 191, (i) as Wnw Wnw of the North. It is known that the

of the South and

were important centres of Thoth s worship in the very difficult, however, to decide which of them is the more primitive home of Thoth s worship. Since, how Ibis is of the in nome the the ever, Delta, and the (no. 15) nome of which Hermopolis Magna was the capital is called the nome of the Hare, it has been conjectured that the Ibisgod, Thoth, was first worshipped in the Delta, and that his cult in Hermopolis Magna (Hmnw} developed later. (2) Such a view is based on the assumption that the nome-standards

two M. K.

Wnn&amp;gt;

nome-symbols represent the primitive objects of worship This is, however, a mere hypothesis. Where

of the nomes.

can one find a trace of the worship of a hare in the i5th nome Upper Egypt ? Again, how, on this view, could we ex

plain the designation of the northern Hermopolis in the Py ramids as &quot;Wnw (i. e. the Hare-nome) of the North&quot; ? It would, if we could show that Thoth, the and was ibis-god moon-god, primitively worshipped in the that at some and indeterminable, date he was later, Delta,

indeed, be very satisfactory

somehow assimilated to an ape-god revered as dom in Hmnw. This hypothesis would explain

god of wis

the combined

on the one hand, lord of time and order, and, on the other, lord of wisdom and literature. Unfortu nately, however, it must remain a hypothesis, for we know nothing definite about the beginnings of Thoth s worship either roles of

Thoth

as,

in the Delta, or in

Hermopolis Magna.

The representations

Tombs in the

point,

O. K.

vol.

p. 2

1 1

Hierakonpolis

and

the

Royal

worship of Thoth perhaps, The existence of a special priesthood of Thoth

Petrie Kahun, 18, 4042. 814 Newberry, Transactions of the 3rd International Congress of Rel.,

(1) Gf. Pyr. 167, 2 - 9, (2) So,

to a fairly general

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF

150 in

TIIOTII.

the O. K., points in the same direction. The popularity of in the O. K. is also suggested by the Snofru

Thoth as god

Wadi Maghara

texts (i) of

Thoth appears

Sinai in which

beside Hathor, as an important divinity. Thoth s title in Sinai is nb hlswt. (2) This is, properly speaking, an epithet of Min (3) :

however, that for the Egyptian miners in Sinai, influence was not to be restricted to a single centre,

shows,

Thoth

or even to the soil of

Egypt itself. (4) have seen above that Thoth holds an important the funerary texts of the Middle Kingdom. Throughout

We place in

he stands

this period

of the

&quot;City

Egypt. From

(2)

\Yith this

rkunden,

(1)

54: L. D.

the

(

Upper

^z^

modern Eshmunein).

(5)

1523: Thesaurus 1495.

II,

compare Thoth

of the

&quot;Lord

on the

s designation

tail

Wt,

Plate VI.

number

For Thoth as nb

Trogodytes&quot;.

Plate

Cf.

of the lion in Abukir

of her shrines

Mistress of foreign

Gar

Ijlswt in Sinai, see

III.

Sage rom Sonnenauge,

/.ur

(3) Sethe,

the

Eight&quot;

title

?.}

diner and

great

Hare-nome

connection arises his frequent

this

of the city of the

&quot;Lord

connection with Hrntw, the

in the closest

the metropolis of the

Eight&quot;,

outside

Egypt,

p. 3o,

thinks that Hathor, from the

had the best

title

to be regarded as

lands&quot;.

(4) Students of the history of religions will

attempt to

probably be familiar with Voelter s presence of Thoth-worship in Sinai to a connection leader Moses and Thoth. In his book on the Hebrew Patriarchs

from

argue

between the Hebrew

the

Israels. Leyden, 1912), and in his recent pamphlets, &quot;UVr war and Jahve mid Mose (both published by Brill, Leyden) Voelter has brought

(Die Patriarehen

Mose

together a great mass of arguments to a form of the Egyptian god I.Iar-Sopd,

presence of Haihor

show

that the

Sinai Voelter associates with

Hebrew God Yahweh

and that Moses

really

form of Thoth.

The

the legends

of the Eye of the brought back to Egypt by Thoth. The story of Moses

sun-god (Horns) which was and Sippora is but an attempt, according to Voelter, to give a historical form to the legend of Thoth and Hathor. The speculations of Voelter are often highly in genious,

but

they

do not deserve

the

for

are,

most

part, quite

out of

all

relation with facts,

Eisler (Die kenitischen \Veihinschriften der Hyksoszeit, Freibg.

thinks that

Thoth

Geheimnisse &quot;Vielleicht

gilt

ist

Wuste

)

in place in

ff.

hier verehrt

Serabit, Eisler supposes ever,

Sinai because,

1919^.154)

Der Herr der Offenbarungen und

Lander&quot;. He says further: der die Brunnen in der \Viiste kennt und offen-

offenbar auch als Herr der unerforschten

Thoth auch

bart (Pap. Sallier,

der

and

to be seriously discussed.

als Gott, .

Thoth

ein

SiiCwasserbrunnen fur den Diirstenden

A stone

figure

of a baboon found

to be a representation of the ape-god

by no means certain.

(5) Cf. Cairo,

worden.&quot;

20025.

Thoth.

Petrie in

This,

how

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH. The

Hatnub and El Bersheh are the fullest and most evidence for the association of Thoth with Hmnw in

texts of

familiar

the Middle is

151

Kingdom,

From

(i)

the most frequently used of

forward

this time

Thoth

all

s epithets.

equivalent epithet, Q t^&quot; Q J] &quot;he that is in occurs also from time to time. See Book of the Dead,

17, 5.1

influence

reasonable to suppose that the political

practi

Hmrw&amp;gt;&quot;,

cally

nomarchs of El Bersheh must have helped to spread and popularise the cult of Thoth in the Middle Kingdom. The nomarchs show their interest in that cult by giving- them selves the titles of Thoth s priests. Often they call themselves of the

(

which was apparently the

of the chief

title

priest of the City of the Eight (cf. Edfu Rochm. I, 129). The temple of Thoth in Hmnw is frequently mentioned in the texts of Hatnub and El Bersheh, and on the basis of

we can form some

these texts

in the

Thoth-cult

god

notion of the organisation of

chief shrine.

may be assumed that the City of the Eight as a whole was under the patronage of Thoth. The city contained, it would seem, numerous shrines and sacred places. The quarter of the It

&amp;gt;

city J

which

known

with Thoth,

and he

(3)

&quot;Great

(2)

Medum,

of the Five

and

extension

&quot;great

one of his

(Harris,

V, (Leyden v

For

58,

n &amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

(j|f|

Funerary

of the Five in the

Thoth&quot;,

a variation of this title see El

House of

stele

the Middle Eight&quot;

Bersheh

a title

South&quot;

the

ci~D Jg* I,

16 p.

Great

which suggests the At times the

Kingdom.

given either to Thoth or

See Leyden V, 46. Stele of early New Kingdom. The personal found in the Greek period (cf. Rylands, Demotic Pap p. 256. .

obviously identical with

Not.

House

the

five

The name appears

(3)

Champ.,

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

temples of North and importance of Thoth s cult in

priests.

etc.)

the

20).

pi.

Thoth

name Port is which 283

stands in the closest relation

See El Bersheh and Hatnub (Blackden and Fraser), passim.

(1)

epithet

therefore, frequently styled

is,

he that presides over

(Petrie,

860): Is

AxT

also in the

again,

form

9 6

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

(Turin,

(Thebes,

Tomb

n n ^ U V JJ

912)

here supposed to be equivalent to hsi

and

rl?)

&amp;lt;===&amp;gt;

152

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

N. K.).

(i)

the

Other very special Thoth-shrines

^avies, Sheikh HU^-CEJ note and the

p. 32,

flame&quot;

Said, pi.

necropolis which

| |)

Thoth describe das Apparently the

Even

Eshmunein arc

XXVIII,

cf. ibid.,

called the

&quot;Island

Kingdom we

the Middle

[^^^(V^O EJizVzL known

district

&amp;lt;

(Cairo,

lind

20025).

&amp;gt;

was what might be

called the ecclesiastical district of Eshmunein it contained the chief shrines and other sacred of the city, and buildings stood in a relation to the City of the Eight&quot; like that in which Karnak stood to Thebes. (2) :

&quot;

The meaning

^Tj

Deir

of the (j

s=&amp;gt;

^_J

not certain.

(3)

as a place in which Thoth and appears i bn make a of the products of Punt. Sfh-tregister (4) Sfh-tbn is familiar as an associate of Thoth, (5) and, possibly, the two deities are brought into relation with the products of Punt because of the use of these latter in the cult of the el Bariri

but

they should appear as working together in not clear - - though it might be conjectured, perhaps, that it is due to nothing more profound than a con

temples

the

ib-t

why

fusion between (]

(net)

and |j

^ ^

..-^ (-measure&quot;).

The

would be the most suitable place for re is not possible, however, Net&quot; has arisen from any confusion between the words for or &quot;counting&quot;,

Counting-house&quot;

gistering the products of Punt. It to suppose that the &quot;Temple of the

primitive

(i)

Cf.

Piehl, Inscr.

98. Cf. the personal

from Kshmunein, Ainulcs du Service, (:) \ve see it

See Turayefl

119.

name

AA/VAA Jb^&amp;lt;;

Ptolemaic text (Mallet, Kasr

Ptolemy presenting to Thoth an object which is probably a copy or model of a shrine in Eshmunein. It is

written variously

(Piehl, 7;i*tv.

(4) Naville (5) Cf.

III,

(

98)

79.

Mariette,

Abyd.

pi. 5

p. 101.

10,

the

(3)

l/&amp;gt;h

:hamp., \ot.

^ft

II,

called a

42)

(Leyden V,

;

i).

Agon:,

45)

&quot;Great If.sr.t&quot;

)&|

;

THK CHIKF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH. &quot;measuring&quot;,

and

(i)

The

&quot;net&quot;.

of the

&quot;Temple

158

net&quot;

has

associations which have nothing to do with counting. The Eight gods of Hermopolis are located there (Leyden,V. i.N. K.) and the temple seems to belong, in a special way, to the

Eight and to Nfwi-t--jj&amp;gt;Ji (Davies, Sheikh Said, p. 32). An Edfu text says that the heart of Re, as identified with Thoth, is in

the

Hermopolis,

^^=

&quot;

the

glorious in

&quot;Temple

Net.&quot;

The designation &quot;Temple (or House) of the Net&quot; was it would seem, a puzzle even to the Egyptians themselves. At tempts were made by the priests to find for it a suitable my ?

thological explanation.

Ramses

(Not. II, 42)

Amon

In a text published

as catching birds in

by Champollion

represented between Horus and a net. Thoth, who stands by, and

gives the sign for the pulling together of the net, is designated President of Hsr-t&quot;, and, &quot;He that is in the &quot;Lord of Hmnn of the Net&quot;. It is clear that the catching of the birds, Temple 1

under the direction of Thoth, is suggestive of some mytho logical incident which was supposed to have given its name to the House of the Net. (2) There are, here and there, ob scure references to a capturing of Set by Horus in a net which took place in the Ht-ibt. Thus in Dendereh (Mar. IV, 73,

21)

read: c\\ ^

-a

sibly the reference here is to a detail of the legend of Horus and Set, according to which Set, in the form of a crocodile,

was captured

Brugsch-Dumichen, Rec. de mon. eg., One is here reminded of the obscure text in Ill, 96, 2i).(3) the Book of the Dead (Nav.), c. 20, i 3, in which Thoth is in a net (cf.

directed to capture the enemies of Osiris in a net &quot;before

the dldH of

all

the gods and goddesses suggests the explanation

(i)

The

^ h ls

script

idea

/-j-H

)

&quot;Temple

of the

month&quot;.

to the suggestion would be due, of course, of Thoth as moon. But it is, obviously,

forced

and

secondary.

121.

(2)

Cf. Turayeff,

(3)

See Turayeft

p. 121.

in that night

Cf.

the text in Pierret,

Etudes cgyptol. (premiere

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

154

of the

Whatever

the origin of the name &quot;Temple Net&quot; may be, it is certain that the building or shrine so designated was intimately related with the cult of Thoth. struggle&quot;.

of the

may, indeed, have been a part of

his chief temple at

Her-

mopolis Magna. city

That the and cult

the

&quot;Island

Flame&quot;

clearly implied

Hmmv

X, Two Papyri,

(PI.

CZD

called

mentioned along with Hermopolis

Thoth

texts of the later period.

Geographical Papyrus of Tanis

Abydos), the necropolis of place

also connected with

the

k^l. The

(1 (1

lists

of the

nomes in Edfu. (i) In Dendereh (Mar., Dend. II, 78 a) the king, when he presents a figure of Ma et, is called &quot;Son of the Lord of

Hmnu&amp;gt;&quot;, (

Island of

Flame&quot;.

The

^ ^C=D f^ H

of Sia in the

&quot;child

(2)

often alluded to in the funerary But the older the texts in which it is mentioned, the more difficult is its identi fication. Yet, even in the older texts it is always associated, &quot;Island

New

texts of the

at least

What

Thoth and

with

indirectly,

the

Flame&quot;

and Middle Kingdoms.

meaning of

points out (Onurislegende,

o oMf /\\\ll how

151)

which shows Thoth and Shu holding

his worship.

Mastabas,

Marietta,

the

representation

a net in

In a

hymn

3i7?

Junker

Dend.

Mar.,

which an wdl.t

enclosed,

nected with an old legend telling of the capture of the Eye of Horus by

The wandering Eye was caught

Shu.

net and brought back to

con

Thoth and owner bv

its

Thoth and Shu (or one of these gods). The net in question was the net of the fisherman or hunter. Possibly this capturing of the

44,

IIj

tne

Jc5l

Eye by means of

hunter

5,6

underly the

may

in the

net;

(its)

Hathor, the

pupil

AVw.f-boat of Re (Junker (!) Edfu, R. is

l^SI

of the

&quot;Temple

of the wdj.t

&quot;

name

{^=(j |(j(j ]~{ ^xs^^p. formula

offering

net

^3 -^z~ V|

healthy&quot;.

(2)

^ Jj

the

the burial-centres.

recited

net

was used

Brugsch, Thcs.

36,

during the

wdt.t

free

from

Thoth, the Grea,, carries

also to capture the foes of the

ibid.). I.

Flame&quot;

and the sacred

interesting to note that

&amp;lt;^^

]

041

Thoth

nome

female associate

the text, Brugsch,

spoken

trees are associated with

^ in

)

(

Hare-nome.

129 the sacred tree of the Hermopolitan

Island of is

HI,

&quot;The

341. Brugsch, Diet, geogr. i3b2. In Edfu R.

Edfu R. in

Cf.

Dend.

Mar.,

&amp;lt;

the necropolis of the capital of the

of as growing

Net&quot;.

Thcs. 760.

\hm.t

ivji

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

155

Thoth in the British Museum (no. 5656) (i) it is said of him that he made shrines for the gods and goddesses (2) in the Island of Flame. In another hymn to Thoth composed in to

the time of

Rameses IV

(pub.

Piehl, A. Z. 1884, p. 38

ff.)

spoken of as the birthplace of Thoth. In the Pyramid texts the Isle of Flame is either an island in the lake or ocean which the dead have to cross, or a place where the dead have to give an exhibition of their power the

&quot;Island

before they

Flame&quot;

are admitted

land of the gods.

to the

Pyramids the name of the island

written

/VA/WSA

HO MU 1

the .(3)

i 1 &quot;ft

The exhibition of might to be given by the dead in the of Flame is, apparently, a struggle against lying and

Isle in

justice. (4)

Here again there may be some remote suggestion

of Thoth

position as

&quot;Lord

In the

et&quot;.

Book

of the

18, we hear of seven words which (A. a. Nav,) 71, 16 caused a slaughter on the &quot;Island of Flame&quot;; and ch. 15 of

Dead the

Book

of the

Dead

speaks of the great god

14) (Naville, c. 15 B. I. [B. a.], 1. i3 who lives on the Island, the golden

youth who came forth from the lotus-flower. (Lacau, Textes rcl. XIX, Rec. 27, on the Isle of Flame. It

not obvious

how

p. 217) that

It is said

also

Hprr was born

the heavenly Isle of

Flame cor

responds to the necropolis of Hmnn The name &quot;Isle of Flame&quot; It has been noted already that the is certainly very ancient. r

tendency of Egyptian speculation was rather

to elevate things

earthly into things heavenly, than to bring heavenly things down to earth, and give them a dwelling there. The reference

on the Isle of Flame suggests, of a means the Hermopolitan necropolis connecting perhaps, with the Isle of Flame in heaven. It is well known that in

to the birth of the solar deity

Hermopolis was laid the scene of a number of cosmogonies and according to one of those cosmogonies the sun-god ap peared in Hermopolis in a lotus-flower. What more natural ;

(1) (2)

necropolis.

may

Published by Turayeff, A. Z. 1895,

P-

i-Ofl

The gods and goddesses are, probably, the dead who were They would be deities as identified with Osiris.

buried in the

-- which (3) Pyr. 397. Here the dead is spoken of as the &quot;bull of heaven&quot; possibly be Thoth (as moon-good). Lacau, Textes rel., Recueil 27, p. 218 (Book of Dead 174). (4) Pyr. 265 :

THK CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTI1.

156

than to suppose that

was

the Hermopolitan

that the sun-god appeared? Later this be transferred to heaven.

