Egyptian God Nephthys: Role & Symbolism

RA

• Ra was the ancient Egyptian sun god and a major deity in their religion.
• During the day, Ra was believed to travel across the sky.
• At night, Ra ventured through the underworld.
• Ra is commonly shown as a man with a falcon head, wearing a sun disk on his head.
• Often, Ra's sun disk is encircled by a cobra. The cobra represents protection for Ra.
• Ra was the god of creation, light, and life.
• Ra was also associated with kingship and order.
• Pharaohs were considered Ra's earthly reps.
• Ra's worship began in Heliopolis, a major center.
• The name Ra means sun in ancient Egypt.
• The Phoenix was linked to Ra.
• He was a widely worshiped god, and his cult was one of the oldest in Egypt.
• Ra had both female and male aspects in his persona.
• Ra was not always kind, as he could be quite vengeful when needed.
• Only Isis knew Ra's secret name.

Creation Myths & Role in Universe

• Ra reportedly created himself from the primordial waters of Nun.
• Ra then created Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture).
• Shu and Tefnut gave birth to Geb (earth) and Nut (sky).
• Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys were produced by Geb and Nut.
• Ra's lineage became the Ennead of Heliopolis, a major family.
• He spoke the world into existence.
• He created everything using his god powers.
• Humans were created from his tears or sweat.
• He kept Earth balanced using Ma'at (truth and order).
• The world would fall into chaos and darkness without Ra.

Daily Journey of the Sun

• Ra traveled across the sky in the Mandjet (morning boat).
• At sunset, he went down into the duat (the underworld).
• At night, he traveled in the Mesektet (evening boat).
• Every night, he had to battle Apophis (Apep). Apophis was a chaos serpent. Apophis tried to stop the sun from rising by attacking Ra's boat.
• Seth and Bastet often defended Ra from Apophis.
• Thoth and Ma'at assisted him in the underworld.
• If Ra was victorious, the sun would rise each morning. Ra's journey represented life, death, and rebirth.
• The rising sun was Ra's victory over darkness.

Ra's Forms and Merged Deities

• Atum-Ra: Combined with Atum, the creator.
• Amun-Ra: Merged with Amun, the king of the gods.
• Ra-Horakhty: Ra and Horus fusion, meaning "Ra Horus of the 2 horizons".
• Khnum-Ra: Combined with Khnum, a ram headed creator.
• Sobek-Ra: Merged with Sobek, the crocodile god..
• Khepri: Ra as a scarab beetle for the rising sun.
• Atum: Ra as the setting sun.
• Sekhmet: A violent lioness form of Ra's power.
• Hathor: was sometimes seen as Ra's daughter or eye.
• Eye of Ra: A feminine force linked to Ra's wrath.

Mythology and Stories

• Ra was considered all-seeing and all-powerful and ruled as a king in Egypt's golden age.
• Humans plotted against Ra because of his old age.
• He sent Sekhmet to punish them violently, but he tricked her into drinking red beet which calmed her.
• Sekhmet calmed and became Hathor, goddess of love.
• Ra retired from ruling the world.
• He ascended to the heavens, leaving pharaohs to rule. He used the Eye of Ra to enforce his will.
• Ra's spittle created serpents and scorpions.

Symbols and Worship

• Sun disk: Ra's primary symbol.
• Scarab beetle: Represented Ra's renewal.
• Obelisk: Considered sacred.
• Many temples were built in his honor, especially in Heliopolis.
• His priests were among the most powerful and offerings included beer, bread, and incense.
• Ra's name was included in royal names like Ramesses ("Ra is born").
• Solar temples had no roof, allowing direct sunlight.

Ra's Influence on Later Gods

• Akhenaten promoted Aten (the sun disk) as the sole god, replacing Ra with a more abstract deity.
• Ra's imagery influenced solar deities globally.
• Greek and Roman gods like Helios and Sol were linked to Ra.
• Even after Egypt's decline, Ra remained divine. Many myths survived in Coptic and Greco-Roman writings.
• The Book of the Dead references his journey, and his battles with Apophis symbolized order vs. chaos.
• His solar barque is compared to sun god chariots in other myths.

