Ra— Egyptian God"Sun God"

The Creator Sun

Ra is the supreme solar deity of ancient Egypt, the god from whom all creation sprang. In the beginning, there was only Nun, the primordial waters of chaos. From these waters Ra emerged—some say as a lotus flower, others as a sacred mound—and spoke the world into existence. His tears became humanity, and his words became the other gods.

The Solar Barque

Each day, Ra sails across the sky in his solar barque (boat), bringing light and life to the world. He is born at dawn as Khepri the scarab, reaches full strength at noon as Ra the falcon-headed, and becomes the aged Atum by sunset. This daily journey was the central rhythm of Egyptian religious life, and temples were oriented to greet the rising sun.

The Nightly Battle

At sunset, Ra descends into the Duat, the Egyptian underworld, where he must travel through twelve gates corresponding to the twelve hours of night. In the darkest hour, he faces his eternal enemy Apophis (Apep), the serpent of chaos who seeks to devour him and end creation. Each night Ra defeats Apophis with the help of Set and other gods, ensuring the sun will rise again.

Ra and the Pharaohs

The pharaohs were considered sons of Ra, ruling Egypt with divine authority. The title "Son of Ra" became part of every pharaoh's royal names. Massive temples and pyramids were built to honor Ra, and the city of Heliopolis was the center of his cult. The Pyramid Texts, among the oldest religious writings in the world, contain spells to help the deceased pharaoh join Ra in his eternal journey.

The Eye of Ra

Ra's eye was a powerful entity in its own right—a feminine aspect of the sun god that could separate from him as a uraeus (cobra) or as goddesses like Sekhmet, Hathor, or Bastet. When humanity rebelled against the aging Ra, he sent his Eye in the form of Sekhmet to punish them. She slaughtered so many that Ra had to trick her with beer dyed red to stop the destruction.

Amun-Ra

During the New Kingdom, Ra merged with the Theban god Amun to become Amun-Ra, "King of the Gods." This combined deity represented both the hidden power of Amun and the visible glory of Ra, making him the supreme god of the Egyptian empire at its height.