Book

In the

was on the

&quot;Re

him who

of the

Dead

|^^cd^J^-

(

fl (j

Isle

^Nav.) 17,

*&quot;^ P|

Flame&quot;

would

are told that

the high-place of

Hmnn^, before that which

Shu

raised aloft

heaven) came into being&quot;, (i) Similarly, in the inscription of the Great Oasis (Brugsch, 26, 22 23) we read that the primitive deity, Amon, was on the high place of Hmnn&amp;gt; be (/.

any other being was formed. The coming forth of the primitive deity from a lotus-blossom flowering in the Nwn is also, as has just been said, localised in Hermopolis. So in Dendereh (Mar. I, 55 In it is said &quot;Thou didst come forth in \\ nu between its live plants&quot;. We have already discussed an important form of the ancient rcgend of the birth of the sungod, the scene of which is also laid in Hermopolis. (2) There fore

an interesting modification of this legend to be found in the texts of the Graeco-Roman period which Sethe has ana lysed for the According to these texts the is

Ogdoad,

\V&amp;lt;&quot;&amp;gt;rtcrbuch.

the eight primitive deities were formed in Thebes. Tnn created them in */pt: there they descended to their &quot;home&quot;, the Isle

Then they, in turn, created light on the Kti (i. e. probably, the high-place of Hmnn&amp;gt;\ (3) and took their place in \Vrni (i. c. Hermopolis) beside their father Spsi (probably Thoth This form of the legend is, obviously, due to an of Flame.

attempt to connect the creative activity of Ptah-7 w/z with the idea of a creation of light in Hmnn The Ogdoad had a spe cial shrine in Thebes, and, therefore, are represented here as .

having been fashioned in Thebes. Their appearance in Her is looked upon as their shining forth from the &quot;Isle of Flame&quot; and this idea is probably borrowed from the

mopolis

who

(1)

of him

Hermopolis, and

not possible in it

may

determine the precise position

Hermopolis&quot;

;

but

of&quot;

the

probably correct to hold that

be conjectured that

stood

some

high-place it

close relation

was

to the

Hermopolitan necropolis. (2) (3)

Supra, pp. 115 See Sallier, IV,

where *

rE^o

and &amp;gt;^ -&amp;lt;J

the

ape,

&amp;lt;\

_EC^ -W^AA

fragmentary

text

speaks of the

ibis

u (

V, I

having been

sent

the

/,-&amp;gt;/

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

157

legend of the coming forth from the Nnm of Re, the god of light, (i) The saying of the Book of the Dead, c. 17, 4- 5 that

S=% Ji

the

R\&amp;gt;

(&quot;that

Jl vi

111 r

which was raised up by

Shu&quot;,

the heaven) was not yet in being when Re was ruling of Eshmunein&quot;, connects the thought of the the on &quot;height creation of heaven and its separation from earth with Her/.

mopolis.

(2)

There are many indications that Hermopolis was a centre of cosmogonic speculation. Mysterious passages in the Book

Dead

of the of

Egypt

indicate

(cf.

Book

its

in the

importance

funerary literature

of the Dead. [Naville], 56,

;

64,

146, 3i- 35). It was known also as a source from which could be derived the most im portant and powerful magical formulae (Book of the Dead, Nav. 1 37 A, 23 24). Even in the days of Menkaure sacred formulae were sought in the &quot;City of the Eight and were found &quot;under the feet of this god&quot; (/. e., probably, Thoth cf. Book of the Dead, Nav. 148, 1518).

ch. 5

also Lepsius, Totb.,

cf.

;

The name

Thoth

been accounted

often

for

the

city,

of the

&quot;City

reference

the

has

Eight&quot;

which

cult,

existed there, of eight beings represented as having the forms of serpents, or frogs, or apes. There existed in Hermopolis - at least in the latter a shrine of the Ogdoad be period side that of Thoth. (3) The Eight are often mentioned and - - but not in variously depicted very ancient texts. miliar designation of Thoth and of his chief-priest

- -

mopolis (1)

Note that

over rebels. 1st

&quot;Great

in the

Book

Cf.

of the

place of

&quot;hiyh

of Dead,

makes

Five&quot;,

Hni&amp;gt;nr&quot;

(Grapow

unlikely that there

Re won some edition

The fa Her

sorts of viclorv

Religiuse

Urkunden,

Leipzig 1915).

pt.,

(2)

Shu

primitively

who

the

light-filled

space

between earth and sky.

Hence

up the sky by coming between it and the earth. In the darkness of night and greyness of dawn earth and sky seem to be merged in a close embrace. Between them comes the light, and raises up the heavens. Shu is he

the god

raises

thus the support of heaven identified,

also,

It is probable that &quot;the raised up of legends of Hermopolis as having been

shining forth (/.

obviously, a light-god.

Thus he came

on the one hand, with Re, and, on the other, with Chons

(the

brought

that ancient centre of the light

by the appearance of Shu). (3) Cf.

Shu&quot;

Pianchi-stela.

heaven) was thought

into

being

Thebes. in

the

Eshmunein by

the

which separated heaven from earth

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

was primitively a

cult

of an

Ogdoad

Eshmunein.

The

of Hermopolis were, probably, Thoth and four others. The Ogdoad may have developed from the four. An indi cation of this is the fact that of the names of the Eight four are feminine forms of the four. Thus the four female remaining &quot;Five&quot;

may have been merely supplements made

deities

to the original for Hermo priestly speculation. The name polis does not seem to go back into the ancient period. The possibility cannot, of course, be excluded that the name is ancient, and that from the name itself has arisen the

Hmnw

group by

Hmmv

legend

of the Hermopolitan

Ogdoad.

(i)

It would be possible to set up several hypotheses to account for the introduction of an ibis-cult into Eshmunein.

Such hypotheses, however, could not be

tested.

The com

parative absence of ancient archaeological material in the Delta makes it practically impossible to determine whether the northern or southern Hermopolis is the older centre of Thoth-cult. It can scarcely be doubted, however, that there

was a shrine of Thoth

in the Delta in the most ancient period. the existence of such an ancient cult-centre in the Delta that, as we have seen, explains, in part at least, Thoth s as sociation with the Delta-drama of Osiris. The &quot;northern Wnw&quot; It

probably Thoth s centre in the Delta- but this designation affords no sound basis for a theory of the priority of the shrine in Middle Egypt. It is simply impossible, working with existing knowledge, to determine anything in reference to the mutual relations of the sanctuaries of Thoth in the Delta and in Middle Egypt. i

Pyr. 191)

The ^

Ofr

&amp;lt;

chief

&amp;lt;2.

-&amp;gt;

(1) u&amp;gt;

town of the Ibis-nome in the Delta was 8-8 -(2) The town (or the nome ?) is written A 9

The

represent the

cult

Thoth

numeral

(2) Steindorflf,

Hmmv

explains

such

eight. See Dum., Geogr. Inschr.,

Die dgyptischen Gauc und Hire

handlungen dcr kunigl. sdchs. Gcscllsch.

puzzle-script as 2.

Abtlg., Taf. 80.

Knhvicklung (Ab\\lssenschaften, Vol. 27, p. 860). Steinpolitisclie

dorff conjectures that

it is identical with the modern Tanah, near Mansura. Naville (Ahnas 24; says that the chief town of the Delta Ibis-nome was also called Hmmv. According to Brugsch (Diet, geogr., p. i88f.) RJnvi and B h had the same position

as Hmmv in Upper Egypt. Ahmed Bey Kamal says (Annales du S. 7, Thoth was worshipped in Rlnri as an Ibis, and in as an ape. Cf.

Lower Kgypt

Picrrct.

that

Etudes

/?&amp;lt;&quot;/;

eg.

(Paris,

i8;3), p. 61.

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH. Graeco-Roman -&amp;lt;

~~ &amp;gt;

V JL

This town

texts ^^TS

N r\

159

probably the same

(Vatican, no.

]

which, according- to

16),

Ahmed Bey

Kamal

(Annales du Service, torn. 7 Rapports stir quelques lode la Basse Egypte], lay a kilometre to the north of the modern Bakliya. &quot;The House of Thoth wp-rhwi&quot; was probably ;

calites

the sacral

fane

name

town of the Ibis-nome.

of the chief

town may have been J

of the

(Brugsch, Diet, geogr.,

and 459

p. 962, 188

named Hermopolis

three towns

X JiJ Strabo mentions I

f.).

The pro

the Delta, - - so that we conjecture that Thoth has several shrines in

may, perhaps,

the Delta.

In Dendereh a is

mentioned

of the Bull of

&quot;Temple

connection with the Hermopolitan nome. There

be here a suggestion of Thoth s epithet &quot;Bull of Mae (i) In the Middle Kingdom we hear of temples of Thoth in other districts in addition to El Bersheh and Hatnub. A fu

may

t&quot;.

nerary stela of the M. K. tions a temple of

Thoth

;

Munich (Glyptothek,

so also does a Turin

men

40;

stela

of the

same period (Turin, no. 107). The El Bersheh reference to the temples of Thoth in the north and south (supra, p. 151, n. 2) justifies us in assuming that there was a fairly widespread public cult of Thoth in the Middle Kingdom. With the XVIIIth Dynasty a period of exceptionally intense

veneration of Thoth begins. That is evident from the extra ordinary popularity of personal names having &quot;Thoth&quot; as one of their constituents, throughout the duration of that dynasty. hear in this period also of the building of different shrines

honour of the god. Queen Hatshepsowet boasts of her zeal worship of Thoth. She doubled the offerings usually set apart for his cult (Urk. IV, 38g. Inscription from Speos Artemidos), and erected new sanctuaries for the god. Appa rently she built a shrine for Thoth in the valley at Speos Artemidos (near Beni Hassan). It is probably from this shrine in

for the

(i)

RAJ

mentioned on the stone of Palermo. ^^^=&quot;

neighbourhood of

uL his foes.

Brugsch assigns

to the

~^ .

suggests

Thoth

function of defending Osiris against

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

160

Thoth

that

TO* *(i)

s epithet [ft

derived

Maspero

is the suggestion that valley of the sanctuary of Pacht (/. c. Speos is correct. With this &quot;Artemidos), (2) shrine should also be connected Thoth s epithet in Leyden V, i Thoth /.? m R)-in-t. (N. K.) The designation of Thoth in a Dendereh text Mariette, i

260 nl

set

may

(]t|*

up by Hatshepsowet

also be

derived from the shrine

Speos Artemidos. Maspero points p. 363) that rl-in-t and Phit were situated close tog-ether. (3) Speos Artemidos was known

out (Etudes dc mrth.

d arch. V,

as Pr-Ph-t or lid S

Other rulers of the XVIIIth Dynasty were,

Hatshep

sowet, zealous in erecting shrines to Thoth. Thotmes III and Amenhotep IV built shrines of some kind for Thoth in Heras we learn from the mopolis inscriptions of those kings. (^4)

The

of Thoth. is very prominent in the templeof the entire period of the New Kingdom. His inscriptions eult was carried also in that period by Egyptian leaders and kings beyond the borders of Egypt. Horemheb, we are told, ^ built a shrine to Thoth in the present day Abahudeh, near Abu SimbeC in Nubia. From this shrine cult

{)

derived the epithet &quot;Thoth of Imn-hri-ib Abu Simbel.

\ (51

which Thoth

receives in

The

royal residence of the reformer-king Amenhotep IV lay outside the limits of the Hermopolitan nome.

A mania,

would be of great interest, from the point of view of the history of Egyptian religion, to determine how the religious Jt

movement towards concentration on Horns myth (Naville\

(i)

pi.

(3i

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;

Jain-, p. :M) J

shows

Thoth (4

mtinein. by .

described as

NVeigall.

F.ffendi

Kcfort.

d arch. V. 225, 226.

rx/vp

365,

Sethc C/.ur Sage

stands

lay on the way which c. &quot;dweller* (/. )

Annalcs du Sen-ice,

Mohammed

that a

wn.t and Ihr-^ni. and that

Sea.

XI.

Maspero, MnJcs dc myth, See Bruesch. Diet, geogr.,

the cult of the solar disc

VIII.

Chaban\

p. i3

1007.

clos

led

from

21122?..

int.

Ibid,

Sonnen-

connection /*&amp;gt;r-#);i

note

to the

with

Red

(Excavations

Ksh-

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTII.

161

inaugurated by Amenhotep IV affected the worship ofThoth. We have, however, no reliable materials to form a judgment on the matter. It may be assumed, however, as highly pro bable that the art of Amarna, which is so different in certain features from the conventional art of Egypt, was, to some

work of artists of Thoth s city. The &quot;City was an Eight&quot; important centre of art as well as of religion, even in the Middle Kingdom, and the tomb-paintings of the nth. and 12 th. dynasties from Sheikh Sa id to Minieh, and in El Bersheh, were the work of the fermopolitan School, (i) The peculiar methods of the Hermopolitan artists extent, at least, the

of the

can be traced not

legitimate,

also,

held,

course,

the art of Amarna. (2; It is argue from the presence of

Hermopolitan artists in Amarna, either that Amarna was in fluenced in any way by the religious news of Thoth s city, or that the worshippers of the sun-disc at Amarna were more kindly disposed to the cult of Thoth than to that of Amon. Possibly, however, it might be fair to infer from the of Hermopolitan art at Amarna something as to and method of temple-decoration in Thoth s city in Amarna period. Erom the connection between Thoth-cult Egyptian colonisation and propaganda, which we see in

traces

the

style

the

work of Horemheb

and the

obvious that the cult of

Nubia, our god lost nothing of its importance through the politicoreligious activities of Amenhotep IV. it

The period of the 19 th. Dynasty furnishes us with un mistakable evidence of the popularity and influence of Thoth in the Egypt of that dynasty. The great builders of temples Sethos I and Rameses II erected several shrines in his honour. In the time of Sethos &quot;Lord

Karnak&quot;. (3)

find

Thoth designated ^z

In Thebes at this period Thoth was pro-

Maspero, Biblioth. t #. XX VIII, p. 201. Davies work on Amarna. The whole outlook of Egyptologists on (2) the art and religion of Amarna, and on the supposed reform of Amenhotep IV is Itn in likely to be changed greatly in the near future. That either the cult of ;

(1)

Cf.

Amarna or

the

of those who set up the royal buildings there were quite unconditioned by anything that preceded them not likely to be maintained so stoutly in the future as it has

artistic

methods

contained features which in

Egyptian culture is been in the past. See Mitteilungen d. D. Orient-Gesellschaft, 1917. (3) Gf. Champollion, \ot. descr. II, 100. Thoth, the Hermes of Egypt.

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

162

bably identified with the Theban moon-god Chons who had an important temple and cult in Karnak. We see the iden tification

name

the composite

formally expressed

AAAAAA

^^ &amp;lt;r\

^^7

VvT

(i)

the temple of Mn-mf-t If&quot;, which In the same &quot;Temple

s epithet &quot;Dweller in

familiar in texts of the late period. (2) Sethos&quot;

Thoth was designated

In the time of Sethos

(Mar. Ab.

^(1(1

also

his

44,

called

temple of

II built

Nefertem&quot;. (4)

monument

ferred

(3) in the

god

this

period

town

belongs

under

&quot;Thoth

In the reign of Sethos I, 860:

Hermonthis (Champ. Not.

&quot;the

(6)

house

hear also Rameses&quot;

apparently, re letter dating from the

Memphis which

The Memphite temple

the

Thoth

a temple for

Thoth

206

II,

^^^

|7J

Mar., Ab.

and to

Maat&quot;.

;

Rameses was

Thoth

find

IjzlO^^t I^f

Thoth was worshipped also etc., etc.X Leyden V, i

&quot;Bull

19):

epithet Thoth,

his tree in the

Jj \_1

the time of Sethos belongs the origin of

rLJ

III

Thoth is

is,

Pap. Bologna JIU S2 L which J RH speaks of Dynasty, oS_ W WVV /WWVA S\Vjf \_1 In Tell-om-Harb in the Delta traces of a temple-cult of Thoth as ape-god, which date from the time of Rameses II, have been found (Annales dii Service XI, p. 3). In far-away Nubia, ^

ft\

*&quot;&quot;&quot;

&amp;gt;

fc^^.

-H,

(*r)

;

19 th.

too,

Rameses showed

his veneration

temple which he built be

&quot;]

n U

i i

for the

Derr, Thoth

god,

said to

for,

the to

dwell,

&quot;\~~

There too Rameses speaks of Thoth

&amp;lt;3)

as his father. (7

Karnak, Hypostyle, North Side. Sethe, 19, 02. The identification of the almost complete in the Graeco-Roman texts. (2) See Mariette, Abydos I, 52; 53: Appendix B, Tableau 23 (A. B.). (1)

two gods

(3)

Mariette,

(4&amp;gt;

Mariette,

Appendix B; Tableau 23 c. I, 27. 38, c. Cf. Thoth of Pnubs infra p. 170. 3: Memphis, 224: Turin Pap. (P. and R.) 19, i

Abydos Abydos

(5)

Sec Recucil

(6)

Pap. Tur.

III,

19,

6; Sethe (Sage

sanctuary erected forThoth by Rameses

vom Sonnenauge, 23 in

Hammam.

note 2) speaks of a Cf. Mariette, Ab. II, 206.

Blackman, Temple of Derr, p. 12. Thoth had a shrine in the temple of Ptah built by Rameses II at Gerf IJusen in Nubia (Weigall, Report, p. 81). The temple of Gerf IJusen was a poor copy of Abu Simbel. (?)

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH. Rameses

i63

was a still more eager worshipper of Thoth predecessor Rameses II had been. In the Harris Papyrus we are told (I, 58, 4 5) how the third Rameses built two temples to Thoth and equipped them most splendidly III

than his

with

the apparatus of sacrificial worship.

all

temples were

period

Probably these

Hermopolis. Elsewhere, too, in the same hear of public official worship of Thoth. The Harris built in

speaks of a Jt J) - l/JTn Jm^ 1f Q Q !k vfr \_i which seems to be cpoyCDIT in the lyth., or i8th.,

Pap.

6ic, 8f.)

