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The god of writing and knowledge
- Thoth is often considered the god of writing and knowledge, credited with recording all events and maintaining the universe's balance. In many myths, Thoth played a crucial role in the judgment of souls, acting as a mediator between humans and gods.
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Thoth (from Koinē Greek: Θώθ Thṓth, borrowed from Coptic: Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ Thōout, Egyptian: Ḏḥwtj, the reflex of ḏḥwtj "[he] is like the ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon , animals sacred to him.
Nov 29, 2022 · In Greece Thoth became Hermes, or Hermes Trismegistus (Hermes the Thrice-Great), but also lived on in philosophy as Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom. In Plato’s Phaedrus , Socrates cited Thoth while defending the importance of writing.
Sep 24, 2024 · Thoth was usually represented in human form with an ibis’s head. The Greeks identified Thoth with their god Hermes and termed him “Thoth, the thrice great” (Hermes Trismegistos). Important philosophical works were attributed to Hermes Trismegistos.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Thoth is an ancient Egyptian deity associated with writing, wisdom, and the moon. Often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon, he is credited with inventing hieroglyphs and serving as the scribe of the gods.
- Name & Origin
- Thoth & The Distant Goddess
- Thoth & The Written Word
- Thoth in The Afterlife
- Worship of Thoth & Legacy
Thoth's Egyptian name was Djehuty (also dhwty) meaning "He Who is Like the Ibis". The ibis was a sacred bird in ancient Egypt as well as a popular pet and associated with wisdom. Other forms of his name are Jehuti, Tahuti, Tehuti, Zehuti, Techu, Tetu, and Lord of the Khemenu (the later city of Hermopolis) which was his major cult center. Hermopolis...
The motif of The Distant Goddess appears in a number of Egyptian myths but always has the same meaning no matter who the specific goddess is or where she has gone: Ra's daughter disagrees with him on some matter and leaves him to vanish into some far off land and someone has to be sent to bring her back; upon her return she brings some sort of tran...
Thoth created the written word people used to record their history and keep track of their daily lives. According to some stories, Thoth invented the word and gave it to humanity while, in others, Thoth was the creator and his consort Seshat gave words to the people. In still other variations, Thoth was the creator but Osiris or Isis gave words to ...
Thoth appears regularly at the side of Osiris and Anubisin the Hall of Truth as the scribe who has kept accounts of the life of the soul of the deceased and who records the outcome of the weighing of the heart against the feather of truth. Scholar Richard H. Wilkinson comments: His home in the afterlife, known as the Mansion of Thoth, provided a sa...
Thoth's main center of worship was at Hermopolis but he was widely venerated throughout the land of Egypt. As with other gods, his temples and shrines would have served as a focal point for the community and a resource for counsel, spiritual advice, and general aid in procuring food or medical attention. The priests of Thoth were highly educated sc...
- Joshua J. Mark
Thoth is the Greek name for the ancient Egyptian god Djehuty. Most often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis, he was also sometimes shown as a baboon. The ibis-headed man was often shown with the moon on his head in the form of the lunar disc resting atop a crescent moon.
The Greek name for Thoth was “Hermes Trismegistus,” which means “Thrice-Great Hermes,” and reflects the deity’s association with wisdom and knowledge. Attributes. Thoth was a multifaceted deity with a wide range of attributes. He was the god of the moon, medicine, science, magic, judgement, and writing.
