Names of Zeus: Amun

Amon is the God of Gods of the Egyptian pantheon. He was also known, however, as an ultimate mystery, the hidden power of the realm and the whole universe. The corpus of the ancient civilization has many materials to him that are vague and difficult to interpret in comparison to Zeus or Jupiter, but they still overwhelmingly emphasize his majesty and primacy.

His priesthood was located in Thebes, one of the most important cities of Egypt. The High Priest of Amon held the ultimate religious power in the state and was the second most important facet of the Egyptian state next to the Pharaoh himself.

By the ancient time of Pindar, he was known to have been given Hellenistic characteristics and became known as Zeus Amon. Alexander inaugurated and made official this specific cult of Amon to the Egyptian people as they welcomed him as a liberator from the rule of the Persians.

Herodotus illustrates this was no secret:

AMON, RULER OF THE GODS

Amon holds the ultimate and total primacy of place in the Egyptian pantheon.

Many across the ages have misunderstood the pantheon of Egypt as a type of egalitarian polytheism where the Gods are all ‘equals’, a contention actually contradicted by the texts. On the other hand, others suggested a totally rigid monotheism surrounding Amon at its core, the latter being representative of the school of Emmanuel de Rougé and other Egyptologists since the Victorian age. Certain negative incidents in Egypt from Akhenaten and other interlopers also colored this perception.

High Priest Hoodedcobra explains the point of the duality in this, something that the Egyptian initiates completely understood among themselves. The primary worship of Amon and Atum was the focal point of Egyptian religion as he was the Pharaoh of the Gods. One title referencing his division of powers in the Coffin texts is the name Amon, Lord of Thrones-of-the-Two-Lands.

Part of the symbolism of the great God is shown in his paternal attributes even to other Gods. The Cairo hymn, for example, asserts the primacy of Amon as father of the Gods, the Ultimate Father:

In line with his attributes of creation, he was held to be the most supernal and highest of all the Gods. Amon is constantly asserted as creating the world out of the tears and sweat of his eye, in contrast to the prior depth of blindness.

He was equated with the Oneness of the universe and the other mysterious creator God named Atum as a consequence of this assertion. The Egyptian hymns to Amon also reference his primacy as ruler over all things:

THE HIDDEN GOD

The inscription of Pharaoh Unas demonstrates much about Amon and his mysterious role. Another terminology is “he whose name is hidden”, typically found throughout the coffin texts.

• CT 132 / II 154 : I have sat with my back to Geb, for I am he who will judge in company with Him whose name is hidden ...
• CT 147 / II 207 : Have judgement with Him whose name is hidden ...
• CT 148 / II 220 : ... for you have reached the horizon, having passed by the enclosure of Him whose name is hidden.
• CT 148 / II 221 : "O Falcon, my son Horus, dwell in this land of your father Osiris in this your name of Falcon who is on the enclosure of Him whose name is hidden." ;
• CT 148 / II 223 : “See Horus, you Gods, I am Horus, the Falcon, who is on the enclosure of Him whose name is hidden."
• CT 682 / VI 310 : "He has flown and soared as that Great Falcon which is on the enclosure of Him whose name is hidden, who takes what belongs to those who are yonder to Him who separated the sky from the earth and the Nun.

Unlike other gods tied to visible phenomena (sun, sky, Nile, etc.), Amon was inherently transcendent and formless, representing the unseen air or creative wind. Early on he was even considered a God linked to the air, invisible but life-sustaining.

KING OF KINGS

The central role of Amon in the Egyptian state was to preside over the Pharaoh and the state, which he in fact is the patron and dispenser of in all circumstances. His name was particularly utilized during coronations and evocations of a new state, showing him breathing life into the reign of the ruler. Other instances show his relation to great achievements of the rulers and the Pharaoh, such as this instance concerning the Pharaoh Hatshepsut:

Pharaohs often cited Amon as helping them achieve their goals and being their savior. The maintenance of military campaigns in a positive manner demonstrated his willingness to maintain a relationship with the Guardian of Egypt. An example of Ramesses II from one of the inscriptions of Qadesh is indicative of how he was seen by the rulers of Egypt:

In effect, Amon determined who should be Pharaoh and who should remain one. The pharaoh’s legitimacy—and thus the fate of Egypt—rested on his divine endorsement.