(I,

qr^j

nome

Upper Egypt,

&quot;^x

(i)

In the later periods we hear frequently of temples of Thoth but very rarely do we hear anything as to the -

individuals

of Thoth district

whom

by in

Egypt

those temples were erected. The shrines period are not confined to any one

later

this

they exist everywhere, showing thus the On an interesting ostracon

universal popularity of the god. of the New Kingdom published

by Gardiner (2) there is a which gives a good notion of the

of Thoth

of shrines

list

New Kingdom period. The ostracon of a sacrificial speaks offering to Thoth in six centres: i. Hmmr diffusion of his cult in the

Cusae:

3. [1

^v Wu

J] [/}&

J^&amp;gt;

Bubastis

(3)

;

Thoth often appears in connection with Abydos. (6) He *-^_ sometimes called A &quot;dweller in Abusir-el-Melek&quot;,

the

of Ehnas

necropolis

Dendereh he

called

(Vatican, 99).

god who

(7)

dwells

the

texts

in Heliopolis&quot;

great (Brugsch, Thes., 757). In a text on a statue of the late period &quot;the

(2)

So Brugsch: cf. Turayeff, p. 148. Theban Ostraca c.2., Hieratic Text

(3)

Herodotus

(1)

says

6062

Naville, Bubastis, p. (4)

that

According

Thoth had

(University of

temple

Toronto

Bubastis

(II.

Studies).

i38):

See,

Turayeff, p. 149.

Maspero

(Et. dc

myth. V,

854

f.)

Etlidem, or

Kum-

el-Rahaleh, on the northern frontier of the hare-nome. (5)

Gardiner puts

somewhere beetween Ptolemais and Aphroditopolis. Its an epithet of Amon, and Habu) was Spsi (

chief divinity (according to Medinet

also of Thoth). See Turayeff, p. 150. (6) Mar., Ab.

Wreszinski, Agrptischc Inschriften

(p. 89), etc., etc. ,&quot;&quot;

(7) In

What

the

same Vatican

does this mean

text

Thoth

called

Thoth

II*

&quot;1

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OK THOTH.

164

Florence (Florence 1784) he

called

^\ HI |O ^r* JT in a Saitic text in the Bibliotheque nationale at Paris

(

A 06

shrine of Thoth in the late period

Papyrus of the

late

says that the place called Rl Snti i

the

Eshmunein

museum

a text of the

temple of Sethos the

same epithet

an altar-piece

Thoth

Turin,

further

somewhere

Thoth

in the Delta,

called

^H^V

4T^

called v\ )^rvV-

C~l

C D

44, 6

gets

and on s

i=oui!

. t^j)

In the

14). .

where the text occurs

called

Thoth

cult-centre of

the text, Mariette, Abydos

of Aix-en-Provence (no.

Abydos Thoth

(i)

p. 149).

rhnn

Leyden funerary speaks of Thoth Lord of

$. (Turayeff,

n&amp;gt;p

lurayeff locates this shrine

9 as ^ o ix nuP| J the late period, wliich probably lay I

the seat of Thoth

Faiyum Labyrinth, (Leyden, V,

period (Lanzone V, LI)

, .

of the N. K.

stela

of Thoth

A Faivum

no. 84).

;

existed in

Ab. ,^/! (Mar.,

44,

3).

Late texts connect him with Ombos. So, in a text published in Catal. dcs num. el inscr., Kom Ombos, 2nd. part, 3rd facsicule, p. 294, he is called &quot;the Great, the Lord of Eshmunein, the

god A Sfr & ( 2 ) There is, of course, no connection between the presence of Thoth s cult in this Ombos and the circumstance that Thoth supplanted Set in so many of the great

(

&amp;lt;

ceremonies of ancient Egypt.

liturgical

(3)

In the latest periods of Egyptian history we hear com paratively little about the erection of temples or shrines for Thoth. In the 3oth. dynasty we find that king Nechtharheb built a temple for the &quot;Lord of Eshmunein&quot;. (4)

Brugsch quotes

i.L Z.

1867,

quarries at Turah a quarry at

Turah

(1)

Cf.

(2)

Compare \

u1.

inscription of Nektanebos II in the in which the king speaks of having opened

91)

to procure building material for the erection

Brugsch, Diet, gcogr., Junker,

supra,

(4) British

Museum,

Auszug dcr

^2.3.

524.

jSo. Hutlior, p

(&amp;gt;(&amp;gt;.

TEMPLES AM) SHRINES OF THOTH.

TIIK CHIEF of a temple to

&quot;Thoth

rhwi, the great

god of B

h&quot;.

165

Xaville

(Ahnas, p. 25) that the great stone blocks which are to be seen at Bakliya are portion of the building material

thinks still

which Nektanebos brought from Turah for the temple of Thoth. It seems, however, that the temple was never actually built. In the Ptolemaic period the Pharaohs developed a new and intense interest in the maintenance of the older Egyptian cults. Numerous temples were built in this period all over Egypt. The cult of Thoth was affected greatly by the Ptolemaic religious revival, and it would seem as if the ancient god of enjoyed in this period of Egyptian renaissance a greater popularity and exercised a greater influence, than at any other period of Egyptian history. In the great temple of Hathor at Dendereh Thoth appears he had there a special as one of the most important deities shrine and a special cult, as we can see from his epithets ritual

(Brugsch, Thcs. 760) and I

Q ,

&quot;Dweller

Den

(Mar., Dend. Ill, 68 u) (i) In the temple of Horus at Edfu Thoth was still more important. In that great sanctuary he was revered as one with Chons the moon-god, and in that character was identified; in some sense, with Horus himself. dereh&quot;

called there

^-^_ mighty

*V&quot;

-&amp;lt;2&amp;gt;-

*lC

^N^

AAAAAA

di^^YYY^i^

&quot;Chons-Thoth,

the

lion,

power, the hm, many-coloured of plumage, the great f

in strength, the

mighty of limb, who makes a slaughter among

enemies of the W^-Eye&quot; (2]. The god is here repre sented, at one time, as a falcon wearing the solar disc- (like Horus), and at another, as a lion. This idea of Thoth as a the

lion is

suggested often, as we shall

see,

the later Nubian

identification

possible that it is ultimately derived from the of Thoth with Chons-Shu in Thebes. Thoth is

connected

temples.

Temple

It is

very special

of Edfu. This

the

way

with

&quot;&-Miouse&quot;,

one

portion of the the H-t sbk-t. It was,

apparently, some kind of shrine or chapel of the moon-god which formed part of the temple of Horus. In this shrine were kept statues (or other representations) of Chons and (1)

See Turayetf, p. 149. R. I. 263.

(2) Edfu,

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

166

Thoth, and also a sacred

was

Sbk- /-shrine

god Shu who

staff or

of Chons. (i) The temple of Edfu. (2) The often identified with Chons sceptre

at the east side of the

god of

(as

light)

,thus occasioning, it would seem, the representation of Chons as lion) was also somehow present in the .&-/-shrine of Edfu.

(3)

That the ^A- /-house was connected with moon-worship is clear from the fact that the lunar-eye, the moon as eye of the god of heaven,

a Ptolemaic text (5)

lord of the

Sbk-t,

called Sbk-t (Edfu,

AJL

Chons

77). (4)

called

&quot;&quot;

&quot;the

glorious

and the lunar reference of

month&quot;

Sbk-t

cannot here well be doubted. It is likely that special cere monies were carried out in the Sbk-t-shrmv on the various feasts which marked the phases of the moon. Possibly the Edfu-

Thoth

epithet

may be somehow Sbk-t-shr me on the month-

(Edfu, R.

connected with the celebrations

in the

53)

point to the existence of still another shrine which belonged to Thoth in Edfu. But the exact meaning of the epithet is obscure. (6 days,

may

)

Thoth existed in the Ptolemaic remarkable Edfu narrative of the birth

interesting shrine of

Thebes.

period

of the

Ogdoad

Edfu, R.

speaks of an

77)

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;

XI IMG Medinet Habu).

Thoth

(7) This shrine of the god was erected by Ptolemy IX (Euergetes II). Thoth is entitled there &quot;Lord of Eshmunein&quot;, and often in the inscriptions of this shrine he

named

title

(1)

Kdfu, K.

(2)

Piehl.

(3)

Isis

li-t-Sbk-t. I,

K\.

Tiw;^

deities

Koch.

(8) In the same temple a god of healing, was honoured, and in the texts the two ^*^| (--= Thoth and Dhr are, apparently, sometimes confused

recives the

559. For the U-t-sbk-t see Junker, Onurislegende, p. 148. II, 01.

Seshat

See Kdfu, R.

257

(4)

7/i.svr.

250

Scihe. 20. io3

a i

the

378.

and

Scribe&quot;

For

companion of Thoth was also in the which associate Shu with the shrine see

texts

270: 278. of Bab-cl-Abd

text

the

of Horus

(Karnak) in

put

the

Graeco-Roman

parallelism with his

(5) (6)

Dumichen, 7 cnipelinsc/v. See above p. 27, note i.

(7) Cf. (8;

The

inscriptions of this temple to the

period

&quot;56A--/-eye&quot;.

-&amp;lt;S&amp;gt;-

3o.

Champollion, \ot. descr.

.\gou:\ the temple lay

(]

6o3.

are published by Mallet in his Kasr-flsouth-west of the great temple of Medinet Habu.

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH. each

with

name

the

Dhr

other.

of Thoth

167

and called sometimes fD J ^v, sometimes thrown together with the S9

name 7\ J^^ deified

7)/ir

strange fashion, c

u-&quot;^^

3?\

(i)

,WC^)

for

as,

instance,

f-j

^~&quot;^

be noted that the ancient

temple. sage Imhotep was also honoured Dhn is really has led Sethe to conjecture (2) that Teos a deified priest of Memphis, 3) The epithet Stm Sethe regards as belonging to the deified priest. Mallet (4) thinks that the in this (&amp;gt;-

epithet R l\

P^l^

he belives

equivalent to the priestly

be a specific

title (5)

title

and

of the Memphitic

\vf\S%

that this deified Sw-priest priests of Ptah. Sethe is of opinion of Memphis may possibly be the Theban Hermes whom

Clement of Alexandria mentions along with Asklepios of man. (6) Against this Memphis, as an instance of a deified view of Sethe, however, stands the fact that the epithet Sim in is used in the inscriptions of the temple in question only the with connection in used not is it Thoth reference to :

name Teos (^TlV and Thoth

called

Stm only where he

does not appear as identified, or confused, with Teos. (71. late period &quot;Thoth-Sfw&quot; very familiar personal name of the as en epithet of suggestes that Sim was regarded generally the oracle-god and healing god Thoth. It would be very na tural that a human sage (Teos) should be honoured, The in the same shrine as Thoth, the god of wisdom. deified,

fact

that in this temple

Imhotep and Amonhotcp appear

The personal name Dhr-p-hb is found See Parthey, Agyptische Personennamen, period.

(1)

(2)

Sethe, Imhotep, p. 8

(3)

Thcs. V, 866

priest

of the Ptolemaic

p. 116.

Memphis named Teos

actually

known.

Sec

Brugsch,

(4)

Kasr-el-Agouz.

(5)

For the equivalence of Urn and

Stories of the (6)

Theban tombs

High

titm,

cf.

Brugsch,

Wb.

1221

Griff

Priests, p. 4.

Clement, Strom.

21,

6 184, p. 399. See Sethe, Imhotep, p.

tV.

Theban Hermes Reitzenstein (Poimandres, p. n8f.) refuses to identify the Thotkult zii &quot;Der He texts. these of rightly: the says of Clement with Teos-p-hb und die \Vorte Theben stammt sicher nicht von diesem einen Herocnkult her, of Thoth was well know des Clemens lassen sich kaum so pressed. The cult (7)

Thebes long before

Ptol.

IX built the temple

with the Theban moon-god Chons

the

question.

New Kingdom.

Thoth was

identifi

CHIEF TKMPLKS AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

Tl IK

paredroi of Thoth

be explained, (i) similarly Imhotep, and Teos are all deified sages, and Amonhotep Euergetes II who, even more than other Ptolemies, was a lover of Egyptian wisdom, did not think to do dishonour to Thoth, the Hermes of Egypt, in setting up beside him as gods three Egyptian to

sages. In the text of the Dedication of the shrine (2) it is said that Thoth (or possibly Teos) was wont to descend on the temple each evening in the form of an ibis and mor

every

;

ning, according to the text, the god went forth again from the shrine. It would thus seem that the temple was looked upon as a centre for night-oracles received

through incubation; and it is probable that the chief worshippers in the temple were the sick who came to get comfort in their pains from such dreams as the night-abiding god of healing might send to

The peculiar epithet of Thoth in this shrine, who hears&quot;, would fit in well with the customs

them. &quot;he

a temple. (3

The

Stm, of such

&amp;gt;

cult of

have developed

Thoth

the later period in

as steadily as his

just

cult

Nubia seems in

the

Egypt

that period. In the great sanctuary of Philae Thoth was very specially ,-enerated. He gets there the title &quot;Lord of Philae&quot; (4) he is also the texts of Philae, &quot;Lord of :

styledjn

&quot;Thoth

&quot;Lord

Eshmunein&quot;,

of the

Pnubs&quot;.

Abaton&quot;

island of Bigeh)

c. (/.

appears here

one of the

and

triad,

Arhensnuphis, Thoth, Dedwn. The epithet &quot;Thoth of Pnubs&quot; the special designation of the Nubian Thoth. The texts of -,

Philae are quite clear as to the identity of Thoth of Eshmunein with Thoth of Pnubs. 5) In spite of this recognised identity, 1 1.

)

Cf.

Reitzenstein, /WM;/c//r.v. p. i2of.

(2,

Mallet,

(3)

Compare

tip.

dt..

Thcbanischcn Gr^bcrstcidt in

which

(\^

Amon

\yj^X

(4) (&amp;gt;}

hot.

101.

^*1 who

invoked

Brugsch,

1447).

the

VVVVVA

Amon

Sitzungsber.

published

d. p.

SUCh

Krmans Dcnkstcinc

Ak. 1911,

J^L T\ 8 =s j^xsi/

8^^. noci^

niven to a god

the prayers to

and cP

^ %\

iHAiJjrSDi ithets as would

dcr

/www

nat urally

&quot;%=-

stood high

nits

pp. 1088, 1091, 1092 etc.)

the estimation of ordinary folk.

77it-.v.

IV, p. 765. \Vurtcrbuch

Zettel.

hilae.

470.

(Photograph. 1434)-

949

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

169

however, the Nubian Thoth possesses characteristics which do not normally belong to the Thoth of Egypt. Thus lie appears, for instance, in Philae as &quot;the god of wine who drinks the lord of drunkenness and fes abundantly&quot; and, again, as He appears here, further, as &quot;the living lion which tivity&quot;.

overthrows the

evil

ones, mighty in strength, lord of

In Philae, as in Dendereh, Thoth is

said to be

The in

(

XA^AA* (^^\

(4)

with Shu

)

mighty Shu, Lord of wine&quot;. (2) Thoth in Philae, &quot;great and splendid god (3) and &quot;He that pacifies the Nsr-t in

and

&quot;He

)

that pacifies the Nsr-t in the

Abaton ^= I

point to the existence of a special cult

)

(

epithets of

Bigeh

Bigeh,

&quot;the

identified

victory&quot;.

Thoth

the island of Bigeh. Here again, as at Philae, it is the Nubian, rather than the Egyptian Thoth that is honoured. (5)

The chief shrine of Thoth of Nubia was the temple of Dakkeh (Pselkis). This temple was built by the Nubian king Ergamenes, who was a contemporary of the A AAAAAA second, third, and fourth Ptolemies. Ptolemy IX, who built the shrine of Thoth in XUMG built also a Pronaos for Hermes Paotnuphis (i. e. Thoth of Pnubs) at Dakkeh. The shrine built by Ergamenes at Dakkeh seems&quot; to have been specially dedi D cated to Thoth of Pnubs ( i!PAV(6) The name P-nbs, or (I

\D Ji

Pr-nbs

(&quot;House

of the

Sycamore&quot;)

reminds

one of the old

village which is now called Ofedwineh (about 10 kilometres distant from Pselkis). This village was known In the temple of in the Roman period as Hierasykaminos.

name

of the

Ofedwineh the sacred sycamore is frequently depicted, and there also the goddess Isis is represented as seated under a tree, while Thoth stands beside her. (7) It is possible that the (i)

Ibid., Zettel 958.

(3)

Zettel 93o.

(5)

(4)

(2)

Ibid.,

Zettcl 947.

Zettel 816.

Another peculiarity of the Nubian Thoth is that \vhen he is sometimes represented as completely human in figure

with Shu, he

Mon.

II.

identified

(cf.

Champ.

32, 2).

(6) A Greek inscription of the temple says that its pronaos was built in the 35th. year of Ptol. IX, and dedicated to Hermes Paotnuphis. (Weigall, p. 52 if.). (7) See Weigall, Report, p. 85 ff. The nbs-\rtQ appears as sacred tree in

/WWVA

nearly

means

all

the necropolis of the

&quot;necropolis&quot;.

list

nomes

Edfu. In Ed. R.

335

^^^

()

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

170

Pnubs may have

place-name

sacred Sycamore of Ofedwineh.

Pnubs

Upper Nubia

derived (i)

its origin from the There was however, another

where Ergamenes lived

(2)

period of his rule. It is, therefore, likely that at Pselkis and elsewhere derived his title

the early of

&quot;Thoth

Pnubs&quot;

from the Upper

Nubian town where Ergamenes began his reign. (3) Thoth of Pnubs is represented at times as an ape seated under a tree (probably the

It is a reasonable ;z/&amp;gt;.v-tree). (4) conjecture that the Nubian Thoth was somehow associated with tree-worship. It is rather as ape than as ibis that he appears in Nubia, and an ape-cult would stand, perhaps, without difficulty in close relationship with the worship of a sacred tree. But it is not possible to indicate clearly the pro

by which Thoth came thus to be worshipped in asso Dakkeh, the chief Nubian shrine of the god, his identity with Thoth of Hmnn is implied in some of the epithets ascribed to him. The epithets of Thoth which recur most often at Dakkeh are &quot;Lord of Pnubs in Takens&quot; (/. e. north Nubia), &quot;Lord of Dakkeh&quot;, Twicecess

ciation with a sacred tree. In

&quot;the

great lands

Hmnw

&quot;Lord

p rhn i, shtp nfrn Both in Dakkeh and ,

Bigeh&quot;,

&quot;Lord

of the southern

Dendur Thoth of Pnubs appears Dendur Thoth is re presented in human form, seated, wearing a crown of plumes (the crown of Onuris) and holding in the right hand a J-sceptre as a form of Shu. (5) In

round which

the temple of

serpent coils

itself)

and a scorpion.

