Ptah – He Speaks And It Shall Be!

Ptah, the Egyptian God of creation and craftsmen, was the chief deity of the city of Memphis. His role was to initiate creation, where he would lay out the world on the primordial waters. Ptah was the husband of Sekhmet, the goddess of war, who was the daughter of Ra. As Ptah was one of the first gods of creation and “maker of things”, he became the ideal patron of craftsmen; sculptors were especially fond of him. His high priest was usually called “Chief Controller of Craftsmen. (Were-Kherep-Henu)” Ptah’s role as patron of craftsmen was more important than his cosmic role.

Later, the Greeks identified Ptah with Hephaestus, the divine blacksmith under the Greek invasion. Yet despite being a prominent deity, very little is known about him from early texts. Texts that give insights into him seem to date back to the New Kingdom.

Academics don’t know what his name means, but it could be related to the word to fashion, as in “to create and form”. He was also referred to as “Beautiful/merciful of face”, “Lord of truth (order)”, and “Hearer of Prayers”.

His role in the Egyptian pantheon

In Memphis, he was considered to be the creator deity. He created the world and the Gods through thought and speech. When he said it, it was formed. This contradicts the story of Atum being the creator God, who created the first few Gods by masturbating. Ptah was a member of the Memphite Triad along with his spouse, Sekhmet and the youthful God, Nefertem – his son.

His cult centre was the city of Memphis, which acted as the administrative capital of Egypt at times. Since Memphis was an important political centre, it positively influenced Ptah’s cult. The cult later spread all over Egypt as it became more popular. He was also worshipped at Karnak in Thebes, the spiritual centre of Ancient Egypt. The fact that he was worshipped in both of these locations shows Ptah’s significance in the Egyptian Pantheon. He was also worshipped at Abu Simbel along with Amun-Re, Re-Horakty, and the deified Ramses II.

In Memphis, Ptah was also represented by the Apis bull. The bull was considered to be the manifestation of Ptah, and there was only ever one Apis at any one time. The bull lived in what could be described as a palace for his divine and royal status.

Appearance and Attributes

Ptah takes on the form of a human, wearing a body-hugging wrap with high collars and a tassel. He is also described as being in “mummiform”, just like Osiris and Min. He wears a skull cap on his head, which gives him the appearance of having a smooth head. He also holds a sceptre which has the signs of the Ankh (Life, referencing he created life) and the Djed pillar ( representing stability and order)

Evolution of Ptah

During the New Kingdom period, Ptah’s cult developed across Egypt. Particularly in Memphis and Thebes and the nearby village of Deir el-medina, where workers on the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings also worked honoured him as patron of craftsmen. A small chapel was constructed called Ptah who listens to prayer.

North, at the cult centre in Memphis, his role of go-between for humans with the divine was distinctly visible in the decoration of the enclosure that protected and shielded off sanctuary for the God from the public’s gaze. Large ears were carved prominently on walls, so people could pray to Ptah, and he could hear them.

The Third Intermediate Period was a time of turmoil that saw political decline and instability in ancient Egypt. Around this time, Ptah began to return to the centre of the monarchy, where coronation rites were observed in his temple. The Greek Ptolemies kept up the tradition of the coronations at Ptah’s temple. The priests were seen as significant members of the royal court. Priests of Ptah married many princesses, which shows how important they were.

Story and Legends

Ptah, the “Father of the gods from whom all life emerged,” is responsible for creating the universe in the Memphis creation myth. The story tells of how he created the world by thinking from his heart and then reciting those thoughts aloud. Ptah then created the other deities; after that, he created the towns which would hold their cult centres. He also made statues of wood, clay, and stone to receive these deities’ spirits or divine power (“Ka”). He also arranged for offerings to be made to them.