View source for Ptah

{{Short description|Ancient Egyptian deity}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Egyptian
| name = Ptah
| image = Ptah standing.svg
| alt = 
| caption = Ptah, in the form of a mummified man (except for arms and face) standing on the symbol for Ma'at, holding a scepter or staff that bears the combined ankh-djed-was symbols
| hiero = <hiero>p:t-H-A40</hiero>
| cult_center = [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]
| symbol = the [[djed]] pillar, the [[bull]]
| parents = none (self-created or un-created)
| siblings = 
| consort = [[Sekhmet]] and [[Bastet]]
| offspring = [[Nefertem]], [[Maahes]], [[Imhotep#Deification|Imhotep]], [[Anat]], [[Qetesh]], [[Hemsut|The Hemsut]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/hemsut/ | title=Hemsut &#124; Ancient Egypt Online }}</ref>
}}

{{Ancient Egyptian religion}}
'''Ptah''' ({{IPAc-en|t|ɑː}} {{respell|TAH}};<ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Ptah |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322032039/https://www.lexico.com/definition/ptah |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 March 2020 |title=Ptah |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> {{langx|egy|[[wikt:ptḥ|ptḥ]]}}, {{IPA|egy|piˈtaħ|label=reconstructed}}; {{langx|grc|Φθά|Phthá}}; {{langx|cop|ⲡⲧⲁϩ|Ptah}}; {{langx|phn|𐤐𐤕𐤇|ptḥ}})<ref>[[Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum|CIS]] I 111</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=kW8Mzji0XRgC&q=ptah Ancient Egyptian, a linguistic introduction, pg 34]</ref><ref name="phtha" group="note"/> is an [[ancient Egyptian deity]], a [[creator god]],<ref>[[James Peter Allen|Allen, James P]]. (1988). ''Genesis in Egypt: The Philosophy of Ancient Egyptian Creation Accounts''. Yale Egyptological Study. pp. 38–41</ref> and a [[patron deity]] of [[Artisan|craftsmen]] and [[architect]]s. In the [[Triad (religion)|triad]] of [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], he is the husband of [[Sekhmet]] and the father of [[Nefertem]]. He was also regarded as the father of the sage [[Imhotep]].

==Origin and symbolism==
[[File:Statue of the god Ptah, granodiorite - Museo Egizio Turin C 86 p02.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue of Ptah - [[Egyptian Museum of Turin]], Italy]]
Ptah is an Egyptian [[creator god]] who  conceived the world and brought it into being through the creative power of speech. A hymn to Ptah dating to the [[Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt]] says Ptah "crafted the world in the design of his heart," and the [[Shabaka Stone]], from the [[Twenty-fifth Dynasty of Egypt|Twenty-Fifth Dynasty]], says Ptah "gave life to all the gods and their [[Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul#Ka (vital essence)|ka]]s as well, through this heart and this tongue."<ref>[[James Peter Allen|Allen, James P]]. (1988). ''Genesis in Egypt: The Philosophy of Ancient Egyptian Creation Accounts''. Yale Egyptological Study. pp. 38–41</ref>

=== Epithets ===
{{category see also|Epithets of Ptah}}
He bears many [[epithet]]s that describe his role in [[ancient Egyptian religion]] and its importance in society at the time:

* ''Ptah the begetter of the first beginning''
* ''Ptah lord of truth''
* ''Ptah lord of eternity''
* ''Ptah who listens to prayers''
* ''Ptah master of ceremonies''
* ''Ptah master of justice''
* ''Ptah the God who made himself to be God''
* ''Ptah the double being''
* ''Ptah the beautiful face''

==Representations and hypostases==
Like many deities of [[ancient Egypt]] he takes many forms, through one of his particular aspects or through [[syncretism]] of ancient deities of the Memphite region. Sometimes represented as a dwarf, naked and deformed, his popularity would continue to grow during the [[Late Period of Egypt|Late Period]]. Frequently associated with the god [[Bes]], his worship then moved beyond the borders of Egypt and was exported throughout the [[Eastern Mediterranean]]. Through dissemination by the [[Phoenicians]], we find figures of Ptah in [[Carthage]].