Pharaohs also celebrated the Heb-Sed festival to renew their royal power. Texts and reliefs from these festivals often show the ruler’s claim that Amun personally approved of his rule.

PRIESTHOOD OF THEBES

The Theban priesthood was the most important of Egypt, as Thebes (Waset, modern day Luxor) was the religious center of the realm. The highest and most sacred of individuals served among their ranks. It is a testimony to their rank that the High Priests of Thebes even intervened multiple times to take over total governance of the country when it was in severe danger.

Amon was worshipped as the patron of the great city, alongside Mut (the goddess of sorcery) and Khonsu (the god of creation and the Moon). The largest and most grandiose Temple of Amon existed in Karnak, a district of Thebes.

Despite the name is not a single temple but a vast complex of temples, chapels, pylons, and obelisks. As if to show the primacy of this God in the entire universe, it still is the largest religious structure ever built, covering an area of over 200 acres which amounts to 810,000 m² in modern measurements. Awe-inspiring and great in scope, Karnak became the major religious center of Egypt alongside Memphis and Abydos. The annual Opet Festival was celebrated here, where the statue of Amon was paraded to the Waset Temple.

Much of the original planning and design for temple was constructed by the Pharaoh Hatshepsut who was prolific in constructing monuments for Amon, but the Hypostyle Hall, a massive structure with 134 towering columns, the largest being 21 meters (69 feet) high, was ultimately completed by Pharaoh Ramesses II centuries later.

The complex includes multiple sanctuaries dedicated to different Gods such as the Triad of Khonsu and Mut, but the most important is the Great Temple of Amon. Much of the Temple is also dedicated to Amon-Ra, a matter of confusion for historians.

Daily temple worship of Amun at Karnak included morning, midday, and evening rituals of incense, libations, and hymn recitation by priests on behalf of the king. In all these practices, from the splendid festivals to daily rites, Amon was venerated as a majestic yet mysterious God whose presence could bless the land, affirm kings, care for commoners, and even communicate guidance when properly invoked.

In Lower Egypt, the cult of Amun spread rapidly during the New Kingdom. Pharaohs built Temples of Amon in Memphis, at the new capital Pi-Ramesses and a major sanctuary at Tanis in the Delta. After the evil of Akhenaten, the cult of Amon spread even more.

Amon’s worship widely extended to Nubi. Egyptian rulers built or enlarged temples to Amun in Nubian regions (for example at Napata/Jebel Barkal), and Amon became the chief God of Nubian kingdoms as well. The Nubian dynasties of Egypt exalted Amon and Atum commonly. The influence of these two Gods can be profoundly felt throughout Africa.

These temples were not only religious centers but also economic hubs endowed with huge land holdings and staff.

GOD’S WIFE OF AMON

In addition to male clergy, a unique institution in Amon’s worship was the “God’s Wife of Amun,” a title given to royal women acting as High Priestesses. The practice existed earlier, but Pharaoh Ahmose I (c. 1530 BCE) elevated his wife Ahmose-Nefertari to this position, making it one of great prestige and political influence. The priestess would personify Amonet, the female consort of Amon, or Mut, the female member of the Theban Triad.

In later periods (especially the Third Intermediate Period), this office was used to consolidate power. The ruling Pharaoh’s daughter would become God’s Wife of Amun at Thebes, effectively controlling the Amon priesthood and temple estate.

FESTIVALS OF THE CREATOR

Worship of Amun included grand public festivals that were highlights of the religious calendar, especially in Thebes. The most important was the Feast of Opet, an annual festival to rejuvenate pharaonic power. During Opet, the portable barque (boat) shrine of Amun, a gilded boat-shaped shrine carrying Amon’s statue, was carried in procession from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple​.

