Thoth, known by his Greek name Thoth, was known to the ancient Egyptians by names such as Jehuty and Tahuti.
Together, we will explore his great story and his various roles as the god of wisdom, writing, magic, and many other fields that made him one of the most prominent gods in ancient Egypt.
Thoth was the god of the moon, wisdom, learning, sacred texts, mathematics, science, and magic, as well as being the messenger and recorder of the pantheon.
He was the master of knowledge and the patron god of scribes. Thoth is often depicted in art as a man with the head of an ibis, often shown holding a tablet and stylus, but he was also depicted carrying an ankh in one hand, representing life, and a scepter in the other, representing power.
 |
| Relief im Innenraum des Hathor-Tempels von Deir el-Medina („Kloster der Stadt“), altägyptisch Set Maat („Platz der Wahrheit“), in Theben-West bei Luxor, Ägypten | Date: 8 March 2011 | Source: Own work | Author: Olaf Tausch |
On his head, Thoth sometimes wore a crescent moon but was also depicted with the double crown of Egypt.
Thoth was one of the oldest Egyptian gods and was revered throughout Egypt, especially in the city of Hermopolis Magna, where he was worshipped.
The power of his cult was so great that the story was rewritten to make Thoth the creator god, where he created himself through the power of language, then laid an egg from which Ra and the universe as we know it were born.
Although Osiris and Isis were usually credited with bringing civilization to humanity, Thoth was believed to have gifted humanity with writing, medicine, magic, and the religious and social practices of Egypt.
 |
| A picture of a rare God at the Temple of Horus in Edfu. | Date: July 2008 | Source: Own work | Author: Ijanderson977 |
He was the scribe of the afterlife and recorded the judgment of the dead in the Hall of Ma'at.
From this role, he gained the titles "God of Balance" and "Lord of Balance." In addition to being the scribe of the gods, he was often described as an advisor to Ra, even standing on the sun barque beside Ra on his nightly journey across the sky.
In many Egyptian myths, Thoth is rarely the main character but acts as a guiding force, as his almost infinite wisdom and knowledge prevent disasters and restore balance to the world.
In the story of Osiris, Thoth gave Isis the spell to revive Osiris after he was brutally killed by his brother Set.
 |
Thoth also went to save Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, by expelling magical poison from his body and supporting him in his fight against Set for the throne that was rightfully his.
Since Thoth was associated with writing and the moon, it is not surprising that he was also linked with creating the lunar calendar, which governed many civil and religious practices in Egypt.
Thoth was believed to be the inventor of the 365-day calendar, replacing the inaccurate 360-day calendar.
According to legend, he gained the additional five days by gambling with the moon god Khonsu in a game of dice to help the goddess Nut.
Nut had become pregnant by her husband Geb, but Ra forbade her from giving birth on any day of the Egyptian calendar.
Thoth won the game, and his prize was a portion of the moonlight equivalent to five new days.
Nut gave birth to Osiris, Horus the Elder, Set, Isis, and Nephthys on those added days.
Thoth was also known as an effective counselor and persuasive speaker, as shown when he convinced Sekhmet to return home when she left Egypt for Nubia.
According to the story, Sekhmet was sent to Egypt to quell a rebellion against Ra.
After killing Ra's enemies, her bloodlust grew to the point where Ra had to trick her to stop her from killing every human on earth.
Feeling betrayed, Sekhmet fled to Nubia, and the world became dark and unbalanced.
Eventually, Thoth, disguised as a baboon, found her and told her that Egypt missed her greatly and that the entire land was suffering in her absence.
Appealing to Sekhmet's maternal side, along with promises of honors and celebrations, Thoth succeeded in bringing Sekhmet back to Egypt, restoring balance to the universe once again.
 |
| Moongod Toth. The wise god Thoth has, like the moon, two faces: with a full moon the round head of a baboon, during the waxing period that of an ibis. Here the baboon is seated on a column with the ibis below. Of Thoth himself all we see is his hand on the face of the moon, the rest of the statue is lacking. In Roman-Egypt Thoth is equal to the god Mercurius. Marble, Egypt (?), c. 100-150 AD (inv. 7946) Date: 7 February 2020, 17:28:23 Source: Own work Author: Dosseman |
Egyptian myths also tell of a magical book called the "Book of Thoth," where the god wrote down all the secrets of the universe.
Whoever read it would discover powers and magic beyond their wildest dreams but would be cursed with the new knowledge, causing them to lose their senses and go mad.
Despite the risk of losing one's mind, many grave robbers and enthusiastic archaeologists have strived to obtain this legendary book but to no avail.
While Thoth may not have gained the modern popularity that other Egyptian gods like Anubis have, his importance to ancient Egyptian culture cannot be underestimated.
Without Thoth, both the mortal and immortal worlds would be in complete chaos, a truly terrifying idea at the time.
He was attributed with language, writing, mathematics, science, magic, religious practice, and philosophical thought.
Through Thoth, Egypt and its vast pantheon of gods gained a wise teacher, a sage advisor, and a powerful magician who documented the daily affairs of the living and the dead, keeping the secrets of the universe safe under his wing.
For those who prefer visual content, you can watch the video below that covers the same topic in detail.