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nefertem


Gods & Goddesses

NEFERTEM

Votive statue of Nefertem<< Votive statue of Nefertem, bronze with glass inlays (E14286). Early Ptolemaic Period, 3rd century B.C.

The god Nefertem was the child of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet and her consort, the creator god Ptah. These three deities were worshipped as a family unit (triad) at the site of Memphis, which was one of the most important religious and administrative capitals in Egypt. Nefertem's symbol was the lotus flower and he was often shown as a man with a lotus atop his head. Nefertem could also be depicted as a child wearing a sidelock of hair that indicated his youth. Sometimes Nefertem was shown with a lion's head or standing on a lion.

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