When we ask, "Who is God?", we are really asking, "What is God?".
The mere name or noun does not tell us anything. One can only define “God” through the multitude of “his” attributes / qualities / powers / actions. This is the only logical way, because if we refer to, say, a person as Mr. X, it means nothing to us. However, once we describe his attributes and qualities, we then begin to know him. A person who is an engineer, a father, a husband, ... etc. does not have poly-personalities, but rather a mono-personality with multiple functions/attributes. For the Ancient and Baladi Egyptians, the concept of God is similar.
To know "God" is to know the numerous qualities of "God". The more we learn of these qualities (known as neteru), the closer we are getting to our divine origin. Far from being a primitive, polytheistic form, this is the highest expression of monotheistic mysticism
The One Joined Together
In Ancient Egyptian traditions, Ra represents the primeval, cosmic, creative force. The Litany describes Ra as The One Joined Together, Who Comes Out of His Own Members. The Ancient Egyptian definition of Ra is the perfect representation of the Unity that comprises the putting together of the many diverse entities, i.e. The One Who is the All. The Litany of Ra describes the aspects of the creative principle: being recognized as the neteru (gods) whose actions and interactions in turn created the universe.
That Ra is not just the sun (only a singular form), was also confirmed in the following verse from the Story of Ra and Auset (Isis), in which Ra states,
"I have multitude of names, and multitude of forms."
The Image of God
So many phrases are being used throughout the world, which consistently state that the human being is made in the image of God, i.e. a miniature universe; and that to understand the universe is to understand oneself, and vice versa.
Yet no culture has ever practiced the above principle like the Ancient Egyptians. Central to their complete understanding of the universe was the knowledge that man was made in the image of God, and as such, man represented the image of all creation.
Accordingly, Egyptian symbolism and all measures were therefore simultaneously scaled to man, to the earth, to the solar system, and ultimately to the universe.
The logical (and only) way to explain anything to human beings is on human terms and in human form. As such, the complicated scientific and philosophical information was reduced in Ancient Egypt to events-in human images and terms.
Picturing the Divine Powers
In order to simplify and convey the scientific and philosophical meanings of the neteru (gods/goddesses), some fixed representations were utilized. As a result, the figures of Auset (Isis), Ausar (Osiris), Amen, Heru (Horus), Mut, etc., became the symbols of such attributes/functions/forces/energies.
These pictorial symbols were intended merely to fix the attention or represent abstract ideas, and were not intended to be looked upon as real personages. As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words."
http://egypt-tehuti.org/articles/monotheism-polytheism.html
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