THE RELIGIONS OF THE ANCIENT WOULD.
18
and worshipped as Ammon-Ra,* a very intelligible god, more nor less than the physical sun, the source of " the lord of existences and and life, support of all light
neither
things." f
Khem
was the generative
principle, the power of life and growth in nature He
was rudely and
coarsely represented as a mummied figure, with phallus in front,
and forms an unsightly object in the sculptures.
\ ^
He
presided primarily over the vegetable world, and was the giver of fertility and increase, the lord of the harvest, and the patron of agriculture. But the human and the various species kinds of animals were also
under
his charge,
and from
him obtained continuance.
He is called, " the king of the gods," " the lifter of the " the lord of the hand," " the crown," powerful,"t and further bears the special AMMON.
of Kamutf, "bull of his mother," in allusion to
title
the relation which he bore to Nature. Kneph was the divine spirit or soul considered as forming the scheme of creation. His name is by some connected " breath," etymologically with the Egyptian word for which is nef ; and curious analogies arc traced between him and the third Person of the Holy Trinity in the Christian As " the Spirit of God," at the time of the crea8vstem.|| tion " moved upon the face of the waters," so Kneph is rcp* See Records of the Past,"
vol.
ii.
pp. 21, 31, etc.
;
16, etc. t t
I!
Ibid. vol.
ii.
p. 120,
1.
12.
" Records of the Past," vol. viii. p. 142. " Bnnsen, Place," vol. i. p. 375. Egypt's " Ancient Wilkinson, Egyptians," vol. iv.
p. 236.
vol. Iv.
pp
11,