Ptah (Pteh, Peteh) was one of the triad of Memphis along with Sekhmet (or Bast) and Nefertum.When Memphis became the capital of Egypt, Ptah became the ultimate creator who made everything including the gods of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis and the Ennead of Heliopolis and was given the epithet “He who set all the gods in their places and gave all things the breath … From shop PharaohsClosetStore. What’s fascinating about the design of the statue is that it is an art deco version of the ancient Egyptian god Ptah [1] (pictured at the top right). Long thought to be the world's first female doctor, Merit Ptah was believed to have lived in ancient Egypt nearly 5,000 years ago. When Memphis became the capital of Egypt, Ptah became the ultimate creator who made everything including the gods of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis and the Ennead of Heliopolis and was given the epithet “He who set all the gods in their places and gave all things the breath of life”. Ptah also know as the God of wisdom, craftsmen, pottery and creation. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. He was a creator god who brought all things to being by thinking of them with his mind and saying their names with his tongue. XVIII-XX Dynasty, 1550-1070 BCE, Temple of Amun, Thebes. With his companion Sekhmet and the youthful god Nefertem, he was one of the Memphite Triad of deities. One of them was Ptah. Ptah was the great god of Memphis, creator of the world, lord of truth, and chief god of the city of Memphis and its surrounding area c. 3000 BCE. PTAH was the creator god of Memphis who conceived a thought in his mind (heart) and brought it forth by speaking it with his tongue. It is one of the most important deities and religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians pharaohs, as it was among the triad of Memphis. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. Who is the symbol Ptah? He was also a god of rebirth who was sometimes credited with creating the Opening of the Mouth ceremony which restored life to the deceased (although it is also associated with Anubis and Wepwawet). Egyptian archaeologists unearth dozens of tombs at Saqqara necropolis ... Another cemetery neighbor is a courtier named Khu-Ptah and his wife Mut-am-wea. He spoke the words and the world came into being. Ptah-Sokar was associated with Osiris as Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. According to some theologies, Ptah was the creator god who spoke the primordial mound from which all other life rose into existence. Thus, he was instrumental in maintaining the duality of Upper and Lower Egypt. Ptah is an ancient Egyptian god, the God of Creator. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. The sacred bull Apis had his stall in the great temple of Ptah at Memphis and was called a manifestation of the god who gave oracles. NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using. In Memphis he was thought to be married to Bast or Sekhmet. Corrections? Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Ptah, holding the emblems of life and power, bronze statuette, Memphis. Ptah Egyptian God of Creation and Craftsmen Facts In his usual depiction, Ptah God was one of the most distinctive of all the gods.He was shown as a bald-headed man, wearing a beard and a tight-fitting garment reminiscent of a mummy’s wrappings; from the back of the neck hung a flower-shaped menat, symbol of happiness.His hands protruded from the front of … Its ruins are located near the modern town of Mit Rahina, 20 km (12 mi) south of Giza in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Figure 8. Ptah as Tatenen is the one who begat the gods and from whom all things proceeded. Although often recognized for their architectural and technological advances, the ancient Egyptians were also a highly spiritual culture, one that believed in … Because the founding of Memphis and the erection of a temple to Ptah at that site were accomplishments of the first king of a united Egypt, Menes, the cult of Ptah must date at least to the beginning of Egyptian history. Self-generated, Ptah, the god of the primeval mound (Tatenen), created by thinking of things in his heart and then naming them by means of his tongue.This is referred to as Logos creation, a label that references the Biblical "in the beginning was the Word (Logos)" [John 1:1].The Egyptian gods Shu and … A cookie which helps me track how many visitors come to my site and what pages they look at. Updates? (Egyptian Museum, Turin) In Memphis, they claimed Ptah was married to Sekhmet, a local goddess, but elsewhere he was known as the husband of Wadjet. Worship: Worshipped throughout all of Egypt, his cult centers were Memphis and Heliopolis. Variants: Ptah-Seker-Osiris A composite funerary god worshipped during the Middle Kingdom period. Egyptian artists and architects credited all their major achievements to Ptah. Limestone statue of the Egyptian god Ptah. Along eastern … Ptah (Pteh, Peteh) was one of the triad of Memphis along with Sekhmet (or Bast) and Nefertum. Sometimes represented as a dwarf, naked and deformed, his popularity would continue to grow during the Late Period. Memphis (Menefer)(Arabic: مَنْف‎ Manf pronounced [mænf]; Bohairic Coptic: ⲙⲉⲙϥⲓ; Greek: Μέμφις) was the ancient capital of Inebu-hedj, the first nome of Lower Egypt that was known as mḥw ("north"). He was the father of Nefertum and Maahes, and Sekhmet