Ptah is generally represented in the guise of a man with green skin, contained in a shroud sticking to the skin, wearing the divine beard, and holding a sceptre combining three powerful symbols of ancient Egyptian religion:
* The ''[[Was sceptre|Was]]'' sceptre
* The sign of life, ''[[Ankh]]''
* The ''[[Djed]]'' pillar
These three combined symbols indicate the three creative powers of the god: power (was), life (ankh) and stability (djed).
[[File:Relief of Ptah.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Stucco]] relief of Ptah holding a staff that bears the combined ankh and djed symbols, [[Late Period of ancient Egypt|Late Period]] or [[Ptolemaic Dynasty]], 4th to 3rd century BC]]

From the [[Old Kingdom of Egypt|Old Kingdom]], he quickly absorbs the appearance of [[Sokar]] and [[Tatenen]], ancient deities of the Memphite region. His form of Sokar is found contained in its white shroud wearing the [[Atef]] crown, an attribute of [[Osiris]]. In this capacity, he represents the [[patron deity]] of the [[necropolis]] of [[Saqqara]] and other famous sites where the royal pyramids were built. Gradually he formed with Osiris a new deity called Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. Statuettes representing the human form, the half-human, half-hawk form, or simply the pure falcon form of the new deity began to be systematically placed in tombs to accompany and protect the dead on their journey to the West.

His Tatenen form is represented by a young and vigorous man wearing a crown with two tall plumes that surround the solar disk. He thus embodies the underground fire that rumbles and raises the earth. As such, he was particularly revered by metalworkers and blacksmiths, but he was equally feared because it was he who caused earthquakes and tremors of the Earth's crust. In this form also, Ptah is the ''[[master of ceremonies]]'' for [[Sed festival|Heb Sed]], a ceremony traditionally attesting to the first thirty years of a pharaoh's reign.

The god Ptah could correspond with the [[sun deities]] [[Ra|Re]] or [[Aten]] during the [[Amarna period]], where he embodied the divine essence with which the sun god was fed to come into existence, that is to say to be born, according to the Memphite mythological/theological texts. In the ''holy of holies'' of his [[Temple of Ptah|temple]] in Memphis, as well as in his great sacred boat, he drove in procession to regularly visit the region during major holidays. Ptah was also symbolized by two birds with human heads adorned with solar disks, symbols of the souls of the god Re: the [[Ba (Egyptian soul)#Ba .28soul.29|Ba]]. The two Ba are identified as the twin gods [[Shu (Egyptian deity)|Shu]] and [[Tefnut]] and are associated with the djed pillar of Memphis.<ref>Cf. [[#APZ|J. Berlandini]], ''Contribution à l'étude du pilier-djed memphite'', p.23-33 et pl. 1 A & pl. 2 A</ref>

Finally, Ptah is embodied in the sacred bull, [[Apis (god)|Apis]]. Frequently referred to as a ''herald of Re'', the sacred animal is the link with the god [[Ra|Re]] from the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]]. He even received worship in Memphis, probably at the heart of the great temple of Ptah, and upon the death of the animal, was buried with all the honours due to a living deity in the [[Serapeum of Saqqara]].

