<p>“Know ye, that all space is ordered. Only by order are ye One with the All. Order and Balance are the Law of the Cosmos. Ye shall be One with the All.” </p><p>~Thoth the Atlantean</p>

<div dir="ltr">
	
		
		
			<span dir="ltr">Lesson Transcript</span>
		
	
	
</div><div dir="ltr">
					<span dir="ltr">Instructor: </span>
					<span dir="ltr">
						<em dir="ltr">Tommi Waters</em>
					</span>
					
						
							
								
								</div><p>TK Waters has been an adjunct professor of religion at Western Kentucky University for six years. They have a master's degree in religious studies from Western Kentucky University and a bachelor's degree in English literature and religious studies from Western Kentucky University.</p><div dir="ltr">	<button ng-click="openCitationCtrl.showCitationModal()" data-cname="cite_this_lesson_button" test-id="cite_this_lesson_button" dir="ltr">		<span dir="ltr">Cite this lesson</span>		</button></div><img src="https://study.com/images/reDesign/svg/icon_citation_bubble.svg" width="22" height="21"><div ng-non-bindable="" dir="ltr">
					Thoth was the ancient Egyptian god of writing and knowledge. He is believed to have invented hieroglyphics and written tablets that contained secrets of the world. Read on to learn more about Thoth and these tablets.
					
						<span dir="ltr">
							Updated: 09/07/2021
						</span>
					
				</div><h2>Thoth, God of Writing</h2><p dir="ltr">Have you ever wondered who created hieroglyphics, the complex writing system composed of symbols that the ancient Egyptians used? According to Egyptian religious tradition, the creator of hieroglyphics was <b dir="ltr">Thoth</b>, the god of writing and knowledge. There are various stories on how Thoth came to be. Some say he created himself through the power of language, speaking himself into being, which fits with his role as the god of knowledge. </p><p>Others claim he was born from the forehead of Set, the god of war and chaos, as a product of the falcon-headed sky god Horus. Horus is representative of order, and this union of chaos and order is key to Thoth's being. Thoth had several consorts and, according to some accounts, he fathered Seshat, the goddess of writing, and Ra, the sun god. </p><img src="https://study.com/cimages/videopreview/videopreview-full/ukne5i1wna.jpg" width="488" height="275"><h2>Role in Egypt</h2><p>Regardless of whichever story or consort is associated with Thoth, this god was one of the most popular in all of Egypt. He was worshiped as early as the sixth millennium BCE until the fall of the Persian Empire in the first century BCE—one of the longest periods any Egyptian god was worshiped continuously. He was probably worshiped as a local deity in Khemenu in southern Egypt before he became a national god. His name was even used in naming pharaohs, like Thutmose, whose name means ''born of Thoth.'' </p><h2>Thoth's Appearance &amp; Names</h2><p>You've probably seen images of Thoth before. He's typically depicted with the head of an ibis, a water bird with a long bill in the same order as a pelican. In fact, his Egyptian name, Djehuly, literally means ''he who is like the ibis.'' Thoth is also depicted as a baboon in some images. </p><p dir="ltr">Thoth occasionally takes on the form of <b dir="ltr">A'an</b>, where he acts as a judge of the dead along with Osiris. His embodiment of knowledge and balance is particularly important for this judge role and the dead often seek his intercession in the underworld for their evil deeds. </p><h2>The Emerald Tablets</h2><p dir="ltr">Imagine how intriguing a text would be that talked about mysterious objects and concepts, like the Philosopher's Stone and the Lost City of Atlantis. This text is referred to as the <b dir="ltr">Emerald Tablets</b>, an ancient text supposedly carved into emerald or green stone, though the actual tablets have never been found. </p><p dir="ltr">No one is sure when the tablets were actually written, but they were attributed to <b dir="ltr">Hermes Trismegistus</b>, or ''Hermes, the Thrice-Great.'' Thoth's Greek counterpart is Hermes; thus, he is often considered the divine author of this mysterious text. The texts begin with ''I, Thoth, the Atlantean, give of my wisdom, give of my knowledge, give of my power.'' </p><p dir="ltr">The Emerald Texts focus on teaching secrets about the world and teach <b dir="ltr">alchemy</b>, or how to transform substances into other, usually more valuable, substances. One of these alchemical teachings was how to make a <b dir="ltr">Philosopher's Stone</b>, a legendary stone that could transform base materials into gold and grant immortality. </p><p>The texts call the reader to look within themselves to find the secrets of the world, saying, ''Desireth thou to know the deep, hidden secret? Look in thy heart where the knowledge is bound. Know that in thee the secret is hidden, the source of all life and the source of all death.'' </p><p dir="ltr">
			
