Amun

Amun was a very important god in ancient Egypt. He was first part of a group of eight gods and had a wife named Amunet. People began to worship him more, especially in the city of Thebes. Over time, Amun became so important that he was combined with the sun god Ra, and was called Amun-Ra.

During a time called the New Kingdom, Amun-Ra was thought to be the greatest god. He was seen as a powerful creator who helped people. Even people from places like Libya and Nubia came to respect and worship Amun-Ra. The ancient Greeks and Romans also honored him, calling him Zeus Ammon and Jupiter Ammon.

Early history

Some people thought that the worship of Amun began in ancient Libya before coming to Egypt, but this is not proven. Amun was first known from the tomb of Pharaoh Unas around 2350 BCE in Egypt, not Libya.

Amun and Amaunet are found in the old Pyramid Texts from ancient Egypt. Amun's name, imn, means something like "the hidden one" or "invisible." After a tough time called the First Intermediate Period, Amun became the main god of the city of Thebes. In Thebes, Amun was like a father, Mut was his wife, and the moon god Khonsu was their son, forming what is called the "Theban Triad".

Temple at Karnak

Main articles: Precinct of Amun-Re, Karnak, and History of the Karnak Temple complex

The story of Amun as the main god of Thebes started around the 20th century BC, when the Precinct of Amun-Ra was built at Karnak under Senusret I. Before this, the city of Thebes was not very important.

Big buildings were made in the Precinct of Amun-Ra during the 18th Dynasty, especially when Thebes became the capital of ancient Egypt. The Hypostyle Hall may have started then, but most of it was built later under Ramesses II. Merenptah recorded his trips on the walls of the Cachette Court. He showed what he brought back. His son Seti II added tall stones called obelisks and a special shrine for gods.

The biggest changes to the Precinct of Amun-Ra came when Nectanebo I added a big entrance gate called a pylon and tall walls around the whole area.

New Kingdom

Further information: High Priest of Amun

Identification with Min and Ra

"Amen Ra" redirects here. For the Belgian band, see Amenra.

"Amon-Ra" redirects here. For the American football player, see Amon-Ra St. Brown.

When the leader of the Eighteenth Dynasty drove out foreign rulers called the Hyksos from Egypt, his city, Thebes, became very important. The main god of Thebes, Amun, became important across all of Egypt. The new kings gave much of their wealth to build temples for Amun. They believed Amun helped them win battles, and they thought of him as a protector and a champion of fairness. People prayed to Amun for help in trouble.

Later, when Egypt took over Kush, they linked the main god of Kush to Amun. This god was shown as a ram with curved horns. Because of this, Amun was sometimes shown with small ram's horns. Over time, Amun also took on the role of a god of strength and growth, linking him to another god named Min. This made Amun both a strong god and a creator god.

As Amun became more important, he was linked to the sun god Ra. This joined Amun's qualities with Ra's, making Amun-Ra. People prayed to Amun-Ra for help and mercy, especially when they felt they had done something wrong.

• Amun (New Kingdom)

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  Amun (Post Amarna)

Amun-Ra (New Kingdom)

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  Amun-Ra (Post Amarna)

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  Amun as a Ram Headed man (New Kingdom)

Amun as a Ram Headed man (Post Amarna)

Amun-Min

Amun-Ra-Min

Amarna Period

Later, a king named Akhenaten tried to make people worship only one god called the Aten, shown as the sun disk. He changed many old religious symbols and moved the capital city. This made the priests of Amun lose their power.

After Akhenaten died, the next king, Tutankhamun, brought back the old ways of worshipping many gods, including Amun-Ra. The old temples and traditions were restored, and life returned to how it was before.

Theology

Amun was seen as a god of wind, the sun, and creation. As Amun-Ra, he was asked for help by people who felt they were suffering.

People believed Amun, along with two other gods, Ptah and Re, were three parts of one great god.

A story compared Amun to the wind, saying you can feel the wind but cannot see where it comes from or where it goes. Another story told how Amun could calm rough seas for sailors who called on his name.

Third Intermediate Period

Theban High Priests of Amun

Main article: High Priest of Amun

During a time called the Third Intermediate Period, special leaders called High Priests of Amun had great power in Thebes. Though they were not kings, they ruled Egypt from about 1080 BC to around 943 BC. These priests controlled much of the land, ships, and wealth, making them very important. One son of a High Priest even became a pharaoh named Psusennes I, and another became Psusennes II, the last ruler of that time.

Decline

Over time, Amun's influence across Egypt lessened. But in Thebes and nearby areas, people still worshipped him a lot. In places like Nubia, Amun was seen as a very important god. Temples dedicated to him, such as the one at Jebel Barkal, became central to the beliefs of the Kingdom of Kush. Even the last pharaoh of Nubia, Tantamani, had a name that showed his connection to Amun.

Iron Age and classical antiquity

Areas outside Egypt kept worshipping Amun into later times. In Nubia, his name was said as Amane or Amani. He was a big god there, with priests who helped lead the government. They chose rulers and planned large projects.

In Sudan, scientists studied a temple of Amun at Dangeil. They found the temple was destroyed by fire long ago. The temple was rebuilt in the 1st century AD, as shown by special ways to find dates and items found there.

One of the best-known temples for Amun in Nubia is at Jebel Barkal, close to the Nile River. It was first built with mud bricks by an old Egyptian king. Later, it was made bigger with stone. The temple has a big rock that looks like a crown or a special sign. Both Nubian and Egyptian people thought this place was very important for their kings.

In Siwa Oasis, in Western Egypt, there was an important spot where people could ask Amun for help. The worship of Amun spread to Greece, maybe through an old Greek town in Cyrene. A famous Libyan king was thought to be a son of Amun.

Amun is named in old Hebrew writings from about the 7th century BC.

Amun was also worshipped by the Greeks, who called him Ammon. He had temples in places like Thebes and Sparta. When Alexander the Great took over Egypt in 332 BC, people said he was a son of Amun. After he died, pictures of Alexander often showed him with horns, a sign linked to Amun. Even today, some words like "ammonia" come from Amun's name. Scientists also name some sea creatures and parts of the brain after him because they look like his horns. An old tale says Amun once hid behind a ram's fleece to show part of his true shape.