Tag: ptah

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Egyptian Artifacts

Bronze Statue of Ptah

This bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 of the god π“ŠΉ Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± from the Third Intermediate Period is striking to see in person not just because of its wonderful state of preservation, but its size as well!

Bronze Statue of Ptah
Bronze Statue of Ptah on display at the MET

For a bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, it is quite large! In antiquity, this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 would have been covered in gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰ leaf, and it’s amazing that you can still see some of the gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰ on the statue! Imagine how magnificent it would have looked in all gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰! I also love how the eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 are still perfectly preserved; they really stand out among the bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ and the gold π“‹žπ“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰π“ƒ‰!Β 

The staff that Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± is holding in his hands is actually a merging of the Djed Pillar π“Š½ and the Was Scepter π“Œ€. The hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ for Djed π“Š½ means β€œstability” while the hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ for the Was Scepter π“Œ€ means β€œstrength,” and this staff exemplifies Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± representation of both! 

One of the epithets that follows Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± name π“‚‹π“ˆ– in inscriptions is β€œThe One of Fair Face 𓄀𓁷𓏀𓀭” and I think that description totally fits with how beautiful 𓄀𓆑𓂋 this particular statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 represents him! That epithet could also be translated as β€œKindly of Face 𓄀𓁷𓏀𓀭” and can also be written as β€œπ“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“·π“€π“€­.”

Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± was not created; he existed before anyone else and anything. In short, he was the creator of the other creator gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ, like Atum π“‡‹π“π“‚Ÿπ“€­. Due to Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± creativity, he is also the designated god π“ŠΉ of all forms of craftsman such as carpenters , shipbuilders, potters, metalworkers, and sculptors.

This statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 would have been housed in a shrine π“π“Šƒπ“…“π“‚œπ“‰ and would have received offerings π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ𓏏𓏔𓏦 from priests π“ŠΉπ“›π“ͺ. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

@ancientegyptblogΒ on Instagram and TikTok

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Egyptian Artifacts

The Memphis Triad

While Harry, Ron, and Hermione are most definitely my favorite trio of all time, the Memphis Triad comes pretty close!! In ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, groups of three 𓏼 gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ are referred to as β€œtriads” by Egyptologists! Triads were groups of gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ that usually had some type of familial significance to each other. Father 𓇋𓏏𓀀-Mother 𓄿𓏏𓁐-Child π“π“‡Œπ“€• triads and family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 units were extremely important to Egyptian culture!

The Memphis Triad
Ptah (left), Sekhmet (middle) and Imhotep (right) make up the Memphis Triad

The triads were usually made into a single statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, however, at the MET they have displayed these three 𓏼 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ together to form a triad which I think is so cool! This triad is known as the Memphis Triad, which consisted of Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“€­ (left), Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“ (middle) and Imhotep π“‡π“…“π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ (right). 

The Memphis Triad could also be Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±, Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“, and Nefertem 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯. Nefertem 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯 was the son π“…­ of Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± and Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“ in mythology. However, during the Ptolemaic times (which is when these bronze π“ˆ”π“€π“ˆ’π“¦ statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾π“ͺ are dated to), Imhotep π“‡π“…“π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ was widely worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀒 as a god π“ŠΉ, and he kind of replaced Nefertem 𓄀𓆑𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯 in the triad! Since Imhotep π“‡π“…“π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ was regarded by the Greeks as the Son π“…­ of Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±, this unofficially made Sekhmet π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“ his mother 𓅐𓏏𓁐! 

Imhotep π“‡π“…“π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ, meaning β€œHe who comes in peace,” was a non-royal man who became deified.  Imhotep π“‡π“…“π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ was not deified in his lifetime – it was 2,000 𓆼𓆼 years after his death that he began to be worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀒 as a god π“ŠΉ by the Greeks. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

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Reading Hieroglyphs

“Great God Ptah”

Lets’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! 

Today π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³ we are going to be looking at an inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ that is part of the West Wall of the Tomb Chapel of Kaemsenu. This inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ is a little bit tricky to read at first because one of the symbols is actually upside down!! Not going to lie, at quick glance I thought this inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ said β€œHigh Priest π“ŠΉπ“›!” 

Great God Ptah
“Great God Ptah” in hieroglyphs! Since the “cloth on a pole π“ŠΉ” symbol is pointing to the left, that’s the direction we start reading from!