(6)

The

him accompanying god &quot;Thoth of Pnubs, Lord of Dakkeh 1 JU S^x (?) **-* II The crown of Onuris and the designation &quot;Lion of the South&quot; are features which really belong to the Nubian equi valent of Shu Arhensnuphis. (8) The serpent-encircled sceptre

text

this

representation of the

calls

_&amp;lt;*

\&amp;gt;

(1)

Ptolemy mentions

(3)

Cf. Weigall,

(4)

For

(5)

Brugsch, Thes. 761, 39 (Dakkeh).

(6) (7)

(8)

Report,

tier

Hungersnot.

20.

good representation of Thoth of Pnubs See

Blackman, Temple of Dendur PI. XLII. Blackman, Dendiir, p. 54. Brugsch, Thes. 765, 62 c. For equation Onuris

see Junker, Onurislegende, p. 7.

I))

Or, perhaps, Maharaka. this Pnubs. Cf. Brugsch. Siebcn Jahrc

(2)

[&quot;&quot;)[

Bibl. eg., vol. 27, plate IV.

Shu

= Arhensnuphis,

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

171

suggests the magic, and, particularly, the healing powers of the god. (i) In the

Nubian temple of Debod (which, like the shrine of Dakkeh, was also built by a native Nubian ruler) Thoth of Pnubs is represented as a man in a standing position who

holds in the

with a serpent and j-sceptre together to be noted that, just as Thoth is

hand a

left

two scorpions.

(2)

Shu

frequently identified with

we find in Dakkeh an Dakkeh we hear of H

Nubian temples, (3) Shu with Thoth.

the

identification of

^ This H

the venerable, the

&quot;Shu,

-jj-

identification of the two gods Eshmunein&quot;. (4) based ultimately, as has been already said, in all probability, on the Theban identification of Shu and Chons. (5) The ap-

dweller in is

seem

would

(1)

Eshmunein could

from

of himself, and, as

Dcnd.,

Mar.,

own

his

were,

Thoth

that

IV,

right,

represented in

hear in that text of the first serpent-form of Thoth n p rlnvi&quot;. serpent-form. For the connection of the scorpion with magic see a discussion by Gardiner,

PSBA, 1917,

44 on the

pp. 34

(2) Roeder, Debod,

Thoth

Kalabsheh

2 me fascicule,

Dakkeh

S=5

known

Plate

For

106).

Kherep

srkt.

similar

representation of

Talmis) see Gauthier

Ij^-g

where the god

PI. 114,

who

official

7emple dc Kalabchah,

Thoth of Pnubs,

styled

]

Lord of

JIT,

&quot;

(3)

comes

forth (4)

Debod Thoth

identified

with

clearly

from Kns-t.

Champ, Notes

descr.

&amp;lt;=!

-li

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;

V fr) Lfj

who

73.

44 there is a remarkable representation of Thoth and Shu holding up the heavens in which can be seen the sacred ir&amp;lt;.f?-/-Eye. This Chons Thoth. Shu would suggest, perhaps, such equations as Herakles (5)

In Marietta,

II,

pi.

1906, p. i8if.). Herakles in the Greek legend supported for a while the universe. Shu as the light-space which separates earth from heaven performs (Cf. Recueil,

similar

(cf.

The texts,

function.

AZ, XXI,

descriptive epithet

and

nQl] U

possible that the

identification

Chons and Shu

Junker

his

&quot;th-

found

same

and

200

shining

word swi may in

Edfu

Nubia

due

readilv

applied

identified

Article,

Chons

Chons). in

Edfu-

example II,

pi.

76)

of the

where

identification a

falcon-god

of is

to prove that the con circumstance that these two gods

undertakes

to the

part in the legend

were

Pauly-Wissowa,

also have helped to bring about the

interesting

^*^

Chons. f.

one&quot;

Dendereh (M.

Onurislegetide pp. 7

Thoth and Shu

play practically the

Shu

light

Chons and Shu. An is

called &quot;Chons-Shu dweller in

nection of

gods

Wiedemann, Herodot,

of the bringing

home

Egypt of the

THE CHIEF TEMPLES AND SHRINES OF THOTH.

172

pearance of Tefenet as the spouse of Thoth in the Nubian temples is due to the assimilation of our g-od with Arhensnuphis Shu, and therefore, partly to the role of Thoth in the legend of Onuris. angry goddess. The real god of Pnubs, according to Junker, is the warrior-god Onuris, and through Onuris Thoth and Shu are equated. In proof of this theory Junker carefully examines the representations of Thoth of Pnubs at Philae, Dakkeh and Dendur. The scorpion and serpents which are described in the text above as coiling themselves round the sceptre held by Thoth of Pnubs, Junker as a regards

late

addition to the original simple 1 -staff

of the

on which

staff

set

|-staff

some

instances the god holds instead

falcon-head

bearing the

sun-disc

the

familiar sceptre of Onuris.

never

Ifmmv &quot;Lion

shown

Further Junker points out that Thoth of Pnubs seldom as receiving gifts such as arc generally offered to Thoth of

writing-apparatus, bread, symbols of moon-worship etc. The epithets of the South&quot; &quot;He who comes forth from Nubia Lord of the southern ,

which arc assigned to Thoth of Pnubs prove, also, according to Junker that the connection between the ancient god of Hminr and the god of Pnubs is merely external and secondary. When Thoth of Pnubs is called Lord of wine who drinks abundantly&quot;. &quot;Lord of drukenness and gladness&quot; he is identified again with Onuris lunds&quot;

Nubia^

who was

When Thoth in

the

House of

looked on as the

books&quot;

&quot;Lord

of wine

Lord of Ma f et, Lord of judging who dwells Phot. Scribe of the Knnead&quot; (Philae, 1.156), and again,

of Pnubs

called

&quot;the

(Kalabsheh, Phot. 1776),

the

ascription

him of these //wmi

may

-epithets

some fundamental agreement in character between god of Pnubs, or, more probably, to the fact that

due. according to Junker, either to

Thoth of

Hmnw

and the

local

Onuris also was looked on (even Onuris, however,

came

certainly right in

maintaining

the N. K.) as

Lord of laws and judging. That

regarded as judge and legislator needs itself to be explained. Junker admits that the representation of Thoth of Pnubs in ape-form makes a difficulty for his theory suggesting that the primitive local god of Pnubs was an ape-god with which Onuris came somehow to be identified. Junker is to

that

Thoth and Onuris-Shu

largely through the legend of Onuris.

painstaking statement of the evidence in

is,

are

associated

however, not yet clear

for theory that Tholh of purely external and secondary fashion with the god of Pnubs.

Pnubs

spite of his

Hmnw

Appendix A.

names

List of proper

which the name

Thoth

appears.

Ahmed Bey Kamal,

&amp;gt;

Rec. 1898, p. 88. Florence, no, 1676 (N. K.).

&quot;

Tables d offrandes, p. 178.

and R.

W, Pap. Turin. P.

96, 6 (end of

PI sri Dhwti (Psenthotes), Rec. 42, p. 45,

l^iSlo.^

lemaic).

Psenthotes.

Papyri

JsOwO,

III,

MavsOci)).

(Rams. cOwTir,

(Rams.

;

283.

Cairo no.

194

1 1

63 }.

^aOonr,;).

Rec. 1903, p. 169. Cercueils (Cat. du Mus.

Daressy, nos. 61018

Dyn.).

(Erbach Pap. Pto

P3 Dhwti Spiegelberg, Dem. Pap. (Catal. du Mus.

Rylands Demotic

XXth

61019 (XVIII th Dyn. Seti

Caire^

d. I)

61020

;

II).

Rylands Dem. Pap.

Ill,

275.

This

may

represent

R\ ;

T\,

Turin,

Leyden Ill,

may

no. 92

be the same as Mri-Dhwti.

(Funerary

Stela

350, verso, col. 4, 23 (written

Gardiner,

Theban

^^)

^^J^O)

Topographical

(Rams. Ill

of late

Florence, Ushebtis (Sala IIIX

Catal.,

period). :

Anast. p.

LIST OF PROPER NAMES, ETC.

174 ~~*\

J%, Naville, Deir

crz]

(Esljarthon

Rec Tgo3

Catal. du

lands

cf. ibid.,

t),

79.

Rj lands Dem. Pap.

el Italian,

Ill,

no.

verso,

p. 453.

p&amp;lt;

I95

(

Musee, Kamal, Steles ptolemaiques, no. 22150.

Petrie,

Han ara,

Dem. Pap.

Ill, 14,

PI.

(Greek period),

cf.

sister

Cairo no.

A R

(Ty

^ x^ A O R

\1 Jv.

^AAA^

20025;

ill.

and

man

appears as a proper name,

Wien, Kunsthistor. Museum,

X xTf Q,

p. 264.

Florence, Catal. 1553. Stela of M. K. (The ~\

p. 21

Stela of M. K.)

^piegelberg, Demot.

@J)o^J) \^f VJ.

Musee

Catal. du

Insclir.,

VJ. rs

d. Ct7/Vt%

7vVt\ 33,

no. 31144; p.

152.

Spiegelberg The Greek form

Demot. Pap. 30710. is

Cf.

XssOwTr,;, or XscOovjTs;

(Rylands Dem. Pap. Ill, i.SgX The Mahaffy-Petrie Pap. has also XssOwOr,;. Cf. P. S. B. A. 23/3oo. For the Upper

Egyptian form ,

Brit.

Xi-Jh .r.r^ see AVilken, Ostraca, no. 1194.

Mus. 772 (X.KJ. [Whether 1*1

represents

{] (j

Dhwti

not certain. Cf. the forms of the

supra, p. 10,

note

Mission. V, 346 Cf.

2S.

Jj^fe^

XVIIIth Dyn.), 1

J^z^

name

^ and w 1

Petrie,

Han

ara, PI.

Cairo, 20198 (M. K.)

Petrie,

Kahun,

Turin

(Stela,

no. 171.

\ Cairo, 20237 (^-

K-)-

(h\s may be

Sbk-Dhn&amp;gt;ti).

(Sr pi D.\ Hilton Price, Catal. of Eg. Antiquities 1622.

\&amp;gt;

Cf. p. 204].

Cf. also in the

same

vol. 1622 a,

b: 1626: 125

11,

128.

PROPER NAMES, ETC.

LIST OF

Quibell, Ramesseum, i

XX,

175

XXI,

(cf.

Rec. 21,

16).

Berlin

Tombstone, XVIIIth Dyn.

7 2? 2

&amp;gt;

Pap. jud. de Turin,

(name of a

19, 10

criminal).

Cairo, Wb. 386

($,

MII

Dhn \X

Cairo, Sinuhe-Ostracon

Rylands Dem. Pap.

ti,

pT^J^U

PL XXVI.

Cf. )

vol. 4, p.

S $)^ ^5 ^ JT A /W^VA

&quot;

JL M

7^e6\ II, i3

O^ft^ LJ :

|\=^^ Daressy, (5

yj,

r/-f

D. see Sphinx, 7&quot;^

A/8,

Dhn&amp;gt;ti

i3,

D-Hmnn

{

letter of

;

name. N. K.

Ill,

277.

^x ^^

J),

This

Monum.

Maspero,

Masp

may be

sri-t

7:Yz/^(?A-

roj-.

;r^.,

a contraction for

hnn&amp;gt;

See Mission

ill

XXth

XXIth Dyn.

Cerciieils des pretres

stm (Steles

Cf. the

name,

d Avion,

p. 15.

For Tl

ptol. 221 36).

Pap. 1201,

Brit.

sri-t

Mus.

P. S. B. A. 1911, p. 109.

Kunsthistorisches Museum, no. 172 Catal. dn

Musee

Caire

;

Steles ptol.,

The Greek form

22238. Pap.

J^ Ji\j

p. 23g.

7V Dhwti, Vienna,

(Ptolemaic)

c=^=, 11

Pap. Nesikhonsu

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

Ill,

NX Hnx,

Pap.

&quot;

III,

woman

;

Cairo, Wb., no. 61.

bn&amp;gt;

,x.

(Sethe, 24, 56)

TaOwTi;.

vSee

Rylands Dem.

pp. 265, 462.

Cairo,

20258

(XVIIIth Dyn.): Ley den V,

(Stela

(The name is frequent in the time of the XVIIIth Dyn.). It seems to have been often given

of N.

K..).

to scribes.

used as a name for

women

as well as

LIST OF

PROPER NAMES, ETC.

See Leg-rand, Repertoir general. 689. It occurs in M. K. also. So Louvre, Cat. 186. In the Steles Ptole-

men.

maiques

appears as Jn

Carnarvon and Carter, Five years exploration

&amp;gt;

at Thebes, p. 21

AW,

(no. 22145).

(Ushebti

;

XVIIIth Dyn.).

Rylands Dem. Pap.

Cf. P. S. B.

Ill, 262.

The Greek form would be

Cf. Rec. igo3,

(-)OTJ;.

GyC = Gy, HOy - ps. -participle With this name Dhu Acij; == Hr hi

tical

Catal. dn

V&amp;gt;

Musee

theque

of the

name

text

Caire,

Dem.

Carlsberg (Schmidt*,

15,

\&\ the

^^,

in&amp;gt;

seems

name

Kamal,

Steles ptole-

Pap., no. 80664

^V&, Louvre, Apis

Glypto-

Another variant

Fig-. 67.

Berlin, Pap. 8162,

5, 7

(in

the

written clearl

Cairo Ostracon, Wb., no.

rkunden, IV, 448

be iden

maiques, 22029: Spiegelberg,

same

p. 20.

would be

a parallel

A. 28/298.

(XXth Dyn.l

Stela, no. 189.

Parallel to this

the

name ,

Rj-lands

The Greek form would be 193)

Assyrian, p. 4 1).

A;/s ? Txtc:,

(Catal. d. A/MS.),

l\ip.

H-opTat;

Ranke,

l&amp;gt;

P-,

D&amp;gt;

also

272,

p. 189,

occurs

Keilinschr.

4 63.

(cf.

Material,

found again in Spiegelberg, Dem. Pap. no. 80704 and Spiegelberg, Erbach Pap. is

;

Rec. 42, p. 48. Schmidt, Glyptotheque

A woman s

262,

Ill,

(Rj

(-JsTspTx-.s;

KccpTa-.sr.

Ti-hu-nt-ir-ti-sii,

The name

Dem.

name,

n g]\ ^T&quot; M .^A/ A __r. 1

OS ^-&amp;gt;J

funerary stela of the late period.

Ny Carlsberg, is

found

no. 2428.

in a

Louvre

LIST OF PROPER NAMES, ETC. I

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

V& Ryl. Dem.

name

of a sailor,

Turin Pap. P. and R.,

V&,

XXth

115 (Period of

12,

Rams.

Lit

pi i

Copy by Sethe

spsi.

and

(P.

Dem. Pap.

_w_, Rylands

pp. 262, 272

Ill,

Greek forms would be

Ahmed Bey Kamal, ,

(-&quot;bTj/Yjvt;

and

C.\

no.

Gardiner, Topogr.

Cat.,

K.\ p.

(XlXth

Lyons, Funerary Stela of N. K. pp. 18; 38; 34.

first

This

a very

beginnings of an Egyptian

awakening in the XVIIIth Dyn. be sought. See Rec. 1901, p. i3o.

political

are,

Pap. Mallet (Rams. Ill): published d.

% ^r

in the

from El Kab, where the

Etudes

J&amp;lt;

XVIIIth Dyn. (Greek form TcO^oci;). is not far especially common at Edfu which

common name is

Cf.

(XlXth Dyn.): Harris

Louvre, Apis Stela, no. 10

The name

The

1134.

Tables d offrandes, p. 98.

Cairo 20025, 20387, 20068 (M.

Leyden, V,

&quot;

BET^.EV.

^j, Gardiner, Topographical Catalogue,

Spiegel-

&amp;gt;

berg, Demot. Insehr. (Catal. du M.

Dyn.).

R.).

\AAAAA

II).

Dhn

Cairo 20198 (Tombstone M. K.).

Chonsu (A)

(stone coffin of late period).

n$, Turin Pap. 91,

Mus.

Brit.

(name

165, 5

Dyn.).

Tomb

Thebes,

is Hc-rpw-.c .:.

of the Ptolemaic period.

[7\

According

33, p. 152) the Greek form

Leyden, V, 108 (N. K.).

63.

fj.

to N. Reich (Rec. It is

pp. 124,

Pap.,

177

myth., vol.

Thoth, the Hermes of Eg\pt.

p. 37.

perhaps,

by Maspero

LIST OF PROPER NAMES, ETC.

178

Ramesscum XI: Gardiner, Topogr.

Quibell,

(time of

Amenophis

berg, Dem. Pap., q

Q &quot;&quot;1

no. 50012

frequent. In Spiegel-

written

3o23, 42

^^$ It

Bersheh

form

^-^. See,

jj^

(Statuette of M. K.)

a popular ancient name.

oMr&amp;gt;

=^ *^=

Leyden, V,

,VJ

funer., plate tiquite s des

XXIV

15 (N.

K.)

Leemans, Monum.

du Musee d an-

c gyptiens

(Monuments

Pays-lias a Leyde,

III).

Pap. jud. de Turin,

5, 3, 6 (cf. ibid.,

rrknnden, IV, 547 (time of Thotmes

Brit.

both

Mus. 827. Stela of M. K. This name

men and women

for

Fraser, Hatnub,

1 1

M. K.

Leyden V,

frequent

109, etc. etc. O)

Annales

Service, III, 277

frequent script of preceding

name

9^ ^

280 (coffin of

M. K.

12214.

Blackden and

Cf.

46, 3).

III).

Mus. Reisner, Amulets, no. 12209:

Catal. du

jj,

Flo-

(cf.

&amp;lt;^=&amp;gt;

\\ i

also,

Bauer, Berlin

Florence, Catal. 1500; Statuette of M. ! rence, Catal. 1549).

&quot;~.

/WVAAA

often in El

Kahun

Pap.

The name

*AWAA

V ^^ \

II).

p. 22

Cat.,

\\ i

M. K.

n/ Cf.

Cairo, 20235. Brit. Mus. 805 etc. etc.

A^ ime d Bey Kamal, Tables d

EL.X

offrandes, p. 129.

Louvre, Ushebtis, no. 1121

266 (N. K.). Cf.

Brit.

Mus.

Mus. 28 (N. K.X

&quot;

J$L

3j)^ col.

IV,

Spiegelberg, Sethosrechnungen,

n. The name

also written J^*

&quot;^ 1

p.late

LIST OF PROPER NAMES, ETC.

See Borchardt, Salhure,

(name of Ramesside

124

179

period). 1

Louvre, Stela, no. 8986 (Pierret, Inscr.

t^. I f&amp;gt;A

eg. II, p. 124).

Urkunden, IV, 465, 16: L. D. Text IV, 94 (XVIlIth Dyn.).

^ st

V See the name Cairo (Wb.\ no. 204 o vfc. Thebes, Tomb of Hri (Sethe, 11,82). The Greek form

Cf.

EEVCOTC-JTY;?,

p. 42). Cf.

&amp;lt;2

according to Spiegelberg (Griechische Namen, L. D. Ill, 9 f. the name 5^ 1] j

Demotic Papyri,

III,

282: Spiegelberg,

Mumienetiketten, no. 90, and Demot. Studien,

Demot. Inschr. (Catal. du Mus.}, scher, Holies Tor von Medinet Habu,

nos. 80704,

forms of the name

BGTTJTC;/

464 and Rec. 1900,

Brit.

p. 87

Quibell, Ramesseum,

4fj

(-)

II,

(Ind.

For the Greek

see Ryl. Dem. Pap.

Ill,

(Is this

Dhwti smlt)

pi.

XXIX XXXVI. ;

8s\

[jfl-?-,

(Sethe, 25, 14: ;

II,

Tomb), Plate XIII (== L

Hannover, Canopus-jars

du Mus.

and

15,

1057 b: H61-

Mus. 805 (Stela of M. K.).

Beni Hassan Text,

JTJTG;;.

p. 47.

Beni Hassan (Newbcrry)

Ramesseum,

(Saitic period).

XXV.

Cf. the similar

Rec. 1906, p. 155 (time of Quibell,

Ramesseum.

XXIInd

Dyn.).

Sheshonk

Cairo

^^^t]!

Wb.,

fl,

Newberry,

III),

no.

Cat* 1 ^I&amp;gt;

Legrain, Statues, no. 42189. \\

names

Ushabtis, no. 46582. I

Appendix

Epithets of Thoth. representative of

Re; Cairo 20062

2204 (Coffin-lid, N. K.); Leyden V, the Heavenly Co\v, 74, etc. etc.

and R.

(P.

comes (\\

Turin Pap.

;

23,

Ennead

;

^ iat ca ^ s him:

Philae,

b.\ * title

2008

Book

the ancient and great one for the

Berlin, P. 3049, col. 17, 2

(N. K.)

Turin

;

M Jfr

Atum

representative

(M, K.)

(\Vb.)

of Thoth of Pnubs, in Maharraga, Photo

Dakkeh, Phot.

1921:

(\Vb.)

1929:

1925.

(sic)

the Mallet, Kasr

heart of &quot;1,

often

Re:

II,

Mar., Dcnd.

.JKas^

^ Iar

Ill,

1911,

determinative often

the heavens;

and elsewhere

^Wjl

a).

1, the Ipi, Edfu, Piehl, Inscr. II,

the Ipi ~ lb

shining

Agouz, 82.

(with Thoth

Mar., Dend.

moon

Dend IH 8ic:

^y^Q brings

the

(time of Ptol. IX).

101

L&amp;lt;

*ht-eyc

D IV 76c

its

owner.

Edfu

EPITHETS OF THOTH. J\

AAAA

*E5

b rm

&quot;

the

^g^A^v,

Mar., Dcnd.

&quot;^

the Ini-sw

*&quot;

c=.

Jj 1& ?

cf.

;

Ini-sw, supra p. 78 ,

87 a

See discussion of

653.

II,

Ab.

Mar.,

R JJ

u dl-t-cye

181

Pap. Leyden,.347,

;

who

brings to

C^O

,vww,

12,

(N. K.).

eye from

his

A-/Z.S--/

away

;

Philae, Zettel 878 (Wb.).

who brings Goshen,

eye

who

giveth

far

Nav.

was

that

the

182, ii

H*^ ^^ r

Mammisi

life

men,

(according to Af).

according to whose word the Ennead acts

(Edfu), p. 14.

S?*, who accomplishes truth (MG), Mar., Dcnd.

P P p

R.I, l

\vho

II, 62, etc.

does what the goddesses love, Edfu,

63.

,WVWN

Totb.,

^^ M^i

universal benefactor

;

Turin Pap.

25. 9-

in his chapel, Totb.

who does good ^*^

Nav.

TTY

AAAAAA

;

182. 9.

Mar., Dend.

who makes

^g^,

the foes of the wdlt-zyt

Ill, 70.

Edfu R.

among

slaughter

263 (Chons-Thoth). -Q

who hath made (Sethe

Eternity

copy,

;

Thebes,

Tomb

^sj

-^1

i3, 87).

he of the balance

;

Harris,

45,

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

182

llQ/r7V?

the

9Pi

&amp;lt;a&amp;gt;

&amp;gt;&quot;

Brugsch, Thes.

eye),

C &quot;RIO

protects

(the lunar

36.

throat of /

0|^?

who

Brugsch, Thes. 759,

&quot;&quot;-

*&quot;/;

3o a (DenderehV rr*

the

s Pl cnc*id in s P e ech.

^ r ~^

J$^

/wwvv

One

Hermopolis

;

Anastasi

9, 3.

the twice great

Myth of Horns, PL

Mar., Dcnd. IV, 82.

;

the Great

^&amp;gt;

r-~-i

sun

&quot;silver&quot;

Naville,

78 n

Mar., Dcnd.

;

II,

IV, 41

III, 70,

etc. etc.

v ^

the thrice great

Dcnd.

&amp;gt;

land

II,

_/in

&amp;lt;==&amp;gt;

37 a

great

Inschr., Ill, 57

;

Mar.

72 a: IV, 33, 74, 89, etc. etc.

III,

_B^ H s

Turin Pap.

;

Dumichen, Gcogr.

;

fear

great

every

(&amp;lt;&amp;gt;

25, 8.

Philae,

strength;

Phot. 1448;

958

(\Vb.\ &amp;lt;

**:==&amp;gt;

_y ^^

^ SL u^_j _

&quot;

great

power

;

Totb.

Nav. 134,10-11:

Berlin P. 7518. in

^, great

great in triumph

;

^^^

M 0-=

Ill, 81

&amp;lt;?

ape

g3o (Wb.)

;

&amp;lt;&amp;lt;&&amp;gt;*

Harris, v___^ ,

Dend.

II,

II, 3.

the

great

and venerable

45, 12.

who equipped a.

ft 1

1434,

L. D. IV, 58 a (Dendereh).

the ape; Mar., Dcnd.

^^, ^a

power; Philae Phot.

of T. of Pnubs.

title

the

Eye

for its

owner

;

Mar.,

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

knows

3o b. (For reading

II,

geschichte, 42.

--==

the beautiful

Two Lands

the cf.

^7 ^^

Mar., Dend.

24, 4

the eagle of many-coloured

(Chons-Thoth as

Duat

in^the

life

(XXth

C~]

^&amp;gt;

&quot;^\

Thebes,

;

Horus

Tomb

of Pi

Edfu).

whom

subject

Sethe,

Sdn&amp;gt;,

i3,

Dyn.).

^zlQtj l?, who increased HI, 74

n^Q

21, 67.

Edfu R.

plumage

identified with

Dumichen, Ban-

Sethe prudent of heart; Karnak, Hypostyle,

his

Mar., Dend.

figure (crescent);

who

1?iH tU*^_ X A 1o J 7

increases his form (crescent)

Mar., Dend.

;

3ib.

II,

the unique one

;

Edfu, R.

267.

clean of hands (arms); Totb. Nav. 182,

/&quot;*?&quot;

;

61M6.)

Turin Pap.

;

i83

^ =

astute

^ i

his plans

(?)

;

Dendereh,

&amp;gt;

-6-

&amp;gt;

L. D. IV, 76 e

Vo x ^5

SsT

cf.

Mar.,

Z)^;?c/. Ill,

Naville,

the messenger: Mar., Dend. Z)ewrf. II,

Mar.,

62 b

(written

Ill, 81 e

^^1)

Sec

Hennc 6,

Philae, 2500; J unker

4z/A

zug, p. 66.

-^fff WP

trw

ibdn

rnP nft

who

months and years; Edfu, R.I,

seasons,

V v& % wpiw Vo xfa^ ^ -^ ^

ikr,

eloquent judge

(?)

;

&amp;gt;

^=3,

eloquent judge

21*

Mar., Dend.

II,

(?)

distinguishes

27.

Mar., Dend.

II, 3.

pleased with

et;

EPITHETS OF THOTII.

184

V/o

&amp;lt;r&amp;gt;

^KvwvA^

dlstln

&quot;

uis hes

bodies of dif

ferent countries, Turin Pap. 25, 10.

path-opener of P.e

*j,

;

Nav. 16 (Gate of

Totb.

the underworld). *

-mmnr

porter of Ilorus

ffi

Temple, Edfu Roch. Jt

the Great

|^^j,

in J|J, great

XXI

Great Amduat, /th hour

thos IV, 43), and Turin Pap. 125,

^ j^

mdw

the

755.

One; Dumichen, Rezepte

Cf.

pi. 57.

Wn im * P residin ff over

the

0&amp;gt;

niM

Pyr. 1465.

;

(ace. to

.4/&amp;gt;.

Se-

27.

Great One

from the Nile; Totb. Nav.

Mar.,

25.

Kdfu R.

///;;

who camc

178, 14 (of. Pyr. 126

forth

and Cairo

20520, 32 M. K.). |

-f!

fS.

a ff ic jN[ar

&quot;

1)cnd

8Teat in slau ^rhtcr

&quot;

II,

Hrihor

Stcla of

I otb.

l82

8 (ace. to

6 7 a et c.

S dv.

Rams.

Nav

II,

184, 10 (cf.95,

Rcc. 16, 56,

35\

Champ.,

Karnak, Temple of Chons, Architrave of

Sethe,

67).

Cf.

Wh 182, 9.

/W.

161.

prudent

Luxor

;

yb//7

supra p. 40

Urkunden IV, 554, no. ends

(

)

th e

strife;

Totb.

Nav.

EPITHETS OF THOTH. Ct

^ji

words

in his

mighty

~^j)

&quot;orderer

Edfu, R.

AAAAAA

Nav.

69, 12, 12 (J.

and R.)

24,

;

e judge of ma et

Totb.

sound of hand Turin Pap.

;;^

Mar., Dcnd.

II,

(P.

74 a

(cf.

M. K. the reading of which

159, a stela of

SaW

mshn-t

the

;

~ ,

fate&quot;

27.

sound of heart;

L. D. IV, 58 a (Dendereh).

pfl.,

AAAAAA

;

185

?72J

for Osiris, Thebes,

-f

14.

Brit. AIus.

not certain).

Tomb

Nb nnmf

(Sethe, 12, 8c).

d r-H

^_j r-^^-, _^

AAA^^A

;nj r -^

77^

for the

Ennead

;

Luxor, Court

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;IIll

yard of Rams. the

&amp;gt;

Sethe

II,

md)i&amp;gt;

;

105.

Luxor, Chamber of Chons, Rcc.

16,

Berlin

P- 55-

impartial judge;

Bauer,

30284,

B. Plate 23

Appendix

|v\ -=4

-.71

&amp;lt;^&amp;lt;

*^*

Totb.

OH o i

Nav.

182,

Temple of Sethos

^*&amp;gt; j

;

Mar., Ab.

23, 2

(P.

and

whose abomination

R.).

falsehood;

;

Turin Pap.

;

xj, the bnti-ape

IC/O

in the

judge

Ztewdf.

Mar.,

swee t of tongue

;

II, 71.

Naville, Horns-myth, PI.

EPITHETS OF THOTII.

the lDene ^actor

Kasr el~Agouz,

Mallet,

3o (Chons-

Thoth). the Ibis; Anast -

&amp;gt;

lhe

avert this (evil) stadt,

io3

fj\

^ xj

and

(P.

can

dcr theb. Grdber-

aits

the silent one

Sail.

;

\\ r-t

Edfu R.

;

(?j.

265.

Turin Pap.

25, 3

R.).

who

f V

sprung from the forehead

9&amp;gt;

^ rAcious

Erman, Denksteine

sprung from the

fj\

&amp;gt;

&quot;A

CUV?

has come forth

iDendereh).

from

;

Brugsch, Thcs. 760

Speos Artemidos (Hatshepsowet), Urkunden,

IV, 387.

^A |\::Z that

comes

forth

the

from

with the

&quot;one

Hmnw

;

the livin

lion S&quot;

&amp;lt;o

\&amp;gt;

^/] &amp;lt;

;

Pm lae

Phot. 1448 (Wb.). f

tnc

south,

&amp;gt;

strength;

Philae, Phot.

627

beak),

111, 61.

lion

(or

Nav. 125,3 (confession).

Totb.

^, truc^?) of heart; Urkunden

nose&quot;

017&amp;gt;.)

mighty

(Thoth of Pnubs as

Shu).

lion

with dread ful growl; Philae, Zettel, 217

(Wb.).

n^Jf&quot;^

Inrl^

parent; Totb. Nav. 182, 8

whose

l ^&quot;

protect his

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

^ the Lord of All Inscr.

V\ -r^&amp;gt;

who

A A

&amp;lt;^

;

Dend.

AJ^fl

*S^ 4^Dnl

II,

the

Atum

&amp;lt;=

(Cf.

(W&amp;gt;.).

fill 8

tn e wdi-t with

what

tness

Leyden V,

the true witness; Cairo, 20539,

^fc&quot;^^ AA^VA

182,

Ji vi

true

36.

compared with Thoth). Cairo, 74: Brit. Mus. 581 (Stela N. K.).

Nav.

Mar.,

;

p. 116.

Edfu, Mammisi,

;

z^^^^i

01 Mar.,

needs

self-begotten; Turin Pap. (P. and R.) 25,

po-

II, 71.

Phot. 978

son of

)

impartial

b and

\x}/

excellent and

II, 83.

Mar., Dend.

place; Philae,

its

the

loves ml f t, Turin, no. 101, Funerary Stela (N. K.).

the

of Nefer Sechem, Piehl,

litarch; Mar., Dend.

Tomb

122.

~JW ^^ ^_/I

whose stylus protected

Thebes,

;

187

\Vb.,

witness

(M. K.

king,

no. 116, Sethe, 25,

for

the

gods,

of gladness; Philae, Phot.

lord

14891496 (Thoth

of Pnubs).

jl^P%o

ihv-t,

lord of old age; Philae, Phot. ion.

&amp;lt;=,

^AAAAA

undantly

;

000

|AA,

Lord of wine who drinks ab-

2i*

Philae, Phot. 1434 (Wb.)

cf.

Phot. 1447 (Pnubs).

EPITHETS OF THOT11.

^7-$-, lord of

Edfu R.

life,

lord of life-time

Falken

Philae

401.

Junker, Bericht Strabo

;

(WZKM

lord of purification

iibcr

d. h.

26 \ p. 46.

Philae, Zettel 54 (Wb.)

;

Philae, Zettel 54 (Wb.\

lord of heaven

lord of judging

io3i

O, lord of mdn

Louvre 3238a ^ lord of

;;/?

II,

Hb m

Louvre

ntr,

(XXth Dyn.)

XVIIIthDyn.) and often Totb.

in late

Nav.

Pap.

period.

i83, 48

22.

hnr, lord of triumph

;

first

Philae, Phot. 1448

month of the

Uh-t-

hnv\.

of the gods;

lord

^.\ no. 3

(X. K.).

on the igth of the

feast

(Thoth season

Avignon (U

;

Mar, Demi. 11,71:

./;

;;?r

(letter,

Metternich Stela,

P. 8049,

Berlin,

col.

17,2

Chons-Thoth).

D Jl li

Mar., Dend.

hnr), lord of speech

(or,

(M. K.^: Turin,

;

Urkunden IV, 232.

\_J

nb mdtr

Turin Stela, no. 157

;

, i

lord of laws

;

Totb.

Nav.

182, 8 (ace. to Af.).

w, lord of the hdn (bundle of shrubs used

Edfu, Mammisi, 22 a

Edfu R.

PJ^i^

p. 76.

Cf.

J^l^

:NIar

the &quot;

//// rd)

;

Dcnd ni

II, 67.

lord of thc

-^^Miouse

;

Edfu R.

63 (Chons-

Thoth).

A o, /N

lord of eternity;

Dyn.); Sethe

i3, 87.

Thebes,

Tomb

sdn&amp;gt;

(XXth

EPITHETS OF THOTH. lord of magic

r\/vn

lord of foreign lands

Urkunden ,

;

lord of script

Mar., Dend.

^z^0,

182, 8 (ace. to Af.).

Totb. (Nav.)

;

L. D.

II,

;

Wady Maghara

II, 71.

-^sffti^

lord of drunkenness

(O. K.),

152

Mar., Dend. IV, 74

;

189

ij e:

II,

Edfu R.

cf.