			
				
				
					To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
				
			
			
			

			
			<a data-toggle="modal" href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/egyptian-god-thoth-emerald-tablets-facts-quotes.html#partialRegFormModal" data-cname="transcript_create_your_account" test-id="transcript_create_your_account" data-track-visible="" dir="ltr">Create your account</a>
		</p><h3 test-id="paywall_title">Register to view this lesson</h3><div>Are you a student or a teacher?</div><div role="tablist" dir="ltr">
				
				
				<button data-cname="transcript_student" test-id="transcript_student" save-user-type="STUDENT" data-target="[data-wizard-page='transcript-paywall']" role="tab" data-toggle="tab" dir="ltr">
					I am a student
				</button>
				
				
				
				<button data-cname="transcript_teacher" test-id="transcript_teacher" save-user-type="INSTRUCTOR" data-target="[data-wizard-page='transcript-teacherPromo-v4']" role="tab" data-toggle="tab" dir="ltr">
					 I am a teacher
				</button>
				
			
			</div>

#selfknowledge #superconsciousness #gods #goddesses #love

Thoth was the ancient Egyptian god of writing and knowledge. He is believed to have invented hieroglyphics and written tablets that contained...

history

History

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

communication

Communication

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

<p>TK Waters has been an adjunct professor of religion at Western Kentucky University for six years. They have a master's degree in religious studies from Western Kentucky University and a bachelor's degree in English literature and religious studies from Western Kentucky University. </p>

<p>Have you ever wondered who created hieroglyphics, the complex writing system composed of symbols that the ancient Egyptians used? According to Egyptian religious tradition, the creator of hieroglyphics was <b>Thoth </b>, the god of writing and knowledge. There are various stories on how Thoth came to be. Some say he created himself through the power of language, speaking himself into being, which fits with his role as the god of knowledge. </p>

<p>Others claim he was born from the forehead of Set, the god of war and chaos, as a product of the falcon-headed sky god Horus. Horus is representative of order, and this union of chaos and order is key to Thoth's being. Thoth had several consorts and, according to some accounts, he fathered Seshat, the goddess of writing, and Ra, the sun god. </p>

<p>Regardless of whichever story or consort is associated with Thoth, this god was one of the most popular in all of Egypt. He was worshiped as early as the sixth millennium BCE until the fall of the Persian Empire in the first century BCE—one of the longest periods any Egyptian god was worshiped continuously. He was probably worshiped as a local deity in Khemenu in southern Egypt before he became a national god. His name was even used in naming pharaohs, like Thutmose, whose name means ''born of Thoth.'' </p>

<p>You've probably seen images of Thoth before. He's typically depicted with the head of an ibis, a water bird with a long bill in the same order as a pelican. In fact, his Egyptian name, Djehuly, literally means ''he who is like the ibis.'' Thoth is also depicted as a baboon in some images. </p>

<p>Thoth occasionally takes on the form of <b>A'an </b>, where he acts as a judge of the dead along with Osiris. His embodiment of knowledge and balance is particularly important for this judge role and the dead often seek his intercession in the underworld for their evil deeds. </p>

<p>Imagine how intriguing a text would be that talked about mysterious objects and concepts, like the Philosopher's Stone and the Lost City of Atlantis. This text is referred to as the <b>Emerald Tablets </b>, an ancient text supposedly carved into emerald or green stone, though the actual tablets have never been found. </p>

<p>No one is sure when the tablets were actually written, but they were attributed to <b>Hermes Trismegistus </b>, or ''Hermes, the Thrice-Great.'' Thoth's Greek counterpart is Hermes; thus, he is often considered the divine author of this mysterious text. The texts begin with ''I, Thoth, the Atlantean, give of my wisdom, give of my knowledge, give of my power.'' </p>

<p>The Emerald Texts focus on teaching secrets about the world and teach <b>alchemy </b>, or how to transform substances into other, usually more valuable, substances. One of these alchemical teachings was how to make a <b>Philosopher's Stone </b>, a legendary stone that could transform base materials into gold and grant immortality. </p>

<p>The texts call the reader to look within themselves to find the secrets of the world, saying, ''Desireth thou to know the deep, hidden secret? Look in thy heart where the knowledge is bound. Know that in thee the secret is hidden, the source of all life and the source of all death.'' </p>

<p>To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. <a href="https://study.com/academy/lesson/egyptian-god-thoth-emerald-tablets-facts-quotes.html#partialRegFormModal">Create your account </a> </p>

Egyptian God Thoth: Emerald Tablets, Facts & Quotes - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

Steve Frew's ideas are part of this journey:

Related collections

Similar ideas