So let’s take a look at what it actually says: 

π“ŠΉπ“‰Ό – Great God

π“Šͺπ“π“Ž› – Ptah

All π“ŽŸ together π“ˆ–π“Š—, the inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ reads “Great God Ptah.”

Let’s take a closer look at each of the symbols: 

The β€œcloth on a pole π“ŠΉβ€œ hieroglyph is an ideogram for the word god. π“ŠΉ is also a triliteral phonogram, and represents the letters β€œntr” which may have been pronounced like β€œneter.” π“ŠΉ Is also a determinative for β€œgod.” So the β€œcloth on a pole π“ŠΉβ€œ symbol can function as all three types of hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ. If you see this symbol, you are most likely looking at a word that has to do with the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ!

The β€œwooden column 𓉼” hieroglyph is a biliteral phonogram which represents the sound β€œΛ3.” This symbol does have a variant, 𓉻, which means the same, it’s just oriented at a different angle! But I’ve never seen it upside down before! 

The β€œstool π“Šͺ” is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound β€œp.” 

The β€œflat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound β€œt.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word β€œbread 𓏏𓏺” and can be used to make words feminine! 

The β€œwick π“Ž›β€ is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound β€œh.”

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Egyptian Artifacts

Sekhmet and Ptah – the Unlikely Pair!

This piece at the MET is from the Late Period – Ptolemaic Period (c.Β 664–30 B.C.E.)Β is tinyΒ π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…©Β so of course I love it!!

This smallΒ π“ˆ–π“†“π“‹΄π“…©Β piece of metal depicts the deities π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ PtahΒ π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±Β and SekhmetΒ π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“.Β PtahΒ π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±Β and SekhmetΒ π“Œ‚π“π“…“π“π“Β are super interesting mythological figures in ancient EgyptΒ π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–Β because they were some of the oldest deitiesΒ π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉΒ that were worshipped for thousands 𓆼𓆼𓆼 of years!Β 

Sekhmet π“Œ‚𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 was known as the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ of war, the destructive aspects of the sun 𓇳𓏺 (such as the desert π“…Ÿπ“‚‹π“π“ˆŠ heat), could bring on plagues, and was associated with kingship. In the Book of the Dead, Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± is referred to as β€œThe Master Architect,” and β€œFramer of Everything in the Universe” due to his role in β€œspeaking” the world 𓇾𓇾 into creation! 

If Sekhmet’s π“Œ‚𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 power was uncontrolled, she could pose major problems for Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–. For example, when Sekhmet π“Œ‚𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 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 π“Œ‚𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 drank so much she fell asleep! In one version of the myth, when she wakes up, the first thing she sees is Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± and instantly falls in love with him! 

The love affair between Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± and Sekhmet π“Œ‚𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 us very interesting in a mythological sense because Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± represents creation while Sekhmet π“Œ‚𓐍𓅓𓏏𓁐 can represent total destruction! Their son π“…­, Nefertem π“„€π“†‘𓂋𓏏𓍃𓀯, is the god π“ŠΉ of healing. The union of creation and destruction created healing and thus re-established β€œMa’at” (truth π“™π“Œ΄π“‚£π“π“†„/justice π“™π“Œ΄π“‚£π“π“†„π“œ) in the world π“‡Ύπ“‡Ύ! 

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Egyptian Artifacts

Small Statue of Ptah

Although tiny (only about 5cm in height), this is a striking lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 statuette of the creator god π“ŠΉ Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±. Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± is easily recognized, and I always called him the β€œbald god” as a kid even though he isn’t necessarily bald – he is wearing a cap on his head! Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± has always been a favorite of mine because he is so fascinating!

Lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 is a very hard 𓄇𓏏𓂝𓏭 stone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“Šͺ and is very difficult to work with, so that only makes the very tiny details such as the beard π“π“ƒ€π“Šƒπ“…±π“ (the only god π“ŠΉ to be consistently depicted with one) and the broad collar π“…±π“‹΄π“π“ŽΊπ“‹ even more impressive! Although it’s hard to see, the staff that Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± is holding in his hands is actually a merging of the Djed Pillar π“Š½ and the Was Scepter π“Œ€. The hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ for Djed π“Š½ means β€œstability” while the hieroglyph π“ŠΉπ“Œƒ for the Was Scepter π“Œ€ means β€œstrength.”

Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± was not created; he existed before anyone else and anything. In short, he was the creator of the other creator gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ, like Atum π“‡‹π“π“‚Ÿπ“€­. Due to Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± creativity, he is also the designated god π“ŠΉ of all forms of craftsman such as carpenters , shipbuilders, potters, metalworkers, and sculptors. Imhotep π“‡π“…“π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ, the famous architect of the Step Pyramid (the first pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 built in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–) is said to be the direct son π“…­ of Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± due to his incredible work! There is so much I can say about Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±, but Instagram captions can only be so long!

This piece is estimated to be from the Third Intermediate Period – early Dynasty 26 (c. 945–600 B.C.E.). Since it is such a high quality piece, it is most likely that it was meant for use in Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± large temple π“‰Ÿπ“π“‰ at Memphis π“ π“ˆ–π“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“‰΄π“Š–(Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± was the chief god π“ŠΉ of Memphis π“ π“ˆ–π“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“‰΄π“Š–). Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± was worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀒 at Memphis π“ π“ˆ–π“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“‰΄π“Š– from the Old Kingdom forward.

Categories
Reading Hieroglyphs

Ptah in Hieroglyphs

Here is a zoomed in view of an inscription π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ with the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– of the god π“ŠΉ Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± from a large statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ that originally belonged to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenemhat II π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–π“…“π“„‚π“, however, the statue π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύ was usurped by Rameses II π“©π“›π“ˆ˜π“„Ÿπ“‹΄π“‡“.

As we learned yesterday, Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± was the chief god π“ŠΉ of Memphis π“ π“ˆ–π“„€π“†‘π“‚‹π“‰΄π“Š– and was considered a great protector of Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–. In the Book of the Dead, Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± is referred to as β€œThe Master Architect,” and β€œFramer of Everything in the Universe” due to his role in β€œspeaking” the world 𓇾𓇾 into creation!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! Now, these two 𓏻 inscriptions π“Ÿπ“›π“₯ are divided by a line because they are part of a larger text that is read downwards; they are not meant to be read together! However, I really wanted the closeup of Ptah’s π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± name π“‚‹π“ˆ–, so we are going to read them this way from my picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦!

You probably know the first phrase already:
π“ŽŸπ“‡Ώπ“‡Ώ – Lord of the Two Lands
(π“‡³π“„Šπ“§π“‡³π“‰π“ˆ–) – Rameses II (throne name Usermaatre)
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± – Ptah
𓉼 – Great (then the inscription continues…)

Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± can be written a couple of different ways in hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ, but the phonogram symbols are always the same. Sometimes, the determinative symbol is left out because of spacing issues! Once you can recognize the first three 𓏼 symbols, you are well on your way to finding Ptah’s name π“‚‹π“ˆ– on monuments/artifacts!

Here are the different ways to write his name π“‚‹π“ˆ–:
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“€­
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“°
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›

The full statue that the inscription is on the back of
Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The God Ptah

Ptah from the Book of the Dead of Imhotep (The MET)

This image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± s from the Book of the Dead of Imhotep (Early Ptolemaic Period) at the MET! This particular Book of the Dead is incredible because it is one of the most complete ones I have ever seen! Even though it is only in black π“†Žπ“…“ or red π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿ ink and not in full color like some other versions, it is still so beautiful π“„€ to look at and I am always mesmerized by the details!

One thing that is very obvious about hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ is that the symbols look like pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦! In art from the pre-dynastic and early dynastic periods, sometimes it is difficult to tell where the art ends and the hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ begin!

I really liked this drawing of the god π“ŠΉ Ptah π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“± because it looked like the determinative that appears after his name π“‚‹π“ˆ– when it is written in hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

Here are some of the variations of Ptah’s name π“‚‹π“ˆ–:
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“±
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“€­
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›π“°
π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›

As you can see, the three phonogram symbols β€œ π“Šͺπ“π“Ž›β€ remain the same, it is just the determinative that changes! Once you know the phonogram symbols, his name π“‚‹π“ˆ– is easy to spot because it doesn’t change! I personally love the determinative of Ptah in the shrine (𓁱) – just like what is shown on the papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛!