called NUNor Nu; (2) a primeval hill arose to bring life
out of chaos and darkness. The cosmogonic tenets of the
city of Heliopolis are available in the PYRAMID TEXTSof
the Old Kingdom but are scant and appear to make refer-
ence to what was common knowledge of the time. In this
creation story the god ATUMemerges from the watery
chaos called Nun. Atum made his first appearance on the
hill that became the great temple at Heliopolis. By 2300
B.C.E., the god Atum was identified with RÉ, becoming
Ré-Atum, symbolized by the BENBENor a SCARAB. Ré-
Atum began making the other divine beings of Egypt
through masturbation. SHU, his son, was then spit out of
his mouth, and Ré-Atum vomited out TEFNUT.
Shu was the god of the air, and Tefnut was his con-
sort, also considered to represent moisture and order in
the material world. Both of these deities were associated
with the legends concerning the Eye of Ré-Atum. This
Eye was responsible for the birth of human beings and
was the symbol of the sun. Atum lost Shu and Tefnut,
and when he found them again, his tears became
humans. Shu and Tefnut gave birth to GEB, the earth, and
NUT, the sky. They, in turn, gave birth to ISIS,OSIRIS,NEPH-
THYS, and SET. All of these divine beings, with Ré-Atum,
formed the ENNEAD(the nine) of Heliopolis. In some eras
the Ennead also included HORUS.
In the city of Hermopolis Magna, the cosmogonic
decrees held that the original gods were formed as an
OGDOAD(octet). These were NUN, the primeval ocean,
and his consort Naunet (the male depicted as a frog-
headed man and the woman as having a serpent’s head);
HEHand Hauhet represented darkness; Kuk and Kauket
(or Nia and Niat, representing nonentity) and AMUNand
his consort AMAUNET represented concealment. This
Ogdoad was responsible for the “Golden Age” before
humans in the Nile Valley. Amun became popular
because of his role in stirring up the waters and the dark-
ness to cause life. The original appearance of the god
took on great significance in temple lore, and the original
sites associated with Amun’s creation were called
PRIMEVAL MOUNDS. The Hermopolitan cosmogony
included the appearance of a cosmic egg laid by a celes-
tial GOOSEor an IBIS. A popular tradition from this time
was that of the LOTUS, which brought the god RÉtothe
world. The Ogdoad of Hermopolis concerned themselves
with the rising of the sun and the inundation of the Nile,
both vital to Egypt’s prosperity.
The Memphite creation story was very old and
complex; PTAH was the creator of the entire world
according to the Memphite priests. The Ennead of
Heliopolis and other divinities were only manifestations
of Ptah’s creative powers. Ptah was the Heart and the
Tongue, the seat of the intellect and the weapon of cre-
ative power. As ATUMspat out the gods in other creation
tales, he did so at Ptah’s command, the result of the will
of Ptah. Siawas the power of understanding, and Hu
was the creative force of Ptah’s words. This cosmogonic
theory was sophisticated and demanded a considerable
amount of metaphysical awareness, something that
defeated the cult from the beginning. Ptah was the cre-
ative principle, fashioning not only the world and
human beings but moral and ethical order. Ptah had not
only made the other gods but had instituted the formu-
las for their worship, offerings, rituals, and ceremonies.
Ptah made the cities and the men and women who
inhabited them, and he set the standards for personal
and national behavior. In time Ptah was joined with
OSIRIS, to extend his reign even into the afterlife, as he
was also united with SOKAR.
The Theban cosmogony was late in arriving on the
scene, coming into fullness in the New Kingdom
(1550–1070 B.C.E.). The priests of AMUN, understanding
the need for a creation story that would provide their
deity with rank and privileges above the other gods of
Egypt, used the original concept of Amun as the air
divinity of Hermopolis Magna. Thebes became the first
Primeval Mound, the original “PAY LAND,” the place of
“the Appearance of the watery chaos and the creation of
all life.” Amun created himself in Thebes, and all the
other gods were merely manifestations of him. He was
Ptah, the lotus, the Ogdoad. Amun then became TATENEN,
the Primeval Mound of Memphis. Thebes also assumed
OSIRISinto its domain, claiming that the god was born in
the New Kingdom capital.Council of Ten A unit of government for the territory
of Upper Egypt, working with “the Officials of Nekhen,”
this council, which had a counterpart in the Delta area of
Lower Egypt, handled NOME affairs and served as the
crown’s liaison to the djadjet,an assembly of nomarchs,
or hereditary lords of the provinces.
See also GOVERNMENT.crocodile This was an animal revered by the ancient
Egyptians as a THEOPHANYof the god SOBEK. Sobek was
worshiped in GEBELEIN,DENDEREH, and SAIS. Particular
honor was given to the crocodile in the FAIYUM.
Crocodiles eventually were kept in pools or in small
lakes, where priests tended to their daily needs. Some of
the animals wore crystal or golden earrings, and some
had bracelets on their forepaws. When they died they
were embalmed with care.
Crocodiles were plentiful in the early period. A leg-
end stated that AHA(Menes) of the First Dynasty (2920
B.C.E.) was befriended by one of them when attacked by
enemies in the Faiyum. The embalmed remains of these
animals were discovered in the tomb of AMENEMHET III(r.
1844–1797 B.C.E.) and elsewhere. KOM OMBO was an
important center for the crocodile cult in later times. At
CROCODILOPOLIS, renamed Arsinoe in the Ptolemaic
Period (304–30 B.C.E.), crocodiles were displayed for reli-
gious ceremonies and as attractions for visitors.crocodile 89