Divine depictions: first representations of gods in Egypt

Abstract

• Ancient Egyptian iconography is characterised by the depictions of gods and goddesses. The number of deities appearing on tomb and temple walls and in religious literature grew steadily throughout the Pharaonic period. As foreign influences shaped, consolidated and altered the Egyptian identity, assimilations and comparisons with foreign gods enriched the divine pantheon, showing the flexibility with which the ancient Egyptians approached their religion. The origins of this hybridization go back to the Pre-and Early Dynastic period when Egypt’s religion and its gods became more prominent. Yet it is not until the emergence of hieroglyphic writing around 3200 BC that we are able to read the gods’ names. The current article presents a group of seal impressions displaying some of the oldest anthropomorphic representations of deities in recorded history.