Scholars{{who|date=July 2023}} have also associated Ptah with the [[Mandaeism|Mandaean]] angel [[Ptahil]] outside of Egypt, due to their somewhat similar features and closely related names.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Thacker |first=Thomas |title=The Relationship of the Semitic and Egyptian Verbal Systems |journal=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/relationship-of-the-semitic-and-egyptian-verbal-systems-by-t-w-thacker-pp-xxvi-341-geoffrey-cumberlege-oxford-1954-42s/284B8DDF0772E417FF4C7F993B899BAF |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |date=April 1956 |volume=88 |issue=1–2 |pages=102–103 |doi=10.1017/S0035869X00114728 |s2cid=162288496 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Development of the cult==
[[File:Ny Carlsberg Glyptothek - Ausstellungssaal 1.jpg|thumb|Colossal statue of the god Ptah-Tatenen holding hands with [[Ramesses II]] found at Memphis – [[Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek]], [[Copenhagen]]]]
The [[Cult (religious practice)|cult]] of the god Ptah quickly spread throughout Egypt. With the major royal projects of the Old Kingdom, the [[High Priest of Ptah|high priests of Ptah]] were particularly sought after and worked in concert with the [[Vizier (Ancient Egypt)|vizier]], filling the role of chief architects and master craftsmen, responsible for the decoration of the royal funerary complexes.

In the New Kingdom, the cult of the god would develop in different ways, especially in Memphis, his homeland, but also in [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], where the workers of the royal tombs honoured him as patron of craftsmen. For this reason, the oratory of ''Ptah who listens to prayers'' was built near the site of [[Deir el-Medina]], the village where the workers and craftsmen were housed. At Memphis, the role of intercessor with humans was particularly visible in the appearance of the [[Sacred enclosure|enclosure that protected the sanctuary of the god]]. Large ears were carved on the walls, symbolizing his role as ''god who listens to prayers''.

With the [[Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt|Nineteenth Dynasty]], his cult grew and he became one of the four great deities of the empire of Ramesses. He was worshipped at [[Pi-Ramesses]] as master of ceremonies and coronations.

With the [[Third Intermediate Period of Egypt|Third Intermediate Period]], Ptah returned to the centre of the monarchy where the coronation of the [[pharaoh]] was held again in his temple. The [[Ptolemies]] continued this tradition, and the high priests of Ptah were then increasingly associated with the royal family, with some even marrying princesses of royal blood, clearly indicating the prominent role they played in the Ptolemaic court.

==Main places of worship==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Temple dedicated to !! Location
|-
| Ptah || [[Pi-Ramses]]
|-
| Ptah || [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]]
|-
| Ptah || [[Karnak]] (Thebes)
|-
| Ptah || [[Gerf Hussein]] ([[Nubia]])
|-
| Ptah who is south of his Wall || Memphis
|-
| Ptah who listens to prayers || Memphis
|-
| Ptah who listens to prayers || [[Deir el-Medina]] (Thebes)
|-
| Ptah lord of truth || [[Abu Simbel]] (Nubia)
|-
| Ptah-Sokar || [[Abydos, Egypt|Abydos]]
|-
| Ptah-Sokar || [[Kom el-Hettan]] ([[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]])
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
File:Relief Fragment Depicting Imenet, Ptah and Amenhotep I LACMA M.80.203.16.jpg|Relief fragment depicting Imenet, Ptah and [[Amenhotep I]]; 1569–1081 BC; limestone; 21 × 17.5&nbsp;cm; [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]] (US)
File:Memphite Triad on barge.svg|The Memphite Triad on a [[Solar barque]] including Ptah, [[Sekhmet]], and [[Nefertem]].
File:Memphis Museum 32.jpg|Damaged statue of [[Ramses II]] with Ptah; 1292–1189 BC; granite; [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]] open-air museum (Egypt)
File:Ptah Statue MET DP216330.jpg|Ptah statue; 1070–712 BC; bronze, gold leaf and glass; height: 29.5&nbsp;cm; [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]
File:Cult Image of the God Ptah MET DP142956.jpg|Ancient Egyptian cult image of Ptah; 945–600&nbsp;BC; lapis lazuli; height of the figure: 5.2&nbsp;cm, height of the dais: 0.4&nbsp;cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:Head, Ptah MET m2600 front.jpg|Head of Ptah; late 8th–mid 7th century BC; limestone; height: 1.58&nbsp;cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:Egyptian - Head of Ptah - Walters 48422.jpg|Head of Ptah; 664–525 BC; faience with blue-green and black glaze; height: 3.5&nbsp;cm, width: 2.1&nbsp;cm, depth: 3&nbsp;cm; [[Walters Art Museum]] ([[Baltimore]], US
File:Standing Figure of Ptah MET DP276307.jpg|Standing figure of Ptah; 664–332 BC; faience; height: 9.7&nbsp;cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art
File:Ptah-Patek-E 11202-IMG 8037-gradient.jpg|Ptah-Patek; 4th–3rd century BC; faience; height: 8.5&nbsp;cm, width: 7.3&nbsp;cm, thickness: 3.1&nbsp;cm; [[Louvre]]
</gallery>

