34 MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS RITES. 
as that luminary enters the sign of the Ram. Amun then manifested him-— 
self in his word or will, which created Kneph and Athor, the mother of 
the material world. Athor is represented (jig. 9) as the Egyptian Venus, 
accompanied by the dove held sacred to her. Kneph, who was of the male 
sex, breathed out of his mouth Athor, who was of the opposite sex. After 
this Amun caused another principle to emanate from the primordial night; 
this was Phtha, the god of fire and of life. He then formed out of the 
residuary matter 7’ho and Potiris, the upper and the lower heavens. Phtha 
now divided himself into a male and a female, Mendes and Weith ; and the 
sun, the moon, the firmament, and the earth were called into existence. 
These two, Mendes and Neith, were the last emanations belonging to the 
first order of the gods. The second order, to which also a few of the gods 
belonging to the first are reckoned, consists of twelve deities, planets with 
the sun, the moon, and primordial principles of nature; and the third of 
seven, including also some properly belonging to the first and second orders. 
The twelve great gods of the Egyptian mythology had each for his sym- 
bol one of the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and as satellites three attendants 
who in their turn had again two assistants each assigned them, and this 
system continued until the last class of subordinates amounted to 360; thus 
giving to each degree of the Zodiac a genius of this class to preside over it. 
The starry firmament was then divided into two sections; and'the stars of 
the northern section placed under the influence of light and purity, while 
those of the southern section were ruled by darkness and the principle of 
evil. There were also six orders of demons; and every star, every creature, 
and every occupation had its own particular tutelary genius. 
Upon this system was founded the study of astrology, to which the 
Egyptians were so much addicted, and which led to the doctrine that the 
souls of all human beings were at some previous time disembodied spirits or 
demons. 
The Creator now resolved to call into existence a new race of beings, and 
with his breath sent forth a beautiful woman; this was followed by his 
creating in the same way many thousand souls made after his own image, 
and which he divided into sixty classes. These he commanded to procreate 
beings like themselves, and gave them the promise that he would animate 
these creatures by his own breath. 
But they, prompted by curiosity, passed the boundaries of the gelestial 
spheres, and seeing the earth, longed to inhabit it. To gratify and punish 
them at the same time, Hermes gave them bodies of earthly mould, and 
they became men and women. Their happiness was, however, of a short 
duration, for they remembered their lost pleasures and became discontented, 
and committed crimes upon crimes, until the earth and the elements com- 
plained of them to the creator. He then took compassion upon them, and 
bade Osiris and Isis descend upon earth and be born as children, in order 
to redeem the fallen race. They accordingly descended and made Egypt, 
the cradle of the human race, the scene of their deeds. 
The course of a soul before it inhabits a human body, and after it has left 
it again, is described as follows: Accompanied by its guardian angel it is 
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