Per Ankh

Amunhotep/Son-of-Hapu

Amunhotep-son-of-Hapu was a courtier, who was employed as a royal scribe and "overseer of all the work of the king" in the reign of Amunhotep III (Dynasty XVIII). Later, in the Ptolemaic period, he was deified on account of his reputation for wisdom. Amunhotep came from Athribis in the Delta area, and rose to power in the Theban court. He was responsible for recruiting military personnel and laborers for state building projects. As Pharaoh’s chief architect he would have been involved in most of the lavish building program, not only in Thebes but also in Nubia. He was Pharaoh’s most trusted and privileged official, being given management of the vast estates of Sitamun, the eldest royal daughter, and exclusively for a commoner, awarded a mortuary temple. Here, he is portrayed as a corpulent seated scribe. He is believed to have lived into his eighties; his tomb is in the Theban necropolis. Of all his titles, Amunhotep seems to have been most proud of "royal scribe". His cult seems confined to Thebes, where he was worshipped as a benefactor and healing genius. At Deir el-Bahari, Deir el-Medina and the temple of Ptah at Karnak, he shares his cult with Imhotep, of whom he is claimed to be the inseparable brother. His statues in the main Karnak temple were often prayed to, as being the way to gain access to the greater deity, Amun.

Main center of worship: Thebes, where he was worshipped in conjunction with Imhotep:4th Nome,upper Egypt Other places: Deir el-Bahari, 4th Nome, Upper Egypt Deir el-Medina, 4th Nome, Upper Egypt Temple of Ptah at Karnak, 4th Nome, Upper Egypt

Anubis/Inpew/Yinepu/Anpu, "Lord of the Hallowed Land", meaning the necropolis. Jackal or dog headed god protecting the deceased. Known since Predydnastic times and linked to the name Khenty Amentiu, "Foremost of the Westerners". He was also the protector of embalming and guardian of the mummy and the necropolis. Sem priests used to wear a mask of Anubis during mummification. After the cult of Osiris had risen to power, Anubis was placed under his rule, Osiris taking over much of Anubis´ role as caretaker and protector. This is when Anubis became the embalmer, ("he who is before the divine booth") and overseer of the funerary proceedings. In the Hall of Judgement he oversaw the weighing of the heart of the deceased. In myth he is sometimes called the son of Nebt-Het (Nephtys) and Set or of Nephtys and Osiris. The jackal or doglike animal which he also is shown in has so far not been satisfactorily identified.

Main center of worship: Zawty/Lycopolis/Asyut, 13th N, Upper Egypt Other places: Mena´t Khufu/ el Minya, 16th N, Upper Egypt Hardai, 17th Nome, Upper Egypt Saqqara 1st N, Lower Egypt.

Anukis/Anuket

Her name means "Embracing Lady", she was probably of Nubian origin and worshipped in the 1st cataract area. The name of Anuket has been found together with Satis on a great number of inscriptions from quarry expeditions in that area. In later times she was included in the Elephantine triad as the daughter or consort of Khnum and his consort Satis. Together they protected the waters of the Nile in the cataract area. Anuket is depicted as a woman wearing a tall feather crown, some say of ostrich plumes, others say of reed. Her image can be seen in the Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel and at other Nubian temples. Her sacred animal was the gazelle.

Main center of worship: Abu/Elephantine, 1st Nome, Upper Egypt. Kom Meir, near Esna, 1st Nome, Upper Egypt. Festival Days: (dates not historically verified) 25 th July – 9 of Thuthi - Feast of Anuket: Welcoming the rising of the Nile

Apis

Originally a fertility symbol, he became the sacred bull, or the 'Ba' of the creator god Ptah at the cult center of Memphis. The Apis was linked to Pharaoh as the divine manifestation of a god and the bulls became important enough to have a grand burial at Saqqara, with national mourning and mummification. From the 22nd Dynasty onwards the Apis bull was depicted on private coffins and obviously regarded as a protector of the deceased. The Apis bull was assimilated into the god Osiris at his death; Osiris-Apis which in the early Ptolemaic period became hellenized as Serapis and combined to several other Greek deities.

The cow mothers of these bulls were venerated as a form of Isis, which at their death were given similar burials at the Iseum further to the north of Saqqara. These burials were discovered and excavated an the 1970´s.

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Aten/Iten

The Sun disc itself, first as a heavenly body, later personified as Re. During the Amarna period exalted by Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) to be the only god in existence, something which had been unheard of in Egyptian religion. Aten was then depicted as a sundisc with rays ending in life-giving hands. This period was brief, only ca 15 years and may in fact not have had any large effect outside of the royal court. After Akhenaten´s death the priesthood of Amun reinstalled the old religious practice and the Amarna period became an exception in the history of Ancient Egypt.

Main center of worship: Akhet-aten - Tell el-Amarna, 14th N, Upper Egypt Festival Days: (dates not historically verified) 21st of July - 3rd of Thuti - Birthday of Aten

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Atum/Tem

The Creator God of the Ennead of Heliopolis, who rose out of the Primeval Waters by self-creation. In the Pyramid Texts he is said to be the Primeval Mound from where he created the structured universe. Called "He Who came into being of Himself", or the "Lord of All". He was both male and female and thus the producer of Shu and Tefnut, which in turn created Geb and Nut, who parented the children Osiris, Isis, Nephtys and Set. These deities make up the Heliopolitan Ennead (the Pesedjet). Atum was also thought to manifest in the form of a scarab or the primeval serpent. In later times he was merged with the setting sun and became Re-Atum. He was a cosmic deity and as such did not have a large priesthood and only few temples.

Main Center of worship: Iunu/Heliopolis/Cairo, 13th N, Lower Egypt. Other places: Per-Bastet/Bubastis, 18th N, Lower Egypt Zau/Sais, 5th N, Lower Egypt Tjeku/Pithom/Tell-el-Makuta, 8th N, Lower Egypt Festivals: (dates not historically verified) 30th August - 13th Paopi - Day of Satisfying the Hearts of the Ennead 7th September - 21st Paopi - Neith Goes forth to Atum 23rd September - 7th Hethara - Honors offered to Atum 15th March - 30 Parmutit - Offerings to Ra, Wesir (Osiris), Heru, Ptah, Sokar and Atum 29th October - 13th Koiak - Day of Going Forth of Het-Hert (Hathor) and the Ennead 15th November - 30th Koiak - The Ennead feast in the House of Ra, Heru (Horus) and Wesir (Osiris)

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