==Legacy==
Memphis was believed to be under the protection of the god Ptah, the patron of craftsmen. Its great temple, Hut-ka-Ptah (meaning "Enclosure of the ka of Ptah"), was one of the most prominent structures in the city. This word entered [[Ancient Greek]] as Αἴγυπτος (''Aiguptos''), which entered [[Latin]] as ''Aegyptus'', which developed into [[Middle French]] ''Egypte'' and was finally borrowed into English first as ''Egipte'' in [[Middle English]] and ultimately as ''Egypt''.

Ptah is one of the deities mentioned in [[Giuseppe Verdi]]'s opera ''[[Aida]]''. He is invoked in a chorus, "Possente Fthà" ("O Mighty Ptah"), in Act 1, scene 2; this chorus is reprised as "Immenso Fthà" ("Immense Ptah"), at the end of the opera as the protagonists Aida and Radamès die.

[[5011 Ptah]] is an asteroid named after the Egyptian god.

==See also==
*{{annotated link|Kothar-wa-Khasis}}
*{{annotated link|Ptahil}}
*{{annotated link|Vishvakarma}}
*''[[Asgard's Wrath 2]]'', a VR game in which Ptah is one of gods

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|refs=
<ref name="phtha">The entry for Ptah in ''[[Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature]]'' also notes the name can also be rendered Phtha.<br/>
See: {{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia= Cyclopaedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature|title=Phtha or Ptah|url= https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/P/phtha-or-ptah.html|editor-first1=John|editor-last1=McLintock|editor-first2=James|editor-last2=Strong|publisher=[[Harper (publisher)|Harper and Brothers]]|location=New York|oclc=682445427|isbn=9780837017464|volume=VIII. Pet-Re --|year= 1867–1887}}</ref>
}}

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

===Works cited===
* [[James Peter Allen|Allen, James P]]. ''Genesis in Egypt: The Philosophy of Ancient Egyptian Creation Accounts''. New Haven, 1988.

==Further reading==
* [[Battiscombe Gunn|Gunn, Battiscombe G]]. ''Instruction of Ptah-Hotep and the Instruction of Ke'Gemni: The Oldest Books in the World''. 1998  [https://books.google.com/books?id=SyO6bc4GNuAC&q=ptah+egypt Google books]
* Rothöhler, Benedikt. ''Neue Gedanken zum Denkmal memphitischer Theologie''. Heidelberg, 2006 [http://www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/7030 www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/7030]
* Sandman Holmberg, Maj. ''The God Ptah''. C. W. K. Gleerup, 1946.
* [[Dorothy J. Thompson|Thompson, Dorothy J]]. ''Memphis Under the Ptolemies, Second Edition''. Princeton, 2012.
* Zivie, Alain-Pierre. ''Memphis et ses nécropoles au Nouvel Empire''. Éditions du CNRS, 1988

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Ptah}}

{{Ancient Egyptian religion footer|collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ptah| ]]
[[Category:Creator gods]]
[[Category:Egyptian gods]]
[[Category:Smithing gods]]
[[Category:Fertility gods]]
[[Category:Solar gods]]
[[Category:Falcon deities]]
[[Category:Construction deities]]