Sekhmet and Ptah – the Unlikely Pair!

This piece at the MET is from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c. 664–30 B.C.E.) is tiny 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 so of course I love it!!

This small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 piece of metal depicts the deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐. Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 are super interesting mythological figures in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 because they were some of the oldest deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that were worshipped for thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of years! 

Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was known as the goddess 𓊹𓏏 of war, the destructive aspects of the sun 𓇳𓏺 (such as the desert 𓅟𓂋𓏏𓈊 heat), could bring on plagues, and was associated with kingship. In the Book of the Dead, Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 is referred to as “The Master Architect,” and “Framer of Everything in the Universe” due to his role in “speaking” the world 𓇾𓇾 into creation! 

If Sekhmet’s 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 power was uncontrolled, she could pose major problems for Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖. For example, when Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was sent by her father Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 to punish the human race for rebelling against him, she lost control and had to be stopped by Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 before she eradicated all of humanity! Ra 𓇳𓏺𓁛 tricked her into thinking that pomegranate juice was blood and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 drank so much she fell asleep! In one version of the myth, when she wakes up, the first thing she sees is Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and instantly falls in love with him! 

The love affair between Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 and Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 us very interesting in a mythological sense because Ptah 𓊪𓏏𓎛𓁱 represents creation while Sekhmet 𓌂𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 can represent total destruction! Their son 𓅭, Nefertem 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯, is the god 𓊹 of healing. The union of creation and destruction created healing and thus re-established “Ma’at” (truth 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄/justice 𓐙𓌴𓂣𓏏𓆄𓏜) in the world 𓇾𓇾!