greatgod

Great God (nTr aA)

Dyn 4, Sneferu:

 Inscription on the bed canopy of Hetepheres, wife of Snefru and mother of Khufu:

 "Horus, Nebmaat (Lord of Maat), the Great God........Golden Horus, Sneferu....."  (Reisner / Smith, 1955: 25)

Inscription (now Cairo, JE 38568) from the Wadi Maghara:

"Horus, Nebmaat, the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Two Ladies Nebmaat, the Golden Horus Sneferu.  Sneferu the great god, given all dominion, stability, life, and health and all joy for ever.  Over smiting scene:  Subduing the foreign lands."  (Strudwick 2005: 135)

(Lepsius)

In the earliest secure mention of Osiris, Osiris is 'Great God' (nTr aA), 'Lord of Maat' (nb mAat):

 Dyn 5 tomb of Ptahshepses:  "An offering the king gives, an offering Osiris, the Great God, lord of Maat gives."  (....wsir nTr aA nb mAat)

Late Dyn 5 / early Dyn 6 tomb of Nyhetepptah:  "I am imakhu in the sight of Osiris, the Great God."  (Strudwick 2005: 230)

Mid Dyn 6 tomb of Meryrenefer:  The imakhu in the sight of the great god, in the sight of Osiris, Lord of Djedju..... (Strudwick 2005: 342)

Dyn 6 Pyramid Text of Pepi:  "Osiris has appeared (xai), the controlling power has become clean, the lord of Maat (nb mAat) has gone on high at the first (lunar month) of the year (tpi-rnpt), (which is) the year's lord."  P 519 (PT 577 §1520)

Dyn 4, Khufu:

Cylinder seal, Giza:  "The Good God, Lord of the Two Lands, Khufu, the Great God, Horus of Gold, the pyramid town, Akhet."  (nTr nfr nb tAwi xwfw nTr aA Hrw n nbw Axt-xwfw)

'Scarabs and Cylinders with Names' Petrie 1915: 11; pl. VIII, 4.2.5

A restored text from a block from Lisht, attributed by Goedicke tentatively to the Valley Temple of Khufu reads:  "royal offering for the shrine of Upper and Lower Egypt, the house of the Great God in the Akhet"  (Cwiek 2003: 161)

Wadi Maghara inscriptions: Khnum khufu, the Great God (Xnmw x(w)fw nTr aA).  Smiting the pillar-people, the Bedouin.  May [all] protection and life be behind [him]:

(Lepsius)

('Inscriptions of Sinai' Part I, Gardiner & Peet)

Dyn 4, Khafra:

The Horus name of Khafra, is inscribed on a silver cylinder seal found in the valley temple of Menkaura:  Horus Userib, Great God of .... (Hrw wsr-ib nTr aA), and Horus Userib, Good God...  (Reisner 1931: 234; pl. 64, l)

 Dyn 5, Niuserre:

Inscription of Niuserre in Wadi Maghara:

Horus Setibtawy Niuserre, given life for ever.  The Great God, lord of the Two Lands, king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Two Ladies Setib, Golden Horus Netjer, Niuserre, son of Re, beloved of Wadjet, he who subdues all the foreign lands, given life.

Above king smiting:  Smiting the Bedouin of all the foreign lands, the Great God, lord of the Two Lands.......  (Strudwick 2005: 136)

Dyn 6, Pepy I:

Inscription of Pepy I, Wadi Maghara:

The perfect god, lord of the Two Lands, Pepy, the Horus strong of arm.  The Great God....  (Strudwick 2005: 138)

Inscription of Pepy I, Wadi Hammamat:

The king of Upper and Lower Egypt Meryre, the perfect god, lord of the Two Lands.... (Strudwick 2005: 140)

Late Dyn 5 or early Dyn 6 tomb of Nyankhre, Giza:

[The physician of the Great House], priest of Heka, priest of Horus imy-senut, keeper of secrets of his lord every day.  The imakhu in the sight of his lord, the imakhu in the sight of the Great God, wab-priest of the king. Nyankhre.

