Djehuty, GR: Thoth, is the god who is said to have invented writing, the measuring of time, music, magic, art, medicine, mathematics and astronomy. As early as in late Predynastic times he was depicted on slate palettes as an ibis, the sign of the 15th Lower Egyptian nome, so he might have originated there. But already in the 1st Dynasty he appears as a squatting baboon (Papio Cynocephalus) on statues at Abydos. His main cult center was later Khemenu (Gr: Hermopolis, modern Ashmunein) in Middle Egypt, where he took over the role of the eight creator gods of the Ogdoad; Eternity (Heh-Hehet), Darkness (Kek/Keket), Water/Potentiality (Nun/Nunet) and Wind/Hiddenness (Amen/Amenet), and became a creator god himself. He was depicted either in baboon form or in anthropomorphic form with the head of an ibis, and in both cases shown with the crescent moon surrounding the full moon above his head. Thereby he was called the lord of the moon and in the late period he was even called the "Silver Aten", The baboon form might be due to the ancient Egyptians observing these animals raising their arms towards the rising sun and greeting it with a chatter, as if 'singing' in praise. Images of this can be seen in the Book of Going Forth By Day. Another name was "Lord of Time" as according to one myth he negotiated the five extra (epagomenal) days from the moon to make up the full 365 days of the year. He was also called "Reckoner of Years", his attributes being a writing palette or a palm leaf. He was the protector of scribes, teachers, writers, mathematicians, in fact everyone having to do with the spreading and handling of knowledge, writing etc. Sometimes he was considered the tongue or heart of Re. In myth he is also the helper of Aset, as she cries out for help when her son Heru has been posioned in the marshes of Chemmis. The consort of Djehuty is said to be alternatingly Ma´at, the personified justice, balance and order, or Seshat, the Netjer of recordkeeping, measuring and building foundations. In the later periods there is also the connection with Nehmetawy (meaning: 'She that Rescues the Plundered' or 'She Who Recovers the Stolen'), who in Hermopolis Magna and the 15th Lower Nome was considered a goddess of justice. As Djehuty was both a legislator and a judge, Nehmetawy (or Nehmet-Awai) was a suitable spouse to him. Djehuty was regarded as the protector of all sorts of knowledge, he was seen as the giver of the knowledge of how to read and write by pictures and symbols. Therefore hieroglyphs were also sacred and could always carry great power. The eye of the baboon was said to always be on the lookout for scribes who misused their ability to read and write. The House of Life', i.e. Per Ankh, was all under the protection of Djehuty. Only scribes, the 'Followers of Djehuty', had access to this, a resource centre with a wealth of papyri; medical manuals, mathematical problems, instructional writings etc. Djehuty is himself scribe of the 'Ennead' and appears as the negotiator and settler of disputes. He also records every soul who enters the 'Duat', the Underworld and stands by the scales supervising the weighing of the heart of the deceased, reed brush and palette ready to note down the verdict. Sometimes he is depicted in baboon form on top of those scales.

Main center of worship: Khmun/Hermopolis/el-Ashmunein, 15th Nome, Upper Egypt Other sites: Nekheb/Eileityiaspolis/Elkab, 2nd Nome, Upper Egypt Hermopolis Parva/Damanhur, 3rd Nome, Lower Egypt Naukratis, 7th Nome, Lower Egypt Bakh/Hermopolis/el-Baqlia, 15th Nome, Lower Egypt Festivals: (exact dates not historically verified) 19th July - 1st Thuti - Feast of Thoth 6th August - 19th Thuti - Chief Festival of Thoth 20th August - 3rd Paopi - Tehuti(Thoth) orders the healing of the eye of Heru (Horus) 23rd October - 7th Koiak - Ceremony of Djehuty (Thoth) 13th December - 28th Tybi - Day of Tehuti's taking the oath 14th December - 29th Tybi - Tehuti (Thoth) sends Bast and Sekhmet to guide Egypt 24th January - 10th Pamenot - Day of Coming of Tehuti (Thoth) 3rd April - 19th Pachons - Day of the Counting of Tehuti(Thoth) Who heard Ma´at 14th May - 30 Payni - Tehuti (Thoth) appears with Shu to bring back Tefnut

All the Egyptian Deities A - W: A   B   D   G   H   I   K   M   N   O   P   R   S   T   U   W   Y

Or go direct to some of them: Amun, Anubis, Aset - Bast -Djehuty - Hathor, Horus - Isis - Khepri - Ma'at - Nephtys - Osiris - Ptah - Re - Sekhmet, Seth - Thoth - Wadjet, Wesir

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