30. "Few of the theological speculations of the Egyptians have survived. This is purely [by chance], owing to the perishable nature of their writing materials. Nevertheless, a fragmentary copy of a famous theological document has been preserved, copied on stone in the reign of Shabaka (716-701 B. C.) from an ancient text on a badly worm-eaten manuscript. This presents a religious system developed to promote the interests of the Memphite circle of gods, Ptah and his associates. Ptah is declared to have been the original god, while the eight principal divinities of creation ... are merely forms of Ptah himself, and Atum's circle of deities are simply the teeth and lips of Ptah's mouth, by which he created all things by pronouncing their names. However, behind the activity of Ptah's teeth and lips stands in control the heart and tongue and these, though outwardly symbolized as Atum are at the same time Horus and Thoth, respectively, though in essence they are at the same time manifestations of Ptah." - Encyclopedia Americana, p. 23, v. 10, 1957.
It is this concept (of many gods being manifestations of the one God - or having the essence of that one God - known as pantheism) when coupled with the strong ancient pagan trend of grouping gods in unions of three that gradually led to the trinity doctrine for Christendom.
Entire Study File
Trinity Index
No comments:
Post a Comment