058 Ram of Amun

Museum Description: Ram Sphinx of King Taharqo

Room: 4/Case: None/Number: EA 1779

Scripture: Exodus 12:12

The king of Egypt's gods was often represented by a ram.  The Israelites were effectively being told to kill Egypt's most important god and spread its blood on their doorposts.  What bravery that would have taken!  Here Amun is protecting the pharaoh Taharqa, possibly the King Tirhakah mentioned in the Bible at Isaiah 37:9.

The god Amun/Amon/Amon-Ra was the local god to Thebes in Egypt.  He rose to become the king of all the Egyptian gods, with his priests over their priests.  The rulers of Egypt were viewed as being the son of Amon-Ra, with the queen as their mother.  This is an interesting parallel of the wicked angels fathering children by human women before the flood.  The tenth plague, when the firstborn died, was particularly devastating as the pharaoh's own son died.  This was effectively the death of a god that not even the king of the gods could prevent.  Other similar or related artefacts are on display in The British Museum.