Thoth, the god of writing and wisdom, was sometimes shown as a sacred ibis, a monkey, or as a man with an ibis head. He was credited with creating language, the hieroglyphic writing system, and acting as a scribe and advisor to the gods. Thoth, the god of wisdom, was supposed to be familiar with magic and other secrets that the other gods were not.
Thoth is pictured weighing the hearts of the dead and presenting the judgement to Osiris, the god of the dead, in underworld scenes that reflect the judgement the deceased experience after their deaths.
God of writing, wisdom and the moon
Thoth was the scribe of the gods, inventor of hieroglyphs and keeper of knowledge, magic and the calendar. As a moon god he measured time, and he was said to have won five extra days from the moon to complete the 365-day year. At the weighing of the heart he records the verdict, and in the Osiris myth he helps Isis with spells and heals the injured eye of Horus.
Ibis and baboon
Thoth has two sacred animals: the ibis, so he is often shown as a man with an ibis head holding a scribe’s palette, and the baboon, which greets the rising sun with its calls. Scribes poured a drop of water from their pots in his honour before starting work. The Greeks identified him with Hermes, and later writers called him Hermes Trismegistus, “thrice-great Hermes”.
Where to see Thoth
His cult centre was Hermopolis (el-Ashmunein) in Middle Egypt, where two colossal quartzite baboons of Amenhotep III still stand. Nearby, the catacombs of Tuna el-Gebel hold huge numbers of mummified ibises and baboons offered to him, beside the beautiful tomb-chapel of the high priest Petosiris. Both sites can be seen on our El Minya day tour to Tuna el-Gebel, Beni Hassan and Amarna. Thoth also appears in judgement scenes in tombs on the Luxor West Bank and in temple reliefs at Edfu and Dendera.
Quick facts
- Domain: writing, knowledge, magic, the moon, time
- Sacred animals: the ibis and the baboon
- Cult centre: Hermopolis (el-Ashmunein)
- Related deities: Maat, Seshat, Osiris, Horus
Discover other deities in our ancient Egyptian gods guide.