OSIRIS

• A major deity in ancient Egypt.
• Primarily known as the god of the afterlife and resurrection.
• Also associated with fertility, agriculture, and death.
• He was a member of the Ennead of Heliopolis (9 primary gods of Egypt).

Osiris Appearance

• Typically depicted as a man with greenish skin.
• Greenish as a symbol representing rebirth
• White crown of Upper Egypt on his head.
• Usually held the crook and flail.
• The crook and flail were the symbols of kinship.

Immediate Family

• Osiris was the brother and husband of Isis.
• He was the father of Horus the Younger.
• Set was his brother who later murders him.

Mythology and Stories

• Ruled Egypt during a golden age
• Brought civilization to humanity.
• Later killed by his brother Set
• Resurrected by Isis.
• The central figure in a myth explaining life, death, and rebirth.
• He Was originally human king who was loved.
• His brother Set trapped him in a coffin and murdered Osiris.
• Set threw the coffin into the Nile river to be carried away.
• Isis mourned, found the coffin and used magic to conceive Horus.
• Afterward, Osiris became lord of the Underworld.
• Symbolic of annual flooding of the Nile was essential to the concept of mortality.
• Taught the arts of agriculture and civilization to the people.

Role as God of the Afterlife

• Judge of death in afterlife.
• Souls of the dead journeyed to the hall of judgment where Osiris sat as judge for souls.
• Would weigh hearts against the feather of truth.
• If lighter than the feather, the soul would be allowed into the afterlife
• If heavier than the feather, it was devoured Ammit (the duats monster).
• Symbol of resurrection for the soul's immortality.
• Role as judge was depicted as him sitting on the throne in the underworld.
• Also called Lord of the West to refer to western bank and association with death.
• Provided hope of eternal life for Egyptians

Osiris and Family

• Isis was a major figure and helped restore Osiris to life.
• Horus was son of Osiris and Isis
• Horus was god of kingship and vengeance.
• Set was the brother who killed Osiris
• Nephthys was Set's wife and Osiris's sister
• A protective figure in the myth. Osiris influenced royal legitimacy of pharaohs as living manifestations

Osirian Cult

• Spread across Egypt
• Became unifying religious force
• Horus the younger avenged father by defeating Set The Osiriss family illustrates love, loyalty, and rebirth.
• Often associated with death and renewal
• The seasonal flooding of the Nile had an impact.
• The resurrection myth mirrors agriculture showing how death cycles with interconnected life.

Symbols of Osiris

• Depicted as a mummy with a crown and scepter
• White crown of upper Egypt
• Crook and flail symbolize protectorship
• Skin is green to represent rebirth and fertility.
• Djed pillar represents stability
• Osiris is depicted with a flail (controlling earth) and a scepter (symbolizing authority).
• The Ankh symbolizes life
• The lotus flower represents resurrection
• Heka (magic) was key to resurrection
• Isis used powerful spells to bring him back to life Religious Practice
• Was one of the most widespread and influential in Egypt
• Priests were in many temples
• Osirian mysteries were secret rites preformed to ensure fertility, life and resurrection
• Worshipped especially in Abydos
• Was the believed location of his tomb
• Pilgrims made journeys to honor Osiris and seek favor to the afterlife
• During festival people reenacted death and resurrection Were offered to Osiris for land fertility.
• Sculptures, scales and tombs were dedicated
• Pharaohs where buried in isirian styled tombs as Earthy Manifestations

Osiris and other egyptian gods

• Brother, husband of Isis
• Most important consort
• Horus was the son, depicted often as Avington on his fathers death
• God of Chaos Set, Osiris's god of chaos and disorder lead to Osiris death
• Helped linked to Osiris as one who assisted preserving his body
• the god of wisdom and writing, helped in recording the events related Ma'at Goddess of truth, is involved with the balances of the heart during the judgement Nephthys, Osiris's sister helped mourning, restoring Osiris Bastet and Sekhmet have played roles in healing, protecting Orisis

