The exact number of gods in Ancient Egyptian religion is unknown, their pantheon contained at least several hundreds of large deities and also a great number of other mythological beings. Modern Egyptologists know names about 150 gods.
Number of Ancient Egyptian gods
The Ancient Egyptian religion was a complex system which went through several stages of development for the millennial history, included a set of various cults and had very extensive pantheon of gods, deities, the idolized concepts and also monsters, various entities and other mythical phenomena. Till today the information only about one and a half hundred gods reached, but Egyptologists are sure, but actually them was much more.
There were all-Egyptian deities in which trusted throughout the state, and the local gods belonging to certain cities, areas or settlements.
The history of Ancient Egyptian gods began in ancient times when in the territory of Ancient Egypt the totemizm was widespread. Throughout the millennia the totems gained more human lines and turned into deities which so completely and did not get rid of animistic features – almost all representatives of a pantheon symbolized any animals, birds, fishes, insects. Moreover, their names it was designated by ideograms in the form of the corresponding animals or beings. For example, the name of god Tot was designated by the drawing of an ibis, Muth – a signature stamp, Unut – a hare. Anthropomorphous Ancient Egyptian deities remained up to disappearance of this religion and adoption of Christianity by Egyptians.
The most famous Ancient Egyptian gods
In Ancient Egypt there was a number of the strongest, the most esteemed, main deities which were widespread on all territory of the state. As well as in other ancient religions, the central place among this list was taken by god of the sun – Amon personifying wisdom. It was associated with two animals at once – a ram and a goose who were considered as wise. Egyptologists believe that its cult for the first time appeared in Thebes, but quickly began to extend across all Ancient Egypt. Together with the wife Muth and Honsu's son they made a so-called Thebes Triad. Ra connecting images of a falcon, cat and person was one more famous god of the sun in Ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian myths tell that Ra floats by the boat across heavenly Nile in the afternoon, and changes in other barque in the evening and continues to float across underground Nile.
During an era of the Average kingdom Amon and Ra united, having formed the deity under the name of Amon-Ra. He began to be called as the father of all Pharaohs and the main god.
Anubis, the son of Osiris who, in turn, too belonged to a pantheon of the main deities was a patron of the dead in Ancient Egyptian religion – he was responsible for natural powers, patronized agriculture, winemaking, doctoring, city building. The set was considered as an evil embodiment, it was represented the person with the asinine head. That was called god of wisdom and sciences, the inventor of the calendar, letter and account.