Late Dyn 5 tomb of Ptahhotep II, Saqqara:

The imakhu in the sight of the Great God, Ptahhotep.  The judge and boundary official, one of the foremost seat.  The imakhu in the sight of Osiris, Ptahhotep.  (Strudwick 2005: 212)

Late Dyn 5 or early Dyn 6 tomb of Tepemankh:

....having grown old most perfectly in the sight of the Great God......that he may travel on the perfect ways of the West upon which the imakhu travel in peace and in the sight of the Great God.....  (Strudwick 2005: 215)

Early Dyn 6 tomb of Ankhi called Intji:

The imakhu in the sight of the Great God, Ankhi.......he shall support any man in the noble court of his fathers, which belong to the Great God, for him shall do this.  I shall see to it that he is transfigured in the sight of the Great God, and that he is perfect in the sight of those who are on earth....... Great God, lord of the West.  (Strudwick 2005: 218)

Tomb of Herymeru, Saqqara:

May he be united with the land, may he cross the heavens, may he ascend to the Great God, may his ka dwell in the presence of the king, may his ba endure in the presence of the god.....  (Strudwick 2005: 219)

Dyn 6 tomb of  Qar (G 7101 M):

"A boon which the king gives and Osiris, Lord of Djedu, to the overseer of the residence, he who is at the head of the king, the one well-provided (imakhu) with the great god, lord of the sky, Qar."  (Htp di nswt wsir nb Ddw n imy-r xnw Xry tp nswt imAxw xr nTr aA nb pt qAr)  (: 11-12)

Dyn 6 mastaba tomb of the vizier Merefnebef, Saqqara: 

"(1) An offering which the king gives and an offering which [Anubis], who dwells in the divine tent-shrine, who is in his wrappings, who is on his mountain, lord of the sacred land and of Sepa, gives that he might be buried in the necropolis in the Western Desert, having aged most perfectly, doubly in peace in the sight of the Great God, (as one who has made) the offerings and sought out the state of imakhu, who speaks perfection and who recalls (the day of [?]) burial:  the imakhu in the sight of Osiris, he who is in the heart of the king wherever he is, whose great name is Merenebef.

(2) An offering which the king and Osiris, lord of Djedu, give that invocation offerings be made for him in the opening of the year festival, in the festival of Thoth.........and in every daily festival for the breadth of eternity, for the imakhu in the sight of the Great God, in the sight of Ptah, south of his wall, in the sight of Sokar, whose perfect name is Fefi.

(3) With regard to any person who shall [enter] this tomb of mine of eternity in their impurity, having eaten the abomination which an akh who has gone to the necropolis abhors, without removing the impurity in the manner in which they should be pure for the temple of a god - an impediment is placed (in) their (way) by the Great God, for they have acted in a most evil manner........For indeed I am initiated (into) the the secrets of every god.  For indeed I know all the effective rituals of the akhs who have gone to the necropolis as imakhu of the Great God......."

"....I shall be judged with him on this matter by the majesty of the Great God.....Now with regard to this tomb of mine of eternity, which I made more than anything (else) as a result of my state of imakhu in the sight of the king, the king had me take its location in a pure place in the sacred land in the ... enclosure of Osiris, for his majesty desired more than anything that I should particularly ascend to the god, for his majesty desired more than anything that I should be transfigured in the sight of the god, for his majesty desired more than anything that I should be noble in the sight of the Great God, for I am more noble in the sight of the king than anything........"  (Strudwick 2005: 438 - 441)

Dyn 6 mastaba tomb of Merefnebef, Saqqara:

"[...] which are done for the excellent one who is among the glorious spirits, through the duty of the excellent lector priest, who knows the rituals truly, truly.  Moreover, I am initiated into the secrets of every god.  Moreover, I know all the things through which the glorious spirit who has gone to the necropolis becomes glorious as honoured one of the great god and by the king.  Moreover, I know all the things through which he ascends to the great god.  Sole companion, privy to the secrets, whose great name is Merefnebef."  http://www.osirisnet.net/mastabas/merefnebef/e_merefnebef_02.htm 

 'Great God' (nTr aA) in the Pyramid Texts:

- the king changed into the great god - the king is the great god:

Lift your face, you gods of the Duat:  Unis has come that you might see him changed into the great god.  Induct Unis shaking (for fear of him), array Unis as lord of you all.  Unis will govern the people and Unis will judge the living within the Sun's shore;  Unis will speak with the one who parted the two gods at the clean shore where he has made his seat.  Unis's (symbol of) control is at his head, Unis's scepter is causing respect for Unis.  Unis will sit with the Sun's rower, and when Unis commands something good he will do it:  Unis is the Great God.  W 163  (PT 252)  Sethe Vol 1: 146 - 7;  §272a - 274c

(Unis is Horus.  W 218)

The great (Akhet) will be censed for the Bull of Nekhen (nxn, cult centre of Horus as god of kíngship) and the flame of the blast will be toward you who are around the shrine.  O great god whose identity is unknown, a meal in place for the sole lord!  O lord of the Akhet (nb Axt), make a place for Unis.  W 165  (PT 254 §276)