Osiris and Pharaohs

• Pharaohs where believed to be descendants of Osiris.
• connected them to the divine
• The resurrection of Osiris symbolized the eternal kingship, the afterlife judgment of death was seen as as analogs to the pharaohs roles as The Royal tombs
• Egypt was built with with honor to symbolizing the rebirth as Pharaohs like statues to enter with access to life Ensure pharaoh's is resurrection. As Osiris. .Align the with the Pharaoh's myth and myths Myths are very strong to believe the pharaohs become the 1 in between, and after death for their internal rule

IS IS

• Known in ancient Egyptian mythology.
• Known as goddess of magic, motherhood, fertility, and healing.
• Part of the ennead of Heliopolis which contains 9 major deities
• Her name was set in Egyptian or iset Meaning throne
• Depicted as as a woman wearing a throne shaped crown on her head
• In some Images Isis wears the solar , dish and cow horns
• Isis was a daughter and her family of sister and wife of the God Osiris
• Isis was also a mother of Horus. falcon head of Gods

Mythology and Stories

• Isis is a Central figure in Cyrus, a myth.
• After set murder set series
• Isis searched tirelessly to find his buddy and magical powers, Isis resurrect Osiris enough
• she then hit oris and the Marses set her
• Used powerful spells and power
• She tricked and revealed secret name and get immense power
• She created a magician serpent to bite Raw and Force him to review his name, and used name to become one of the most deity is a symbol of symbolism

Role as a model and Protector

• Isis was always known as a motherhood who depicted nursing
• She for protected Horus dangers that he was a child
• Her protecting nature standard of women
• Invoke the spells
• Was a guardian of the Pharaoh
• Magical powers where simple in ancient Egyptians prayers for safety.
• She has power of life and death
• She was known as the death back to life

Symbols

• The throne symbol is also been depicted

• Shown holding and a symbol and carrying the symbol of life is often carries

• Is often carries a scepter, symbolizing authority divine power

• Not Isis was protected amulet

Worship and Temple

• Herodotus identified Is is spread the Greek Roman • His mysteries rites Rome • Isis is part in the Roman

Relation to other deities

• Isis was the sister of Norphus
• Isis was in his powers of the •She's very deep connection

Influence

• Worship with the Roman roll and social classes
• Was devotion
• The fall of

Magical Ability

• Isis to bring in •Isis is often in outstreched arms •Funerary head coffins

SET

• Ancient Egyptian God associated with chaos, deserts, violence and order. He was Setesh sometimes Spelled.
• Group of 9 Gods in Egyptian mythology
• He was a son of sky Goddess
• Married to Neohys
• Often depicted as a figure, Square ears/Forked tail face
• Identity Unkown
• Skin is referred to as red.

Role

• His role, where he murders his brother Osiris
• tricked into his coffin and tossed into the Nile •Suez to see Egypt •Battled Osiris in for the throne of Kingship •Their conflictizes eternal battle the gods The held divine determine

Religion

•God of the Fertile Valley •Chaos challenged order •Demonized later

Symbols

• representing is chaos •was-scepter symbolizing domain may be depicted with symbols of life

Worship

Primary Cult upper Egypt •Another, the hyksos' capital. "Featuring storms •Dynasty

Relationship

•Osirises forming part his marriage to was loverly •Rivalry of Egyptian myth Balancing act between Ra was an ,for Chaos

The Conflict

After for for years of Horus a time •Battered transformed by magic •Stone Boat sank •Isis tricked set in

Explore the role of Nephthys in assisting souls, her embodiment of the liminal space between life and death, and her complex relationship with Set. Discover her roles in funerary rites and protection, offerings to her, and her support for Horus. Learn about her connection to Isis and the symbolism of Horus's falcon form and eyes.