Amun

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

During a time called the New Kingdom, Amun-Ra was thought to be the greatest god of all. He was seen as a powerful creator who helped people in need. Even people outside of Egypt, in 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 idea 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 time, the city of Thebes wasn't very important.

Big building projects happened in the Precinct of Amun-Ra during the 18th Dynasty, especially when Thebes became the capital of ancient Egypt. The Hypostyle Hall might have started then too, but most of it was built later under Ramesses II. Merenptah recorded his victories on the walls of the Cachette Court. He showed his trips and what he brought back. His son Seti II added small 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 home city, Thebes, became very important. The main god of Thebes, Amun, grew to be very 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 of the poor and a champion of fairness. People prayed to Amun, asking him to help them when they were 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 because people were no longer worshipping Amun.

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 because of their own or others' mistakes.

People believed Amun, along with two other gods, Ptah and Re, were three parts of one great god. Even though they were different, they were also connected as one.

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 held great power in Thebes. Though 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 as important as the pharaohs themselves. 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 strong influence across Egypt began to lessen. However, 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 continued to worship Amun into classical times. In Nubia, his name was pronounced Amane or Amani. He was an important god there, with priests who helped lead the government. They chose rulers and planned big projects, like military expeditions.

In Sudan, archaeologists studied a temple of Amun at Dangeil. They found that the temple was destroyed by fire a long time ago. The temple was rebuilt in the 1st century AD, as shown by special dating methods and items found there.

One of the most famous temples for Amun in Nubia is at Jebel Barkal, near the Nile River. It was first built with mud bricks by an ancient Egyptian king. Later, it was expanded with stone. The temple's most noticeable feature is a large rock that looks like a crown or a special symbol. Both Nubian and Egyptian people believed this place was very important for their kings.

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

Amun is mentioned in old Hebrew writings from around 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 control of Egypt in 332 BC, people said he was a son of Amun. After his death, pictures of Alexander often showed him with horns, a symbol linked to Amun. Even today, some words like "ammonia" come from Amun's name. Scientists also name certain sea creatures and parts of the brain after him because they look like his horns. An ancient story says Amun once hid behind a ram's fleece to show part of his true form.