Western gods, eastern gods, southern gods, northern gods!  Those four clean reedfloats that you set for Osiris (seat over eye) when he went forth to the sky and crossed to the Cool Waters with his son Horus at his fingers that he might foster him and have him appear as the great god in the Cool Waters - set them for Unis.  "You are Horus, Osiris's son;  you Unis, are the senior god, Hathor's son;  you are Geb's seed," (say the gods), for Osiris has commanded that Unis appear as a second Horus, and those four akhs who are in Iunu have written (it) on a title of two great gods in the Cool Waters.  W 208  (PT 303)  Sethe Vol 1: 239 - 40;  §464 - 467

the Sun (ra) - the great god:

Your son shall take up his position on your throne, equipped with your form, and do what you used to do before at the fore of the living, by command of the Sun, the great god.  He shall farm barley, farm emmer, and endow you with them.  Ho Pepi!  What pertains to you has been given to you by the Sun.  You shall claim your body, having received a god's form, and become great through them with the gods at the lake's fore.  P 4 (PT 422  §760)

Welcome in peace to the Sun, the great god....  Nt 245

....so that he may speak on Pepi's behalf before the great god and elevate Pepi to the great god.  P 36 ....... So has that great one fallen on his side....... P 38

You shall sit on a metal throne;  with your face that of the great god;....  P 278

You have been given the sky, you have been given the earth and the Marsh of Reeds, together with] those two great gods who come from Iunu.  P 333

This Pepi will receive a place and a meal from that which is in the granary of the great god, and this Pepi will dress with the Imperishable Stars.  P 463

The living one, the living one of Horus's appearance, Merenre;  the Dual King, the living one of the Two Ladies' appearance, Merenre;  the dual falcon of gold, Merenre;  Geb's heir, Merenre;  the great god, lord of the sky, Merenre, alive forever.  M 1b

Ho, Geb!  This is Osiris Nemtiemzaf Merenre.  Gather him to you, that [what is against him] might end.  You alone are the great god, for Atum has given you his inheritance.  He has given you the Ennead gathered, and Atum himself as well amongst them, gathered for his senior son's son in you...... M 52

It is Nemtiemzaf Merenre, you two obelisks (txn.w) of the Sun that belong to the earth;  Nemtiemzaf Merenre will receive his place and a meal as that of the granary of the great god.  M 355  (PT 515)  Sethe Vol 2: 157;  §1178

A stairway to the sky shall be laid down that you may go up.  You shall judge between the two great gods at the Dual Ennead's side.... M 399  (PT 619)  Sethe Vol 2: 420;  §1750

...lead this Pepi to the Cool Waters with Horus, [to the sky with] the great god..... N 295a

When you go forth you shall go forth to Atum's broadhall, go to the Marsh of Reeds, and course the great god's places, for you have been given the sky, you have been given the earth, you have been given the Marsh of Reeds [by] the two great gods who row you:  Shu and Tefnut, the two great gods in Iunu.  N 348

Ho Pepi Neferkare!  Come in peace to Osiris.  Messenger of the great god, come in peace to the great god..... N 410

Pepi Neferkare will open the god's face and Pepi Neferkare will sit on the great seat besides the great god.  N 433

Pepi Neferkare is the Bull of offerings, owner of a quintet of meals in Iunu - three for the sky and two for [the earth:  three meals for the sky with Horus and two meals for the earth with the great god].  N 474

 'He Who Supports the Great God'  N522

 "Ho, Pepi Neferkare!  Stand up!  Welcome in peace to the Sun, messenger of the great god!  When you go to the sky and emerge from the Akhet's gateway, Geb shall guide you, ba as [a god, esteemed as a god, and in control of your body as a god, as the Ba at the fore of the living, as the Controlling Power at the fore of the akhs."  N 524

 Osiris Neith......you are the great god.....the sole controlling god  Nt 225

 ......escort the great god  Nt 251

'Book of Going  Forth by Day':

"....I shall join the Great God;  make a way for me that I may pass on it." (Chap 76; TR)

"I am Atum who made the sky and created what exists, who came forth from the earth, who created seed, Lord of All, who fashioned the gods, the Great God, the self-created, the Lord of Life, who made the ennead to flourish."  (Chap. 79; TR)

"....I was an interpreter of speech, the scepter of the Sole Lord, the Sun, the Great God who lives by truth......"  (Chap. 97; TR)

 Chris Tedder, Spring 2008