Amid great ceremony, the image of Amon visited Luxor to unite with the aspect of Amun at Luxor (sometimes linked to Amun-Min for fertility) and ritually reaffirm the king’s divine legitimation. Opet lasted many days with processions, offerings, oracles, and celebrations involving priests and the public. Another major Theban celebration was the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, which honored the dead. In this festival, Amon’s barque, along with those of Mut and Khonsu, was ferried across the Nile from Karnak to the western bank so the god could visit the mortuary temples and necropolis, symbolically uniting with deceased souls​

These festivals allowed ordinary Egyptians to see and worship the typically hidden God as his images were carried outside the Temple, fostering popular devotion.

DEITY OF FATE AND PEOPLE

Amon was associated with fate. This informed the dimension of the Great God as being the one who “listens to the perditions of those calling upon him.” In a symbolic sense, he was represented as an advocate and patron of the innocent and the downtrodden. Some people attempted to approach his worship or oracles with the intent of transforming themselves and their circumstances.

Common people turned to Amon with personal appeals, reflecting a growth in personal piety. Amon was regarded as a compassionate deity who hears the prayer of the humble. New Kingdom and later hymns call him “minister of the humble” and “he who comes at the voice of the poor,” portraying Amon as a champion of the underprivileged who would intercede on behalf of ordinary worshippers​.

This aspect of Amun as a personal, ethical god suggests a theological broadness of his role beyond state and Pharaoh, making him accessible to all levels of society.

The texts repetitively show that Amon ordains all that is, will be, and was. His deputies such as Seshat encode these concepts into reality. The title Lord of Ma’at is constantly applied to him as the sustainer of all universal circumstances, along with Atum. References to him as ‘the ultimate cause’ also demonstrate how Egyptians viewed him.

In line with the context above, the Pharaoh’s mother was often represented as being visited by Amon prior to pregnancy, showing strongly to the Egyptian people that his rule was predestined.

WIND AND WEATHER GOD

Amon, much like Zeus, represented the winds, storms and tempestuous weather. His interventions were marked by storms and tempests, the fragile health of the Nile-dependent civilization was also considered to be in the hands of the head of the Gods.

Along with his deputy Shu and other Gods, Amon ruled over the skies and was held to represent active processes in weather.

IMAGERY OF AMON

In the majority of representations after the heretical Amarna period, Amon is represented with blue skin. One meaning of this is to demonstrate the primacy of Amon residing at and ruling over all facets of the cosmos just as the sky covers the earth. The specific blue color, as opposed to the other types of blue, green or black also sometimes represented by the God, deals with specific spiritual levels, of which Amon has mastered in totality. Blue as a color is also tied to Zeus with his globe and mantle, among other things.

Amon typically wears a very tall headdress of two falcon feathers named the shuti. The two feathers alongside the golden tiara represent traditional kingly power in Egypt and serve to elaborate the fact he is the King of the Gods, Demons and Men.

Lying within the symbolism of the crown is another code about the elements of the universe. The two feathers represent the fully separate elements of fire and water, while the gold tiara represents the earth magnetizing the two out of the center, and the red linen band from the back (the sheshed or streamer) represents the air tied to the rest, yet itself flowing outwards.

The crown is significantly tall to demonstrate that Amon’s power reaches entirely up into the firmament of the aether, being beyond the capacity of the other Gods. The symbolism of the dual feathers also show he expresses the internal realm of Satya, the Truth, into active existence.

Amon also holds the scepter by the name of was, typically associated with Set. He reigns both over the inert humans lacking in spirituality and spiritually activated humans from their Initiation, yet all spiritual initiates and practitioners of magic to exist pass through him regardless. The scepter represents a visual symbol of Dedication to him ultimately. Evil doers and those who deviate from the Gods in an evil fashion while representing them are destroyed by its power.