267.

Philae, Phot. 1447 (Wb.) (Thoth

;

as an associate of Tefnut of Nubia). I

n r

^Y^

the beautiful one of the night

b&amp;gt;

Mus.

tropol.

12, 182, 2

unknown

&quot;

^-,

(Stele

the

who

did evil against

;

D.).

Turin Pap.

;

who

XVIIIth

Edfu R.

II,

cTlJn iihb gnjj

(P.

the

rescues

New York Me-

;

and R.) dl-t

25, 3

him

from

3g (king as Thoth).

n ntrji

nr-t

Mainmisi

and men). (Edfu) 116 (annalist of gods j

H, Annalist of the Enncad, Edfu,

Mam-

misi, p. 21. AA/WV\ ,

determiner of length of

strong ^ of arm

Anastasi

;

life

Edfu R.

;

27.

10, 6.

,\AAAAA &amp;lt;f*3

Thoth

nht

...&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt;

^TT

*~T\ /WWVA Jj,

strong of thigh

Edfu as

and eagle

lion

Edfu

;

263

1 1

tongue of

Atum

;

(Chons-

Horus of Edfu).

the strong one of the gods, Pyr. 1237

fl,

hps,

Brugsch, Thes. 759, 3o

Mar., Ab.

808, king of eternity; Totb. (Nav.)

52.

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

igo

king

&quot;I,

of the gods, Turin, Stela 157 (N. K.).

(?)

-A.

the unapproachable; L. D. IV, 58 a (Dendereh).

great god

Leyden, V,

;

(N. K.)

Turin, Stela 187 (N.

K.\

and often elsewhere.

^*f

tne

reat

&quot;d

8&quot;

Metternich Stela, 49.

;

the

stasi

whom

for

god

longs; Ana-

Hmnn&amp;gt;

9, 2.

venerable god l^^zzucz^, JKa O

Edfu

Edfu R.

;

164.

&amp;lt;^

&quot;

Totb. (Lepsius)

283

)rr

i3i,

Chons-Thoth

Edfu

&amp;lt;bx

nirh-t,

who knows

Mar., Dcnd. IV,

V^} ^

12.

[This

strength; Edfu R.

Horus).

&\ wlio knows reckoning: Edfu R. r//

the night,

the lion great

sfi-t,

thatshincs

63.

the balance

also,

(?)

;

EdfuR.

II 3

apparently, written, &amp;lt;

um&amp;gt;

Geogr. Inschr. I/ioo. Dendereh

&amp;lt;=:=

Mar., Demi.

II,

Luxor, Chamber of Chons,

&amp;lt;

Recueil,

16,

Mar., Dcnd.

;

^^^

Leden

wll

^ ivcs the

its

owner

;

&quot;

its

P lacc

;

Mar.,

I, 4 3 a.

who Mar.,

^^-Eye

(N. K.). sets the

Dend.

&quot;

II, 83.]

y;t //i/.

II,

sets

the

iih-t

in its

former place;

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

who

his

him

life

SaJhure

Borchardt,

favour;

124

Dyn.).

n JO

who

Karnak, Temple of v\

puts things in their due place

;

Amon

(Rams. IV), Sethe

who gave words and

151 a bis, 9 (Ace. to

mosis

Rives length

(XlXth

. y

191

Aa)

Mariette,

7ofb.

script;

Karnak

107 (Wb.).

(Nav.)

27 (Thut-

16,

III).

-^7

who

gives

Annales du service, vol.

the

(Nav.) 85,

8, p.

(?)

all

12 (inscription of

the

gods

;

Nectanebos).

Turin Pap. (P. and R.j 125: Totb.

ibis;

14.

the j

and

glory

&quot;

reat ibis

;

Turin Pap.

23, 5 f

(P.

R.).

mnh hkhv, the

Edfu R.

II,

Ibis splendid

magic

;

X &amp;gt;

O^^^-

delighting in m?-t\ Mar., Dend.

he of the

/2f

&quot;

(

see above P- l3 4)

the shining one; Mar., Dend.

Dweller

the pr- f nh

(

II, 9

[Perhaps to be read as mhi

II, 58.

the venerable Ibis;

Anast. V,

II,

41.

Mar., Dend.

jT u

9, 2.

Ill,

Mar., Dend. ]

library&quot;)

;

Louvre, Catal.

232 (Ptolemaic). &amp;gt;

-N,

dweller in

Cairo 20025 (M. K.).

the

Jit

ibt

^see above, p. i52f.);

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

\ he that

Vienna, Kunst-

;

Museum, Sarcophagus Room

historisches

the great

on the balance

t ^ie

tfw;

&quot;

reat

XX.

no.

of the 8 ds; Edfu

ods and

men

;

Bericht Strabos iiber den heiligcn Falken ron Philac (\VZKM. Cf.

26), p. 46.

68 u

dM!

//;/

jrr of the

Ennead, Mar., Dend.

hri did! JIT n ntru nlnv-t, Edfu,

;

II,

III.

hri dldj n*r

of the Great Ennead, Philae, Zettel 2071 (Wb.).

Mus. 528 and 524 (Necht

Hritish

^ ;7?r &amp;lt;Ci

harheb). ;

nich

vStela,

f?cVJ

^uf

//;/

XV^

and

^, I

Metter-

;

ruler

(\\ b.).

Nut; Pyr. 2i5oc.

of the

Amduat

cf.

l)u-

50.

Eye of Horus,

Totb.

(Nav.X

c 8

57.

, I

heaven and earth

books; Philae, Phot. 1010

michen, Batigeschichte,

the great magician, Little

;;n&quot;-/

49.

hri did* of

/? ;-/

lord of judging; Edfu, R.I, 108.

lord of books; Mar., Dend. IV, 74: r/*. IV, 5 3.

]!, I

lord of the

Ennead;

Philae, Phot, 995

(\\ b.}.

/^|

lord of eternity; Hannover, no. 3i (N.

*?, to Afj.

praised

Re;

7o/^.

(Nav.)

K.\ 182,

(Ace.

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

htm [&amp;gt;*

bf}

Two

the reckoner; Edfu, R.

Or**

reckoner of time

Papyri,

PL XIV.

259

Totb. (Nav.)

Cf.

der griech. rum. Zeit,

Karnak,

112.

II, 41.

reckoner of time for gods and men; Edfu R.

|&quot;^,

74 b

Abd, Sethe, Wb.)

AAAAAA

Ill,

;

100, 10].

Philae, Phot. 1011 (Wb.).

;

Thebes, Tempelinschriften

Bab

[cf,

reckoner of gifts; Mar., Dend.

/8,

}

with fierce aspect [to annihilate the ba]

Geogr. Pap. Tunis. 3,

reckoner of years

s ^

Edfu R.

;

27.

sic

Ilia JH

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;l

who reckons

all

Edfu,

things;

Inscr.

Piehl,

II, 101.

^ [)

with ml o pleased ,

-t;

Brugsch, Thes. 760.

bearer of the Horus-eye

Philae,

Phot.

i3g8,

\\ b.

(Thoth of Pnubs). _,

under his tree; Mar., Ab.

who

hwi thvi

Two Lands

protects the

pi.

Edfu,

;

56.

he that came into being

he that

at the

beginning; Brugsch

Thes. 760 (Dendereh). $

^ e ^iat came

JxN

Mar., Dend. IV, 76

^^w^

ker,

Bericht

(WZKM., ,

Tliotti, the

nto being

the

beginning

who

leads the throne of the

Strabos

den

ilber

heil.

Ennead

Falken

von

26), p. 46.

who

protects Set

Hermes of EqyPt.

;

Pyr. 1465

c. l3

;

Jun

Philae

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

94 sic)

*^^, he that

]

hour (Sethos IV,

^7 ^,

/WWW

his stairs;

Great Amduat, 2nd

3o/3i).

Lord

Chons-Horus,

Auszug der Hathor, ,

amulet

of the

p. 66.

president of the house of books

Junker,

;

Louvre A, 117

;

he that presides over the land of Egypt

Mar.,

;

511

Demi.

II,

son of

Re; Turin Pap.

(P.

and R.) 125 (N. K.).

&quot;&amp;lt;|JJ]ojj,

1U^, son of

Kdfu, R.

;

266.

Mar., Dcnd.

;

3y a

II,

the scribe; Totb. (Nav.) 69,

~, scribe strong of arm

scribe of

, i

i^--

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;

nak,

thos

ini

-t

;

295.

12 (ace. to Pb.).

L. D. IV, 58 a (Dendereh).

Totb. (Nav.)

182,

, I

Edfu, R.

excellent scribe; Totb. (Nav.) 182, 2

;

scribe of mJ

-t

for the

Great Ennead

;

Kar-

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;

Temple

of Chons,

L. D.

Ill,

220 d

(time

of Se-

I).

scribe of m?-t for the

Lord of eternity

;

Turin, 912.

^counts

o Harachtes

;

Harris Magical Papyrus

TJjl, Anastasi, V,

9, 2.

letter-writer

(?)

for

Re-

of the

Ennead;

EPITHETS OF THOTH. scr

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;

the

^ e divine book; Salt, 825, VIF,

Pyr. 1146

JjJJ^ =&amp;gt;

f o

r fr^z

&/&amp;lt;

195

Berlin, P. 8055, col.

;

knowing one

Stela of

;

Tutanchamon,

Rec.

29, i66. I

wno makes

great

him that

skilled in his

employment

Cairo,

;

Ostracon,

\Vb., no. 9.

sip sbk-t

Mar., Dend.

3( r

j Lc2&amp;gt;-

\a.

II,

who

i JJ U the glorifications of his formulae

who

II,

glorifies Osiris

with

glorifies the

T vS,

who makes

L. D. IV, 57 b.

;

two Eyes; Mar., Dend.

Ill, 19 n.

Mar, Dend.

great m?-t in Egypt;

74 ^m

O -^K years.

1 T

who

a 3 j

Edfu R. \

&amp;lt;c=r&amp;gt;

( /z

r ;/&amp;gt;)

and multiplies

27.

I, TV

-cs^r

time

increases

f_g\

^&amp;gt;= ,

who makes

against his foes; Totb. (Nav.),

Osiris triumphant -i 3.

(A frequent

epithet.)

Lcs&amp;gt;-

who makes

%\,

splendid his creator

;

Totb. (Nav.),

182, 8 (Ace. to Af.).

eldest child of

Mar., Dend. n i__j 1 I

,wvwN^

(iJ^^^

DIII

]

Re; Diimichen,

Baugeschichte

XXV:

establishes laws;

Edfu R.

124.

(The

king is often thus described as compared with Thoth Ptolemaic texts). 1

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

196

^\ a second

l*w

announces

tn e

wfek

who

&amp;lt;

&amp;gt;!

Edfu,

;

...

&amp;gt;

267 (Chons-Thot).

morning

gives peace to the

;

Totb. (Nav.) 182, 10.

Two Lands

;

7bffc.

(Nav.)

182, 8 (Af).

^ ^= ^^_

&quot;

who soothes the heart of i *^ ..^ the gods with his words; Philae, Zettel 91 (Wb.\

JJ^

,.flfe

commander; Mar., Dend.

II,

41 a:

Cf.

Ill,

A?/z&amp;lt;/.

the

^mofthe

;

Mar., Dend.

gods;^!^

78 b.

the divine shm

i&amp;gt;,

Mar.,

ft,

;

Leyden,

(N. K.).

th e great

L. D. IV, 76 e (Dendereh).

;

the venerable

}*~^

A ///;/;

Dakkeh, Phot. 1919 (Wb..

whose name

&amp;lt;==&amp;gt;

mentioned

the

|Tj,

birth-house; Philae, Phot. 467

|(j

of the

Y z ^^

who

[

Two Lands

inscribes the royal-rule of the lord

Edfu, R.

;

(\Vb.).

^37^=-==., who

27.

records

all

that

exists

on earth H

C ,

;

Edfu, R.

who overthrows

297.

the

foes;

Philae,

Phot. 1484, 1448,

etc. (}Vb.).

who overthrows

the

enemy

every

land; L. D. IV, 57 b. ,

who

pleases

the splendid one with his .v/t-/-eye

Graeco-Rom. period

;

(or

reconciles)

Thebes, Temples of Karnak, Bab el abd, Sethe 20, io3. ;

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

who Edfu, R. ^*~1

the gods

Rams.

V_^x

&amp;lt;

and often

brother-gods;

&amp;gt; &amp;gt;

Mar., Dend.

^/v^A

/p^j i

r$r\

the

reconciles

a pp eases

&quot;

Dend. (Hathor) with script; Mar.,

107.

who

II,

-fl.

1vi2^^ men&quot;

;

Karnak, Temple of Chons

Cf.

IV), Sethe

fvj|, X-L \-l Qu Leyden, V, i (N. K.). ^ =^

Eye

Philae, Phot. 1448 (Wb.)

Mar., Dend.

;

in Ptol. texts.

elsewhere

his

in the texts of Philae.

who appeases

(time of

Mr-;

a PP eascs the

wll

and often !,

Horus with

(?)

259.

^Qu

reconciles

197

Ill, 72 a.

pleases the gods with their gifts

;

65 a.

who advances

ImUlli!

^stress

t^ e

\\ b.,

Cairo,

positions;

no. 16,

Sethe, 25, 74.

f\ ^ necropolis

Totb. (Nav.),

the guide

182, io

in the

and nether

earth

ii.

Pap. Hearst, VI,

;

Duat

25, 3.

guide of heaven,

;

illumines the

Turin Pap. (P. and R.)

;

world

who

the time-determiner (sk

h e w)

;

io.

Burn.,

Tempelinschr.

Taf.

(1 I

^P^ ^^

^f^ JL1,

^^ -

~==

l&amp;gt;.

Mar.

;

Dend.

II,

73c.

the

g-reat

sd)

that

came

forth

^&amp;lt;==&amp;gt;_B^ACZ] j5^ from the Nile; Pyr. 126 (identified with Thoth by Totb.

[Nav.] 178, i3f.X H I

^ AAAAAA

\2g; R /K

(VWWV *^ 0.1 |

^ Hi

w ho

of every foreign land

;

distinguishes

Brit. Mus., no. 551.

the

tongue

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

198

kll

Wh P roclaims

a^fi

Rcc. 29,

who

fashioned

first

Shu

great

;

hk!n&amp;gt;)

Edfu, R.

Philae,

;

&amp;gt;

Pnubs O

&amp;lt;=&amp;gt;

his

thC great

%^ A ^=^

&amp;lt;::=:&amp;gt;

Re; Deb od,

1921, \Vb.

who

dri ves

away

the evil that

Thebanische Tempelinschr. griech.-

Sethe,

;

Bab

skilled in

IJi

Sethe

Abd Wb..

knowledge; Karnak, Hypostyle,

21, 67.

acute

;

Dumichen, #wf. /w//r.

II, 4 3 a, 3.

the mysterious; Totb. (Nav.) 116, 6

&amp;gt;l,

)

eldest child of

S^v

Phot. 1447 (Wb.) (Thoth of

neighbourhood; Philae, 1898 (\Vb.\

hn.Zcit; Karnak,

UJ!

Shu

Dakkeh, Phot.

the venerable

x a

164.

Phot. 1691

wrote

s^\ 1

and

as identified with Shu).

=&amp;gt;Tffi

Tutanchamon,

signs

(s? tit nhb

the

Stela of

;

66,

^^fe*=Tri magic

laws

mouth

cool of

fashioned

all

who made

;

Turin Pap.

things

all

-7.

Edfu, R.

;

that exists; Edfu,

fashioned things beautiful

;

24,

289.

164.

Dend. Brugsch, Thes.

759, 3oa.

v* f N AAAAAA

who

created purification

Ma et

;

Mar., Ab.

Bull of heaven

;

Philae, Zettel

&amp;lt;u **

pi. 27, etc. etc.

Dcnd. Brugsch, Thes.

27.

EPITHETS OF THOTH

8 *

_l^

AA.

who beholdeth what cometh

r~S&quot;

ards; Totb. Nzv. 182,

7\Vn %s^,

199 after-

10.

the great gmhs

Kasr

;

Agouz

(Mallet).

&quot;&quot;

&quot;

&amp;gt;

&amp;lt;^3I-

whose words established the

AA^wJ _L_

ff X

&amp;lt;f

Nav.

Totb.

Lands;

^, the

182, 4.

he of the palette; Turin Pap.

gsti\

the ibis; Dend. Dumichen, Rez.

Dend. M. D.

23, 8.

XXVI/XIIL. @

516.

II,

the great ibis

Two

\&amp;gt;\&amp;gt;,

Philae,

;

Temple

of Arensnuphis,

East Wall, Standards. the venerable ibis; Brugsch, Thes. 760.

D ^&quot;^

D -ZT

^ 5

^Ifl

away

a 1

the unique thn

Portal of 145, 2 3 (6th

S fK

msi mshn-t

chases

12.

Edfu, R.

;

270.

Lepsius, Book of the Dead,

Netherworld. Cf. Mar., Dend.

who determines

;

Horus

minister of

that

ibis

1111

the foes; Dend. M. D. IV,

fate

(tni

II,

33 c)

the

sln&amp;gt;)

Philae, Phot. 1010 (Wb.). , f

venerable

the

^Hlfl[]

who

gives air to \Vn nfr

;

Piehl, Inscr.

123. r

who gives ^l V/^g^\^ y KI c =^3 m* Tomb of Nb nnmf, Thebes (

breath to the weary of heart

;

&amp;gt;^^^M^I^

&amp;lt;=

of every

^, Dili

man

who

;

)

who

Metternich,

63 Wb.). (Sethe, 12, nostrils gives breath to the 18.

no. 116. gives laws; Cairo, Wb.,

200

EPITHETS OF THOTH.

w who

&amp;lt;n&amp;gt;

T*^^_ &amp;lt;z_&amp;gt;

gives office to whomsoever he loves;

Turin, no. 173 (N. K.).

dnm

Q iK

fir

L. D. Ill, 276 g.

;

_ df

P uri ^ es the Ennead with his hands;

Edfu, Mammisi, p. 69.

