Who is Atum in ancient Egyptian religion?
Atum is the primordial creator god who created himself from nothing and emerged as the complete one. He served as the progenitor of all deities and the universe itself through his vital force known as ka.
Questions about Atum
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Atum appear according to conflicting ancient texts?
One Heliopolitan view stated he existed inside an egg before being born during the primordial flood while another account from Memphis claimed Ptah created Atum using speech and thought instead of physical birth. Early myths said Atum rose from the waters sitting on a mound known as benben.
What role does Atum play regarding death and the afterlife?
Atum served as the evening sun god who guided dead kings to the starry heavens and souls through the darkness toward the afterlife when the sun set in the west. The Book of the Dead described Atum ascending from chaos-waters in the form of a snake renewing itself every morning.
In what forms did artists depict Atum throughout history?
Artists depicted Atum in anthropomorphic form wearing either the divine Tripartite wig or the Double Crown and sometimes showed him as an old man leaning on a stick representing the aging evening sun. Other representations transformed him into a serpent returning to his primeval origins at the end of creation or portrayed him as a mongoose lion bull lizard or ape depending on the context.
Where was the center of worship for Atum located today?
The center of Atum's worship was located in the city of Heliopolis known as Annu or Iunu by ancient Egyptians. Only one remnant survives today: the Temple of Ra-Atum obelisk standing in Al-Matariyyah Cairo erected by Senusret I of the Twelfth Dynasty which still stands in its original position.