Ram-like imagery is tied to Amon from a very early stage in Egypt. Sphinxes adorned with the head of a male sheep or a horned human head were fashioned to illustrate important cues about the God of Gods. Similarly to Khnum, Amon’s horns of the ram represent the beginnings of all life, but in his case, the horns also represent the unpacking and unravelling of all existence in the cosmos itself, as opposed to only biological life.

In this case, protective and wizened stance of the ram over the Pharaoh Amenhotep III also demonstrates the fierce ability of the God of Gods to protect any ‘God-King’ under his patronage. His great size and terrifying force eclipses even the majestic ruler of Egypt. Here, the powerful ram exhorts the Pharaoh to act as the dispositor of life and civilization, to maintain the laws and to always hold to an active defense of the realm. This statue was found in Karnak, a district of Thebes.

One thing to note is that the name and visual symbolism of Amon is often used and in modern times confused for Amon Ra, another separate God whose name made it into the Goetia as ‘Amon’ for maximum confusion. With Amon Ra, these symbols take on rather distinctive meanings.

He also took other forms: a goose (earning the epithet “Great Cackler,” linking him to the primordial cosmic egg), a serpent (renewing itself by shedding skin), or even an ape or crocodile in certain local interpretations​.

These diverse sacred animals and forms underscore Amon’s all-encompassing nature. Yet in all forms, Amun remained hidden in essence. For example, at Karnak his cult image was typically kept veiled and secretive. This invisibility combined with creative power made Amon a God of profound theological significance, representing the unseen divine force behind all existence.

ZEUS AMMONAS

Zeus Amon, also known as Zeus Ammon or Zeus Ammonas, begins to appear when Greek states cultivated contacts with Egypt. Although associated with the Greek period of Egypt, this representation is very ancient and appears in the works of Pindar tied to the colony of Cyrene:

And establishing that city by the fountain of Apollo and the fertile land of Zeus Ammon…

Waset itself was also called “Diospolis” or the City of Zeus, alongside the typical name of Thebes.

Typically, this personification of Zeus is adorned with the horns of the ram. He was worshipped centrally in that city, a part of modern-day Libya that at the time had a population consisting of Greek colonists. The overtones of worship of Zeus Amon were directly tied to the aspects of Amon dealing with fate in particular. Amun’s cult also featured oracles and processional or pilgrim practices. In the New Kingdom, Amon’s oracle was often consulted on important matters of state and justice. The statue of Amon might mysteriously indicate “yes” or “no” by movements likely via priests during processions, thus delivering the God’s judgment.

The Oasis at Siwa was one of the most famous oracles of the classical world and one of the major aspects of the worship of Amon, alongside his priesthood in Thebes. Such was its fame and accuracy that Alexander knew to consult this oracle as quickly as possible:

The priest addressed Alexander in the manner of a god, and as some say he greeted him as ‘Son of Zeus,’ … he asked if any of his father’s murderers had escaped him, and the priest replied that he must speak no blasphemies, for his father was no mortal.

Both Alexander and the Greek dynasty of the Ptolemies ruling Egypt after him represented themselves with the horns of the ram, indicating their divine descent from Zeus.

Some Greek and Roman individuals in Antiquity did not understand the animalistic aspects of Zeus as ascribed to them by Egypt, a subject Lucian touches upon when the personification of Blame (“momos” In Greek) sneers at them to Zeus. The Great God, in turn, refutes him:

Momos: And you, Zeus, how can you bear it when they transplant a ram’s horns onto you?

Zeus: These things you observe about the Egyptians are truly shocking. All the same, Momos, the greater part of them has a mystic significance, and it is not at all right to laugh at them, just because you are not one of the initiated.

The Amon cult of Zeus was most commonly adhered to by the Libyans, even outside of the Greek colonies. They often synthesized this Egyptian aspect with Baal Hammon of Carthage.