&amp;lt;o

5C Isis

;

^^^

3 a

Edfu, R.

in the eastern

Jj ^pc^D&quot;^.,

who

182, 9.

inS the

Halves

makes

63.

heavens; Turin Pap.

who

drives

for the son of

drives

away

24, 10

strife

if.

evil; Nav., Totb.

182,

the voice [of anger?]; Nav., Totb.

Appendix

Some

divine associates of Thoth. (a)

Isds and Istn.

Greek period Thoth is very frequently has been generally assumed that Isds distinct divinities, and possible con two and Istn designate a conjectured Persian inagos Ostanes and Istn nections between have been put forward by Egyptologists in discussing the Hermetic legend of Dernocritus of Abdera. (i) The truth seems In the texts of the

called Isds

to be,

and

Istn.

however, that the name

Istn

has arisen through a con

Thus the (2) (ds) with the sign name Isds determined with the ds-jar came to be read as Isds-n. and then as Isdn f or Istn. This misunderstanding was assisted * and AA^AA, and, possibly probably by a confusion between

fusion of the sign 5

also,

word

the circumstance that there existed a

which

(&quot;)

(like ds)

meant

forms which appear has become Istn

or &quot;jar&quot;

(dm)

The following help to show how

list

&quot;pot&quot;.

the texts will

Isds

145,

Lepsius,

81. 86);

3g.

ch.

Nav.,

(Totb.

17,41);

(Mar.,

(Dendereh, Dum., Rez. XVII);

Mammisi,

p. 16)

;

(iNO

(ibid.,

__ D ^J

(

Dend.

3 9 c)

00^=3 ol 1

The forms

p. 89).

Totb ;

(Edfu, ni

and

(1)

459

111

See Maspero

1 1

also occur in Dendereh.

P. S. B. A., vol. 20,

Goodwin on

464. Cf. A. Z. 1872, article by (2)

Cf.

Sphinx,

vol. 2,

113

;

pp. 140 the

ff.

Biblioth. eg.,

name Astennu

review of Lcbensmiider by Piehl.

vol. 27,

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH.

202

obvious that the jar-determinative, where it occurs in connection with this name, ought to be read as ds. The Istn form of the name is much later than the Isdxform. It does not occur in any early text, \vhile /sds is found even in the M. K. Istn is variously written: It is

^ jj

Tomb

(Thebes,

of Nb-wnnf, Sethe

XJ (Diimichen, ,Mar.,

7&amp;gt;fm/.

(

a&amp;gt;;

(ibid.

;

(Edfu,

Bab

.Kzirnak, It

57 b)

Manwtisi,

II,

pi. 26)

12,

;

D ^iW.

i8b);

p. 91);

these forms (except those written

all

as arising either from a

Q\ could be explained

with the sign

copy,

Abd, Sethe. 20,92 Wb.\

obvious that

Tempelinschr.

misreading of the jar-sign ds, or from a confusion of AAAAAA \vith * It must be admitted, however, that the priestly scribes .

of the

Graeco-Roman period probably regarded

and

Isds

Istn

as fairly distinct divinities. Whether in that period the name of a Persian sage Ostanes had any part in helping to set up Istn as distinct

the other hand,

mocritus

We may

uncertain. that

Istn

pp. i26f.

that

name

Maspero on

must

admit

/WWAA

name

When

that

the

this question,

on the name

(2) See article f.

function is

~~*\

HSX^

^^-^

no wise connected with

scribe

the

P. S. B. A.,

vol. 20,

&quot;

Astennu&quot;

(Istn)

9, 7),

(] (A. Z.

or, later,

probably

derived

from

\~jjff

(1911), p. 34, Sethe on

&quot;Das

/..

1872,

\Vort fur Konig von

15, 99).

The

&amp;lt;^

1400.

crown

pp.

by Goodwin,

pper Kgvpt is emploved in writing the name we intended to write Istn, for the crown is written

crown of

[} stn (Berlin, Amon-ritual

of the

&quot;se-

Istn. (2}

(1) See

pp. 108

110.551)

(Brit. I\Ius.,

his

Thoth

Worterbuch,

thinks,

Brugsch

(as

&quot;distinguish&quot;

and

w$P

not connected with a verb

parate&quot;

double of the Kgyptian Istn,(i) must remain regard it, however, as practically certain

from, and independent of Isds, or whether, on the Memphitic Ostanes of the story of De-

^x Jr~^

Oberdgypten&quot;,

See A. Z. 49

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH. The

Thoth with

identification

Isds

2o3

a familiar

(Istri)

Descriptions of Ptolemy like &quot;The good god [the king], the

feature of the Ptolemaic texts.

Mar, Dcnd.

that in

I, 42 a the excellent son :

or that in Edfu, heir of Thoth who the Mammisi, splendid god, Did! Hri like who lives on the good, (== Thoth), the judges rhii of the heir frequently \Vp good god, the son of Isds, occur in the Ptolemaic texts, (i) The determination of Isds-

heir of Thoth,

p. 16

of Isds

&quot;The

i&quot;,

^, which

with the Thoth-determinative

not unusual in the

same direction. In pre-Ptolemaic Ptolemaic texts, points texts the identification of Thoth with Isds is also found. In the Book of the Dead, ch. 17, 41 (Naville) Set and Isds are called (2) and Isds is put together as the &quot;Lords of Ma in the

et&quot;,

of the

&quot;Lord

s^7^

epithet

This reminds us of Thoth

(3)

Museum Cambridge

in the Fitzwilliam

Catalogue of the Egyptian collection

the

west&quot;.

and

(p. 84),

other

his

of epithets above), and epithet (see with Isds goes back of Thoth suggests that the identification to the N. K. In the Book of the Dead edited by Lepsius, of the

&quot;Bull

we read

ch. 145, 86. 87

of the netherworld

& _K^ \\

(1)

In the text

of Re,

(a)

Re;

R&quot;;

(g) the

The

context.

Thoth

(

YI vi

Since

f.).

we have here

(b) (d)

great

Edfu R.

nW-t\

further

extol

(j*

and Sia appear

suggestion

of the

such fashion

S$M

T J^

the

(h)

*^.

(2)

(3)

Grapovv

his

instead of Set. For

860.

f .t

edition

Thoth

see

of ch. 17 as

X O

logic (Gf.

list

^O^ij

7.vrf

distinct

heart

called Isds

&amp;lt;3Z^

(e)

;

the

same

Appendix (Religiose

see the )

individualities,

good

Egyptian theology to which re

Edfu R.

to eight

as thn,

the separation of different aspects of

make them almost

made above.

as nb

S.vM.

form

^ [j

little

his

&quot;in

MV-t and

Hmmv

Lord of

want of clearness and

For Thoth

m) f -t

ference has been frequently

Champ., Not.

508 Ptolemy IV presents a figure of ni^-t

Wprhm

offering of a

illustration of that

Thoth

cf ^id. 81

;

identification of Isds with Thoth.

divinities:

(fj

context

this

same

prayer to be recited at the gates

in a

enter into the house of Isds

&quot;I

the T^^QQJJ)&quot;

list

west&quot;

521 for

similar

list.)

Urkunden tomb of

/J&

44) in

reads

Thebes.

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH.

204

This identification of Thoth with Isds in the funerary K. and later periods did not prevent Egyptian scribes of the same periods from holding the two beings apart. Thus the members of the Dhil-t mentioned in Totb. (Nav.) 18, 24 are Thoth, Osiris, Anubis, and Isds -- Thoth and Isds being enumerated as distinct individuals, (i) In the context of Lepsius l^otenbuch just referred to (145, 81 83) Isds is grouped, as Thoth often is, with Hu and Sia, which suggests that, just as Hu and Sia are both identical with, and different from, Thoth texts of the N.

Thoth and

(supra p. 104^), so also

were identical and se

Isds

- -

parate for

Egyptian religious thought being regarded, per haps, ultimately as one divinity appearing in different aspects. The primary ground for the identification of Thoth and Isds is probably to be sought in the fact that Isds (Istn) was one of the dog-headed apes associated with the worship of the rising sun in Hmnn&amp;gt;. (2) Thoth was himself an ape-god, and it is not strange that he came to be identified with one

of the sacred apes of his

own

of the

&quot;City

Eight&quot;.

(3)

(b) Chons.

Chons was an ancient moon-god whose worship established at Thebes, earlier. (4) (

the Middle

Note that the same Old]

/in the

^S?

confusion between the

(2)

See

F.dfu,

286

where

mav

and

AAAAAA

26.

pi.

copy,

(5) 1

Dumichen. Tempelinschr.,

^^^ JT

and the i/w -jar, or between

ifs-jar ;

&quot;Traveller&quot;,

to a

tomb of \b-nmnf, Thebes. (Sethe

64) consists of Thoth, Osiris, Anubis, and M

due

Kingdom

The name Chons means &quot;Wanderer&quot;,

\vas well

and probably

Isds sometimes

appears determined with a jackal figure, as in Hum. Kal-Inschr. pi. 107. This may be due to a confusion between the jackal and the dog-headed ape. Or, possibly, as there is question of a standard, the familiar wp ir/ir/ has displaced the ape. Cf. L. D. IV, 55

(3)

His similar association with the 6//-ape may have brought about

his

connection with the wn-sb.

The only reference to any centre of the cult of Chons outside Thebes in the Cairo 20481 which seems to ascribe to him a M. K. cult near Gebelen, at

(4)

M. K.

&amp;lt;CZ&amp;gt;

_ZI

(see A. Z. 20 (1882), p. 123

;

47 (1910),

p. 45),

Rizagat.

f\ (5)

The name

written

v\ ~H

/VWVAA

Tcxtcs rdigieux,

LXXV,

123 (M. K.) 1

periods

variously written. /VWW\

the

TX.

v\ fl

O. and M. K. *j

written frequent.

Lacau

r\ I

the

later

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH.

205

to the lunar character of the god.

and obviously points

not possible to explain why Thebes became a centre of moonunex cult. It might be conjectured, perhaps, that, in some with identified fashion, looh, the moon, was primitively plained a local

on a special lunar name, god in Thebes, who then took and lunar qualities, and, either because his usual symbol had been a human form, or because it was natural to represent the increasing new moon by the symbol of a youth or child, (i) came to be represented in human form as a young man or a child. The association of Chons with Amon and Mut at

Thebes as

their child

probably, of secondary origin.

is,

that Chons and Thoth should, in the and gradually identified with associated course of time, be each other. Their identification is not usual, however, until

was inevitable

a fact from which it may the period of the New Kingdom be inferred &quot;that either or both gods possessed something more lunar character. What was true of sun-worship than

merely

was probably true also, to some extent, of moon-worship. The cult of the moon-god was centered in certain shrines by a and local di process of assimilation between the moon-god vinities,

which the

The name texts

A/wLv^jy.

moon

i3o)

across the skies.

(The verb

&amp;lt;=

&amp;gt;

(

--^

A/VNAAA

text

g^S Nav.

Totb.

Cf.

traTerses Egypt in order to rule the

the

sense

Edfu

of the

&quot;travel&quot;,

5&quot;

(of

267)

oKZ

&amp;lt;==&amp;gt;

20:

Egypt)

178,

two halves

(R.

&quot;Chons

A &quot;who

M A).

written :

movement

the

describe

written in the Pyramid

XjS$*

this verb

employed generally

^AAA^

name Chons from

the

derives

also

used

verb is

AAAAAA &quot;journey&quot;.

which

with the verb clearly connected

(Pyr.

Chons the old

In the case of

character.

their old non-lunar

something of

divinities retained

local

Ace.

his great

Aa,

name

Chons&quot;.

Thus the The.ban moon-god gets his name like rvv among the Hebrews. we have the form U)ONC. child of Chons in Thebes is pj hrd, (i) One of the standing epithets child on the first day of &quot;Chons of Edfu, the Chons text in Edfu (R. 255);

In Coptic

&quot;the

Cf.

imlh on the i5th,-& illuminating the night like Re

the month,

gods&quot;.

title

Does n(3

/T\ [) (]

&quot;Chonspechrod&quot;,

For the

moon

&amp;lt;d&amp;gt;

H&amp;gt;/

who

heaven,

Eye of a

suggest

takes the

place

of the ilhw,

Re who has no equal among

point

of contact

with

Shu?

the

For the

&quot;Chons

the

child&quot;,

as a child see Mar., Ab.

51,

see 33.

Berlin,

17271,

Statue,

26th

dyn.

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH.

206

non-lunar elements, if there were any, practically disappeared, but Thoth retained always much of his local, non-lunar indi viduality. In the New Kingdom their common element brought

two gods closely together, and ultimately led to their identification, (i) Through this identification the popularity of Chons increased and his outside worship extended the

Thebes.

widely

From

(2)

the 20 th dynasty on

Chons constantly assumes

activities of

and

Thoth, and appears frequently as lord of script and as judge - - like Thoth. to be noted that Chons played no part in the Horus-

literature, It is

Set legend,

though, as moon-god, he might naturally have been expected to hold some place in the diama of the great struggle between light and darkness. This is one of the many points which go to show that Thoth s part in that legend is not due solely to his lunar character. It the too,

illustrates,

influence of local circumstance on the development of. early sagas. Before the great intensification of Chons-cult in the

Ramesside age had begun Thoth, the

become universally established

his connection with the Osirian

own

(0 There

(2)

that the

the

&quot;Lord

him

his

This

iri x/jnr.(3)

19, 69,

Karnak&quot;

Chons-Thoth (time of Sethos

called

I).

Maspero has suggested (Journal dcs Savants, Nov. 1902, p. 578, note of the cult of Chons in Thebes itself from the icjth.

intensification lich

can be interred

Chons with Thoth, but rather t

Cairo ostracon of 2uth. dyn. containing a prayer to ChonsSee also Karnak Pillar Hall, Northern half Sethe.

belong is

(\\ b. 91.

Ibis&quot;

OtYO, where

make

drama.

the

epithets of Chons which the most common perhaps, right

Thoth, the

of Chons, had

rival

the worship of Egypt through

their

own god

as important

Hermopolis. This

Chons

is.

dynasty

the

texts,

was not due

the local pride of the

identification

Thebans who wished

as the

widely honoured moon-god and magician of course, nothing more than a conjecture. The

of Thoth -epithets, which s not favourable to

common

feature

of the

assumptand

N. K.

Maspero s theory of jealousy between Thebes increased importance and popularity of Chons in the Ramesside period, and later, may be due largely, as suggested in the text, to his fusion with Thoth. but it must alsj be regarded as possible that Thoth, on his side, derived new importance from his identification with the Theban Chons. Thebes was a and

Hmmr. The

highly important political and religious centre 1

also

described 256. 262

epithet in Thebes.

possible

that

Thoth

somehow connected

fairly s

as etc.

frequent

Nubian

the N. K. period.

imn shnr. This &quot;Chons

epithet

character

epithet

p] hrd&quot; of Chons lord

with this epithet of Chons

(Cf

is,

wine Mar..

frequent

p:dfu.

perhaps his most usual &quot;lord of gladness&quot;. Is it

and

Dend.

gladness

may

IV, 78 etc. etc.).

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH.

207

it is probably derived from designates him as an oracle-god his function of measuring time, as moon-god. The measuring of time suggests the determining of fate. The office of Chons as healer or physician (as illustrated, for instance, in the nar rative of the Bentresh-stele) may possibly belong to him as :

moon-god, but more probably

due either to his identi

fication with Thoth, the physician of the

or to

Eye of Horus,

the pride of his Theban worshippers who wished thus to make him at least as great as the moon-god of Hermopolis. In the texts of the Graeco-Roman period Chons and

and Thoth frequently identified In Edfu they are identified not freely transferred to Chons. the god of Edfu, the merely with each other but also with sun-disc Horus Bhdti. They appear there in falcon-

Thoth

are

-attributes

are

winged

shape and receive the epithets of Horus. (i) At an early date Chons of Thebes was thrown together with Shu, and the two divinities were there often looked on one. (2) Both were gods of light and their identification was inevitable when Shu began to be especially honoured at Thebes. Shu is the god of the light-space between earth and earth and heaven at the as such he heaven as

separates

(3)

and dawn, (4) separating them he seems to raise up hold aloft the heavens. As bearer of the heavens Shu was identified by the Greeks with Herakles. Chons, then, as one with Shu was also identified with Herakles. Shu was one of the two &quot;lion-gods&quot;, and thus, too, Chons came to be repre sented sometimes as a lion. The identification of Thoth with and

Nubian inscriptions generally, may be Chons and Shu due, in some measure, to the identification of - if not to the but it may be due also solely in Thebes and Shu Onuris. of the in Thoth legend part played by fetches who is like Onuris, and Thoth, Onuris are one,

Shu

in Philae,

and

;

&quot;he

(1)

Gf.

Edfu

those

similar to

R. the

where

275

the

epithets

Chons-Thoth are very

Nubian Thoth-Arhensnuphis (Omirislcgende, pp.

f. long passage about Chons Edfu. R. II, 67 Herodot, AZ. i8if. Wiedemann, Cf. Rcc. 79 21, p. 1906, p. (2) which the dead traverse on their way to heaven (3) The space

12).

Cf. also the

p. is

200. called

Pyr. 825. (4)

For

this

/the secret being of

idea

see Great

Shu who

Amduat (Leyden), I2th hour, which speaks dawn

divides earth and heaven at the

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH.

208

back the Eye that was far away&quot;. Since all three gods in the legend of Onuris agree largely in function, they tend to merge into each other, (i)

Nhmt

(c)

\v1i.

find frequently associated with Thoth in the later pe riods a divinity who is called Nhm-t-n tt &quot;She that rescues the plundered&quot;. The second constituent of the name was

written in the N. K. usually with

(Leyden, Pap.