was their mother. Ptah - One of the oldest Egyptian gods who appears in the First Dynastic Period (c. 3150-2613 BCE) but most likely dates from the Predynastic Period (c. 6000-3150 BCE). According to myth, he saved the town of Pelusium from the Assyrian invaders. Ptah was worshipped throughout all of Egypt, but his primary cult centres were in Memphis and Heliopolis. In Egypt, there were two major gods in charge of PICTURE MAKING, CRAFTSMEN, AND ARTISTS. His treatise “ The Maxims of Ptahhotep,” probably the earliest large piece of Egyptian wisdom literature available to modern scholars, was written primarily for young men of influential families who would soon assume one of the higher civil offices. Frequently associated with the god Bes, his worship then moved beyond the borders of Egypt and was exported throughout the eastern Mediterranean. In Egyptian mythology, Ptah was the patron of craftsmen, carpenters, sculptors, and metal workers. He also adopted Imhotep, the first known architect, engineer and physician in history, who was a human. Like many deities of ancient Egypt he takes many forms, through one of his particular aspects or through syncretism of ancient deities of the Memphite region. A new … He was so popular in Egypt that it is said that the name “Egypt” itself derives from a Greek spelling of the name of a temple in Memphis; “Hwt-kA-ptH”, which means “the temple of the Ka of Ptah”. He merged with Sokar (a god of the necropolis) as Ptah-Sokar, the personification of the sun during the night. Ancient Egypt held women in high esteem. Through dissemination by the Phoenicians, we fi… Fitting for such an important god worshipped over thousands … You may change your settings at any time. He ordered all of the vermin in the fields to chew through the bowstrings and shield handles of the enemy, destroying their weapons and sending them home in a panic. Statues of him in this form often included a copy of spells from The Book of the Dead. Legend has it that the first woman doctor in recorded history lived in ancient Egypt nearly 5000 years ago, around 2700 BCE. Ptah definition, an ancient Egyptian deity, believed to be a universal creator and sometimes identified with other gods: worshiped especially at Memphis when it … This article was most recently revised and updated by, Ptah - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Merit Ptah is frequently cited by feminist historians and popular history blogs as the first female physcian—however, many academics question the … Definition: Ptah is the creator god of the Memphite theology. Ptah served as the patron god of Memphis, the capital of Egypt at different points in its ancient history. In fact, all of Egypt was his temple because, well, he created everything. Ptah was the chief god of the ancient city of Memphis. In ancient Egyptian religion and mythology, Ptah (also spelled Phthah) was the cosmic architect, a god of arts, crafts, and trades, and a protector of artisans. She's still our science hero. When he is depicted as Ptah-Sokar-Osiris he wears a sun disk with twisted rams horns and long plumes or the “atef crown”. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Imhotep was given di… Ptah's importance may be discerned when one learns that "Egypt" is a Greek corruption of the phrase "Het-Ka-Ptah," or "House of the Spirit of Ptah." Similarly to cities of today, each city of Ancient Egypt had its own theories and own way of doing things. In Egyptian mythology, Ptah was one of the oldest and most influential of deities. Appearance: Man wrapped in a tight white cloak carrying a staff Ptah was the god of craftsmen. Stela dedicated to Ptah by Penmennefer Archaeological Site: Egypt, Luxor, Deir el-Medina. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. However, in later times, the Apis was associated with him only while it was living and associated with Osiris after death. ), meaning risen land, or as Tanen, meaning submerged land, though Tatenen was a god in his own right, before being assimilated with Ptah. Ptah was originally the local deity of Memphis, capital of Egypt from the 1st dynasty onward; the political importance of Memphis caused Ptah’s cult to expand over the whole of Egypt. He was depicted as a mummified man with unbound arms holding a staff incorporating the ankh (representing life), the was (representing power) and the djed (representing stability). However, it is also worthy of note that some versions of the legend stated that Ptah created the heavens and the earth while Khnum fashioned the people and animals on his potter’s wheel, although it is still implied that Ptah created Khnum. Ptah. The god Ptah is the husband of Sekhmet, and he has the son of the god Nefertum. Ptah was a great protector of Egypt. The priests of Ptah were predominantly architects and craftsmen, who decorated the king’s halls and burial chambers. He was also the patron of the second month of the Egyptian calendar, called Paopi by the Greeks. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Your choices will not impact your visit. . The god whose breath was said to give life to everything at the beginning, Ptah was so central to ancient Egyptian worship that the name “Egypt” derives in part from him. In fact, he may have formed the template for the idea of god as the great architect which is so popular in Masonic mythology and some branches of Christian theology, or as the Book of the Dead puts it, “a master architect, and framer of everything in the universe”. Omissions? Ptah. In this form he was sometimes associated with Nepthys in representing Lower Egypt. 5 out of 5 stars (20) 20 reviews $ 82.00 FREE shipping Only 1 available and it's in 4 people's carts. In one creation myth Ptah was a creator god. Ptah’s worship and cult centers were not solely confined to the land of Egypt. Ptah is often described as an abstract form of the “Self-Created One”, who made the universe either by the wish of his heart (sometimes associated with Hathor or Horus) and by his tongue (or speech, identified with Thoth and Tefnut). Unique Stone Egyptian Statue of God Ptah - Replica of Ancient Egyptian Ptah - Rare Egyptian Antique Art - Masterfully Handmade in Egypt PharaohsClosetStore. Alternatively, you could argue that he was more directly in control of creation than either Ra or Atum). Ptahhotep, (flourished 2400 bce), vizier of ancient Egypt who attained high repute in wisdom literature. Much later, an image of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris holding a scepter is shown on Roman Hadrianic coinage, perhaps invoking a similar claim to a divine right to rule . He was also linked to Min, the fertility god. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Ptah was worshipped throughout all of Egypt, his cult centers were Memphis and Heliopolis. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Apis bull was regarded as the “Ba” (one of the parts of the soul) of Ptah. Ptah is linked to the city of Memphis, which was long the capital of Egypt and which was originally called, among other things, "temple of the soul of Ptah." But sometimes legends are merely legends for a reason: the doctor in question, Merit-Ptah, probably did not exist. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. The Shabaka stone records that Ptah helped settle the fight between Horus and Set by making Set the lord of Upper Egypt while Geb made Horus the lord of Lower Egypt. Cookies that are necessary to enable my site to function. Egyptian God Of Many Names. He was represented as a man in mummy form, wearing a skullcap and a short, straight false beard. Herodotus wrote that the Apis bull was conceived from a bolt of lightning, he was black with a white diamond on his forehead, the image of a vulture on his back, double hairs on his tail, and a scarab mark under his tongue. He was the father of Nefertum and Maahes (by either Bast or Sekhmet). Ptah also is referred to as the noble Djed. One of the most important gods in the Egyptian pantheon, he was the chief deity of the city of Memphis, and with his wife Sekhmet and son Nefertem , formed the triad of Memphis gods. They do not store any information about you other than that which is strictly required for navigation and function, and I have no aceess to any of the data. His name Ptah also spelled as Ptha or Peteh means the “opener” in the sense of “opener of the mouth”. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. According to Sitchin’s Ancient Astronaut Hypothesis, the era of The Alien Gods in Ancient Egypt which is recorded in Ancient Egypt begins with Ptah who following the Great Deluge of antiquity, built the Kingdom of the Nile Valley by carrying out Dyking works that raised mounds of Earth from the post-deluge marshes. PTAH. He also adopted Imhotep (the deified architect of Djoser’s Step Pyramid as his son. Ptah usually stands on a plinth which was also one of the hieroglyphic symbols used to write the name of Ma’at (who represented order or justice) and was the same shape as a tool used by stonemasons and architects to form a straight edge. Figure 7. However, he was also described as the husband of Wadjet and numerous smaller local deities. Indeed, the Opening of the Mouth ceremony was believed to been created by Ptah. As a mortuary god, Ptah was often fused with Seker (or Soker) and Osiris to form Ptah-Seker-Osiris. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). People took incredible pride in their deities. In Egyptian mythology, Ptah (also spelt Peteh) was the deification of the primordial mound in the Ennead cosmogony, which was more literally referred to as Ta-tenen (also spelled Tathenen), meaning risen land, or as Tanen, meaning submerged land. The origin of Ptah’s name is unclear, but it is often suggested that the correct translation is either “opener” (because of his link with the ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth) or “sculptor” (because he was a god of craftsmen and creation). He was unique amongst Egyptian creation gods in that his methods were intellectual, rather than physical. Ptah, also spelled Phthah, in Egyptian religion, creator-god and maker of things, a patron of craftsmen, especially sculptors; his high priest was called “chief controller of craftsmen.”The Greeks identified Ptah with Hephaestus (), the divine blacksmith.Ptah was originally the local deity of Memphis, capital of Egypt from the 1st dynasty onward; the political importance of Memphis … He also acted as a … He was the patron of sculptors, painters, builders, carpenters, and other craftsmen, and was thought to have invented masonry. Material: Stone / limestone, paint. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Ptah. Ptah was linked to Ta-tenen (meaning “risen land) or Tanen (meaning “submerged land”), an earth god connected with the primeval mound from which creation sprang. 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