User:Tomispev/Memphite Theology

This is the version of the Memphite Theology from the 8th century BCE stela of pharaoh Shabaka, also known as the Shabaka Stone. The Hieroglyphic text, transposed from columns into rows, follows the facsimile edition of the stela from the plates in El Hawary (2008). The transcription is also taken from there with minor modifications. The translation is from Lichtheim (1973), but with minor additions or changes in parentheses { }, taken from Allen (1988) and Assmann (2007).

Text

Verse 1 (line 48)

nṯr.w ḫpr.w m ptḥ

The gods who came into being in Ptah.

Verse 2 (col. 53)

ḫpr(.w) m ḥꜣtj ḫpr(.w) m ns m tj.t (j)tm(w)

There took shape in the heart, there took shape on the tongue, the form of Atum.

Verse 3 (col. 53)

jw wr ꜥꜣ ptḥ swḏ(.w) n nṯr.w nb.w kꜣ.w⸗sn

For the very great one is Ptah, who gave [life] to all the gods and their Kas

Verse 4 (col. 53)

sk m ḥꜣtj ns pn

through this heart and through this tongue,

Verse 5 (col. 54)

ḫpr.n ḥr(w) jm⸗f ḫpr.n ḏḥwtj jm⸗f m ptḥ

in which Horus had taken shape as Ptah, in which Thoth had taken shape as Ptah.

Verse 6 (col. 54)

ḫpr.n sḫm ḥꜣtj ns m ꜥ[.wt nb]

Thus heart and tongue rule over all the limbs

Verse 7 (col. 54)

[ḥr] s[bꜣ] wnt⸗f m-ḫnt ẖ.t nb m-ḫn(t) rꜣ nb

in accordance with the teaching that it is in every body and it is in every mouth

Verse 8 (col. 54)

n nṯr.w nb.w rmṯ nb ꜥ[w.t nb] ḥfꜣ.t nb ꜥnḫ.t(w)

of all gods, all men, all cattle, all creeping things, whatever lives,

Verse 9 (col. 54)

ḥr kꜣꜣ.t ḥr wḏ(.t)-mdw jḫ.t nb mrr.t⸗f

thinking whatever it wishes and commanding whatever it wishes.

Verse 10 (col. 55)

psḏ.t⸗f m-bꜣḥ⸗f m jbḥ.w sp.t(j) mtw.t ḏr.tj (j)tm(w)

His Ennead is before him as teeth and lips. They are the semen and the hands of Atum.

Verse 11 (col. 55)

jpꜣ ḫpr[.n nꜣ] psḏ[.t] (j)tm(w) m mtw.t⸗f m ḏbꜥ.w⸗f

For the Ennead of Atum came into being through his semen and his fingers.

Verse 12 (col. 55)

psḏ.t ḥm pw jbḥ.w sp.t(j) m rꜣ pn mꜣṯ rn n jḫ.t nb.t

But the Ennead is the teeth and the lips in this mouth which pronounced the name of every thing,

Verse 13 (col. 55-56)

pr.n šw tfnw.t jm⸗f | ms.n psḏ.t

from which Shu and Tefnut came forth, and which gave birth to the Ennead.

Verse 14 (col. 56)

mꜣꜣ jr.tj sḏm msḏr.wj ssnw fnḏ ṯꜣw sjꜥr⸗sn ḫr ḥꜣtj

{The eyes’} seeing, {the ears’} hearing, {the nose’s} breathing {of air}; they report to the heart,

Verse 15 (col. 56)

ntf ḏḏ pr(j) ꜥrqy.t nb(.t)

and it {is what} makes every understanding come forth.

Verse 16 (col. 56)

jn ns wḥm kꜣꜣ.t ḥꜣtj

As to the tongue, it repeats what the heart has devised.

Verse 17 (col. 56)

sw(t) ms(j) nṯr.w nb.w (j)tm(w) psḏ.t⸗f

He (Ptah) is the one who made all the gods, (also) Atum and his Ennead.

Verse 18 (col. 56-57)

sk ḫpr.n js mdw-nṯr nb m kꜣꜣ.t | ḥꜣtj wḏ.t ns

For every {hieroglyph} came about through what the heart devised and the tongue commanded.