844: recto

two

final

(1, (j

2, 9),

or ^

^)\\ QQMj^ n P*i _cc^ I

(Bauer,

This second element of the name

Berlin P. 3025, 68).

passive participle of the verb ^

4)^\^&amp;gt; to r I

_&amp;gt;3fc

or plunder.

k&amp;gt;

the very late texts that we find the whole name only as a single word with a feminine ending written Nkm-t-*w!i It

^f)^[)[j~$

(See, Dend. L. IX IV, 5 8a etc.),

for

the feminine ending really belongs to the first part. (2) Sethe has proposed to explain the name as meaning &quot;She who re covers (or rescues) the stolen&quot;. (3) Gardiner prefers to take it

who

&quot;She

rescues the

plundered&quot;, (4)

activity rather to the person who has the property that has been stolen.

\hm-tof

closely associated with Thoth in a variety Thes. 790) she is called of IJmnti head of Dendereh, daughter of Re and

&quot;mistress

Junker

(2) See

W&quot;S

(&quot;&quot;&quot;

treatment of this point

the

necropolis

Onurislegcnde pp.

Hmnw\ 12,

49, 58,

().

and

for the

writing

of feminine

ending Sethe,

Zur Sage des Sonnen-

i.&amp;gt;.

Vcrbnm

(3)

Isis

&amp;gt;nv

IJlljL

Cf.

augcs, p.

&quot;

etc.

etc.,

Dendereh (Brugsch,

d MO

(1)

)j&amp;gt;}i

ways.

ruler

referring her

been plundered than

p. 899.

II,

according to

Ai/.ato7jv/

Sethe equates her with At/.atoaJvrj and refers to Plutarch, the chief of the Muses at Hermopolis is called

whom

(

Notes on the Story of Sinn/ie, p 42. Brugsch (Rel. u. Myth., p. 471) explains the name as &quot;throwing back the violent&quot;. This explanation is excluded by the usual meaning of nhm viz, &quot;rescue&quot;. We need not, therefore, seek to (4)

connect

with

goddess

or Set p.

cf.

15 if.)

the if

name

Plutarch, that

Nhm

wJi

the

wearing of

the sistrum implied her office of /.

Nhm

ct ().,

wli

ch. f&amp;gt;3).

sistrum-headdress

&quot;repelling

Hence too we may

the

reject

violent&quot;

(/ . c.

Turayeff

mere personification of Thoth

the

Typhon

suggestion

magical power.

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH; She

called

also

&quot;lady

Diimichen, Geogr. In. and elsewhere she is the Delta,

^^=z o

Ill,

made

V f^ 8

of the

she

Pr-Hmnw&quot;

gets

the

(L.

209

D. IV, 58 a). In

title

J^^^^t^

mistress of the city of

(Mar., Dend.

II, 27, 15).

Thoth

She appears

memorial stela of N.K). (Leyden V, Edfu (R. I, 58) she appears with Thoth, the Great Ss!-t, II w, Sia, Hds, and Onuris. It would seem that her appearance in the Thoth-shrines at Hermopolis Magna and in the i5th. Delta nome, and other wise, in close relation with Thoth is due to her character as a goddess of justice, as one whose duty it was to rescue the plundered and oppressed. She was a sort of Egyptian Justitia or A[y.ato9 jvY). Thoth, as we have seen, was a legislator and He judge &quot;whose abomination it was to show partiality was thus the most fitting counterpart to, and companion for along with Thoth

In a

list

in Hsr-t

of divinities

;

Nhm-t-^wti.

Nhm-t-wli often seems

be no more

than a form of

appearance of Hathor. In Philae (Z. 964, \Vb.) she appears with the sistrum headdress (which belongs to Hathor) and is called u nb-t th in Philae, Eye of Re, mistress of feasts etc.&quot; &quot;Nb-t and &quot;Eye of Re&quot; are distinctive epithets of Hathor. In the th&quot;

Amon at Karnak (Champ. Not. II, 82, 3) Hathor accom wti Thoth is called Nhm-t-wli, nb-t pt. Like Nhm-t panying Hathor also is [^^=(1(1^ (Diimichen, Temp. In. II, XXX). VJ )& At times Nhm-t- wtt is represented as if she were iden temple of

Jtfr

Medinet Habu, Sethe, Heft 14, 3 1 Wb.). be explained, probably, by the fact that Ssl-t Is often regarded as a form of Hathor, and can, therefore, be equated with another form of that goddess. When all the evidence dealing with the person and acti vities of Nhm-t-wtt has been weighed, it would seem as if she were, in most contexts, nothing more than Hathor con

tical

This

with is

Ss)-t (as in

sidered as goddess of law and justice. It is as a personification of justice that she becomes a companion of Thoth, and a dweller in Thoth s chief centres. It is not probable that the

Egyptians of the early periods worshipped another abstract goddess of justice or equity in addition to Ma et. (i) Gf.

see Mallet, Kasr-el-Agouz, (i) For Nfr-hr, son of Thoth and Nhnrt- wJi Brugsch, Rel. u. Myth., 48 3 f. ld the Hermes of

Thoth,

Egypt.

p. 15.

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH.

210

Ssi.t

(d)

Old Kingdom. In the Pyramid Nephthys. In Pyr. 6i6a. b the scattered limbs of the dead Nephthys gathers together appears as a divinity

&tt-t

texts she

king

rn-s

pn&amp;gt;

In the P a ~

name

text (M) the

rallel

in the

identified with

written T.

Though she

thus

regarded as one with Nephthys, we yet find that she possessed own, probably as early as the third dynasty (cf. Mar., Mast. A 2). Her name SsJ t means simply &quot;the Writer&quot;. The importance of the scribes profession in Egypt at all times must have led very early, indeed, to the setting up of a spe a priesthood of her

cial divinity as

patroness of scribes

a sort of deification of

the scribal art. Whether this divinity of the scribes was always looked upon as an aspect, or mode of appearance, of one or other of the great goddesses of the Osirian cycle Nephthys, or Hathor, we do not know. It is possible that her identi fication with other great divinities is secondary. In the texts of the later periods - - particularly in those of Dendereh -

constantly identified with Hathor. In Edfu she appears sometimes, just as she does in the Pyramids, as one with

she

Nephthys.

(i)

The

She

of Thoth.

first

employed

nWn I

AAl

S.sl-t

president of the

&quot;the

books&quot;,

greatly resembled some of those frequently described as the &quot;mistress of

functions of

writing&quot;.

(3) &quot;president r

(2)

&quot;the

library&quot;,

Even

primeval one w ho r

the O. K. she

of the house of

books&quot;.

^^_j

called

Not merely has 5 C Z] -} 1

she control of ordinary libraries, but she

also nuPj 1^ ill

head of the collections of

books&quot;

&quot;divine

&amp;lt;^

&quot;ItT

(/.

,(4)

\i&amp;gt;

books contain

she must normally be ntr). writing&quot; when there is official present writing, or record-keeping, to be done. Hence we find her writing the annals of kings, and ing

mdn&amp;gt;

&quot;mistress

predetermining their years of reign. (1)

find her with

Thoth

Edfu, R.I, 253.

(2) Mar., (3)

(5)

Dend.

Berlin,

7721

;

Mar., Mast.

B, 16

seems

connect her with pr

library&quot;.

(4)

Mission, XV,

(3)

I..

Text.

pi. Ill,

75, fig. 185 (time of Amenophis III). i33 (Ramesseum) Mar., Ab. I, 34 a. ;

nh, the

SOME DIVINE ASSOCIATES OF THOTH.

2it

find her, revenue, (i) registering the details of the royal and of ceremonies the in measuring laying further, constantly out sites for sacred buildings, for she was, of course, patroness

of architects as well as of scribes, and the building of sacred shrines would need to be carried out exactly according to the directions contained in the &quot;divine books&quot;. (2)

Thoth and Ssl-t similarity of their work brought Ss?-t is called the daughter, (3) and sometimes and together, sometimes the sister (4) of Thoth. Epithets of Thoth tended to pass over to Ssl-t, and so it is not surprising to find her the Great Ennead&quot;, (6) and called Ji r-t (5) &quot;Scribe of is it strange to find her Neither of the Ht-ibt&quot;. (7) &quot;president with the Hsbw (the acting as a goddess of fate in cooperation the sti == he who decrees &quot;Reckoner&quot;, /. e. he who determines

The

hk*n&amp;gt;

The

fate). (8)

Hmnw&quot;

similarity of her

has made her the

work with

that of the

(9)

&quot;Lady

Hmnn&amp;gt;&quot;.

&quot;Lord

as it is unjustifiable to look on Nhm-t-Wi as a invented by the Egyptian priests as a counterpart, divinity of or female double, Thoth, so neither are we justified in ac

Just

that the origin of cepting the view suggested by Foucart (10) was due to the Thoth to a goddess of writing in addition it being felt that, developing outlook of Egyptian science as knowledge expanded, one god was not sufficient to deal it

Ssl-t

in the O.

all.

existence of a worship and a priesthood of s!-t tells strongly against such a theory. in the early period, out of all rela

The

with

had her own importance

tion to Thoth, as the patroness of the ancient scribes. The most persistent of the epithets applied to Ssl-t is e which, apparently, ought to mean &quot;She that puts sfh-t

the two

off (or releases)

viously connected in some

inisi,

Deir

(1)

Naville,

(2)

Mar.-,

Dend.

Ill,

(3) Mar.,

Dend.

II,

Bahari 53 r;

The

horns&quot;.

way

79.

&quot;two

with the peculiar headdress

in the reliefs Cf. Ss]-t

Luxor,

are

horns&quot;

Court of Rams.

II,

of Sahure.

Sethe

104;

Mam-

p. 6.

(5)

L. D. IV, 58 a

(7) Mar, Ab. (9)

Mar.,

Dend.

;

(4) Mar.,

Mar., a.

Dend.

R. (8) Edfu,

Ab.

(6) I,

Leyden

350,

258.

IV, 34.

Methode comparative dans Vhistoire des Religions, view compares the case of Ptah and Imhotep. of his support (10)

196. Foucart,

14*

SOME

212

DIVINE ASSOCIATES

OF THOTH.

which she wears, -^ (see above, reference to Pyr. 6i6b). The horns are in an inverted position, and it has been suggested that sfh designates the act of the pro inverting the horns cess of changing them from the to the position \J f\ po sition, which might be taken as equivalent to &quot;putting them off&quot;,

(i)

&quot;rays&quot;

The

other part of the headdress -- the grouping of to form the star-like in is dif object

exceedingly most usually seven and as the word sfh (= seven and the verb sfh, put etc. are written with the same consonants a connection was sought between the number of the in and sfh in

The number of

ficult to explain.

&quot;rays&quot;

)

&quot;to

&quot;rays&quot;

Hence

bun.

s/h*t

name could be

the

off&quot;,

written

.III,

occa-

It is to be noted however that the number headdress is not always seven. Besides what could possibly be the meaning of the &quot;Seven of the Two Horus&quot; cannot well be regarded then, as connected here Sfh in any way with the word for &quot;seven&quot;. (2)

)nally appears.

in the

&quot;rays&quot;

Ihe epithet

bwi does not help to explain the asso The ground of their association

sfh-t

ciation of Sslt with Thoth.

however, not

far to seek. Silt, the Egyptian Clio, is a abstract divinity who was brought into close association with Thoth, the lord of literature, in her character as a personification of the scribal art. is,

more or

(i)

and

less

See

article

the goddess Ssl.t.

Schiifer, A. Z. 42, p. 72 on Me,:?* in Horapollo II, 29, Horap. says that seven signs held by two fingers signify The &quot;seven signs are clearly, according to Schiifer, the seven

&quot;

.Mo-jja,

ani-.sov, AJotpa.

rays, and the two fingers are

The idea of seven has arisen from a misunder standing of sfh (taking it as the numeral sfh). The must still remain un explained. SxU is Mo-J7x as head of libraries: she is iMotpa because she determines the length of she is araicov, perhaps, because the royal reigns years of royal reign &quot;rays&quot;

are predetermined as eternal. 2)

Gardiner

points

means ally

for

muse of

&quot;bow

out

(Xotc.s

the

&quot;loosen

possible

arrow&quot;

the

discover any

history and a designation,

&quot;She

story

and that point

of Sinuiie, f

of connection

that releases the

of the headdress of Ssl.t remind one of the conical

265.

bows&quot; ?

crown of

Bau, on which stood seven horns narrowing upwards to dien znr babylonischen Religion,

may

105)

that

be used metaphoric-

the

point.

between the

The seven

&quot;rays&quot;

Sumerian goddess Cf.

Frank, Stu-

ADDITIONAL NOTES, (a)

Page

note

34,

mean sometimes the Edfu, Roch. I, 63 the king makes

Hdn seems

calamus of the scribe. In an offering to Thoth with the words:

&quot;

-C2&amp;gt;

K^s.9 $

^L Olf

&amp;lt;f

vvi

sic?

the palette (i) and thy

&quot;Receive

^i^

objects presented to the god are quite clearly the palette of the scribe, and a handful of reeds. That the reeds are writing-instruments follows also from the further

The

calami. &quot;(2)

words which accompany the offering: &quot;The things dear to thy heart which thy kl loves. Stretched forth is thy arm when in tho u performest thy task by means of them (the &quot;task&quot;,

the case, being the writing of the royal annals). When, then, the epithet nb hdn is closely connected with such other epithets of Thoth as &quot;Lord of script&quot;, &quot;Ruler of books&quot;, it is probably best explained as

meaning simply

&quot;Lord

of the

calamus&quot;.

(b)

of the epithets of Thoth in Appendix B the be added following interesting titles of Thoth oc

P. 180

may

the

list

curring in Ptolemaic texts. ^tv^s,

iri

Edfu, R.

(1)

this therefore,

(2)

II,

JC [T

who

ti t,

3j7

&n &o

;

^-^

used for

and we should read

&quot;palette&quot;,

read

hdn,

not

fits,

clear

fiom the

parallel,

Edfu,

&quot;Presentation

TD ^^^ V

^,-v

AA/WXA v

the text above.

we should

That

etc.

signs (script, painting,

II, 67.

Edfu R. in

fashioned

[71 LJ

the

and

of the palette to the

Lord of

palette,

the

calami

(

the

Lord

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

214

A the excellent one

ikr,

mnh

A R.

I, 3

excellent in counsel

.v//,

;

7 8 [cf. ibid.

377.

Philae, Phot. 857.

;

nhm-nibf, whose heart

Edfu

;

not ignorant; Edfu,

63].

the

&quot;S

Lord of the

AT/?/? &amp;gt;

g-ood 91

Karnak, Bab

Amara, Scthe

nfj J|| ID o$im and goddesses Philae, ;

=:::F

J^ a

&amp;lt;

&amp;lt;^

happens I

Hang. 25;

rP*H

66;

cf. ibid. 4,

prince

Reckoner of the gods

f &amp;gt;

3546.

the

Edfu, R.

;

Edfu, R.

.t,

bP r

&quot;*

7; tf - ;;

* )r

cf.

heaven

*&quot;

TJ7

Z. 3547.

Philae,

378

who knows

all

that

II, 68.

to utter

first

P-*

command

;

Diim.,

Philae, Phot. 857.

Dcnd.

Mar.,

;

II,

(and

passm). \

-^Jq

K=tx

^ ^

of earth, ,

fll

&amp;gt;s

-sV;;/

&amp;lt;^&amp;gt;i^

who determines

its

m* QrWf*

course; Edfu R.

leader

378.

the vizier; Philae, Phot. 285.

(c)

the texts of Philae are not yet widely known, the following passages dealing in the manner of the temples of Philae with certain aspects of Thoth, may be of interest to

the reader.

An inscription on the door of the library of the great temple of Philae begins thus: &quot;This is the residence of the Prince of Wp-rlni i under whose command stand the Two Lands, who sends forth the .

great ones, and guides the little ones, without whom naught comes into being, the glorious Ibis who came forth from the

ADDITIONAL NOTKS.

215

when he gives heart of the god [Re]: tongue of Tenen [Ptah] Name Hidden [Amun], the command, throat of Him of the Great horizon. the when one is too, as Great

ape

he,

name as the -utter command,

his

this

land (or, this

Ibis,

Lord of the calamus

(hdn), the first fitted together

excellent in counsel, who the Highest of the High, the most

earth),

Hidden of the Hidden, who came

into

being when naught

has wrought all that is: there existed, who of himself alone him.&quot; unto is no other who is like On a pillar in the Great Hall the following hymn appears :

&quot;Hail

thee,

to thee,

Chons-Thoth, on saith

to thee,

Re&quot;

Atum, and providest

this glorious

who

day.&quot;

rejoicest the heart

sacrifices for the gods.

May

thy heart

this glorious day when thou shinest forth. rejoice thereat, on came forth Thou art the god that high on his standard, who &quot;is

from the god himself [Re]

;

whom opened

for

eastern horizon of

Re by whom

came

command the god who

forth at his

the doors of the

he was begotten. Every god what he spoke was accom

his great protected Horus by thou protect [also] king Eye (i. e., by the uraeus-serpent) do is Thoth, the Dweller in Hmnw. he for Ptolemy, Hail to thee, Thoth who appeasest the gods by whose deeds every god is appeased. Thou shinest forth in the eastern thou smitest the dwellers of the desert. Thou heavens

Thou

plished.

art

;

and goddess. providest sacrifice for every god which thou [Thoth] didst Horus of Hail to thee, thou Eye

which thou didst embrace when thou didst rise aloft name looh Thou didst set thy arms about it, in Hb (Ibis) F because of it thou wast sent forth in thy name

bring,

;

&quot;thy&quot;

(d)

connection with the problem of and Sti that these divinities appear Thoth s relation to in the legend of Onuris just like Thoth as bearers of the Eye see Junker, Onurislegende, p. 3i, note i, and of Horus. For It

be noted

Hn&amp;gt;

En&amp;gt;

Philae, Zettel

8544; and for &J, Philae, Zettel 3550.

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