Ptah was the head of the
Triad of Memphis
accompanied by his wife
Sekhmet
and his son Nefertem . The origin of Ptah is still controversial: some scholars believe that he is the incarnation of the Apis Bulls; others state that he is "a variation of the sun god"; and some others suggest that he is related to the moon . In one of the prayers to Ptah , there is an indication that his right eye is the sun and his left is the moon; and by both of which day and night are circled .
Some inscriptions on a granite slab dating to the Twenty-fifth Dynasty identify Ptah with Ta-Tenen (an ancient earth-god from Memphis) and with the king . Ptah is presented in many texts as the creator of himself and the father of all the other immortal gods . He is belived to be the provider of food and provisions and all the other blessings that help the mortal beings in leading a happy life . Many ancient myths amalgamate Ptah with other gods such as
Osiris
and Sokaris .
In the Book of the Dead , Ptah is assigned with opening the mouth of the recently dead person with his metal knife to give him the breath of eternity and this justifies calling him the" Lord of Resurrection"
. Ptah was known with several names due to the various role attributed to him including the Fashioner of Earth , the King of Two Lands , and the God of Beautiful Face since he was regarded as the creator of his own self and the creator and dominant of the whole earth .
Ptah is usually depicted as a bearded bald-headed man wearing a tight garment; holding a scepter of three symbols (strength , life and stability); and standing on the platform associated with
Maat
with a flower symbolizing happiness gracefully hung at his neck's back .
The main cult for Ptah was the
Temple of Ptah
that marks the increase of his power among the other gods and goddesses . In addition to that there are many other places involving statues for Ptah or paintings depicting worshiping him all over Egypt . The
Temple of Seti I
in
Abydos
is one of the major places that encloses some wall paintings for the king while praying for the Chief god . In addition to that , numerous statues for Ptah and his wife Sekhmet have been found in the Temple of King Thutmes III in Karnak complex . Many other statues for Ptah and the other members of the triad are displayed in
the Egyptian Museum and the
Temple of Ramsses II
in Abu Simbel .
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