Verse 19 (col. 57)

sw(t) jrj kꜣ.w mtn ḥms.wt jrr ḏfꜣ.w nb ḥtp.t nb

Thus all the {male life-principles} were made and all the {female life-principles} determined they that make all foods and all provisions,

Verse 20 (col. 57)

m md.t tn jrr mrr.t msḏ.t

through this word {that makes} what is loved {and} what is hated.

Verse 21 (col. 57)

sw(t) dj ꜥnḫ n ẖr-ḥtp dj mt n ẖr-ḫbn.t

Thus life is given to the peaceful, death is given to the criminal.

Verse 22 (col. 57-58)

sw(t) jrj kꜣ.t nb ḥmw.t nb jr.t ꜥ.wj šm(.t) rd.wj | nmnm ꜥ.t nb

Thus all labor, all crafts are made, the action of the hands, the motion of the legs, the movements of all the limbs,

Verse 23 (col. 58)

ḫft wḏ⸗f md.t (j)n kꜣꜣ.t ḥꜣtj pr.t m ns jrr.t ꜣw n (j)ḫ.t nb

according to this command which is devised by the heart and comes forth on the tongue and creates the performance of every thing.

Verse 24 (col. 58)

ḫpr.n ḏd jr tm(w) sḫpr nṯr.w r ptḥ

Thus it is said of Ptah: “He who made all and created the gods”.

Verse 25 (col. 58)

tꜣ-ṯnn (j)s pw ms nṯr.w pr.n (j)ḫ.t nb jm⸗f

And he is Ta-tenen, who gave birth to the gods, and from whom every thing came forth,

Verse 26 (col. 58-59)

m ḥtp(.w) ḏfꜣ.w m | ḥtp.t-nṯr.w m (j)ḫ.t nb.t nfr.t

foods, provisions, divine offerings, all good things.

Verse 27 (col. 59)

sw(t) ḏḥwtj sꜣ(ꜣ) ꜥꜣ pḥtj⸗f r nṯr.w

He is (also) Thoth, the Wise, whose power is greater than that of the (other) gods.

Verse 28 (col. 59)

sw(t) ptḥ ḥtp m-ḫt jr.t⸗f (j)ḫ.t nb.t mdw-nṯr nb

So has Ptah come to rest after his making everything and every {hieroglyph} as well,

Verse 29 (col. 59)

sk ms.n⸗f nṯr.w jr.n⸗f njw.wt grg.n⸗f sp(ꜣ).wt

He gave birth to the gods, He made the towns, He established the nomes,

Verse 30 (col. 59-60)

dj.n⸗f nṯr.w ḥr ḫm(.w)|⸗sn srwḏ.n⸗f pꜣw.t⸗sn

He placed the gods in their shrines, He settled their offerings,

Verse 31 (col. 60)

grg.n⸗f ḫm.w⸗sn stwt.n⸗f ḏ.t⸗sn r ḥtp jb.w⸗sn

He established their shrines, He made their bodies according to their wishes.

Verse 32 (col. 60)

sw(t) ꜥq nṯr.w m ḏ.t⸗sn m ḫt nb m ꜥꜣ.t nb(.t) m jm.w nb

Thus the gods entered into their bodies, of every wood, every stone, every clay,

Verse 33 (col. 60-61)

(j)ḫ.t nb rd(.t) ḥr-ḫtw⸗f | ḫpr.n⸗sn jm

every thing that grows upon him in which they came to be.

Verse 34 (col. 61)

sw(t) jꜥb n⸗f nṯr.w nb.w kꜣ.w⸗sn js(t) ḥtpj ẖnmy m nb-tꜣ.wj

Thus were gathered to him all the gods and their Kas, content, united with the Lord of the Two Lands.

References

• El Hawary, Amr (2010) Wortschöpfung. Die Memphitische Theologie und die Siegesstele des Pije – zwei Zuegen kultureller Repräsentation in der 25. Dynastie
• Lichtheim, Miriam (1973) Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms
• Allen, James P. (1988) Genesis in Egypt (link)
  
• Assmann, Jan (2007) Creation Through Hieroglyphs: The Cosmic Grammatology of Ancient Egypt (link)