In Egyptian texts, it appears that there was more than one person who was the “Lord of Years” or “Ancient of Days”:
Ptah being
the “Ancient of Days” (lit. “Lord of Years”) in the Shabaka Stone, Line 63:
He entered the palace and joined the gods of Tenen Ptah, Lord of
Years. Thus Horus came into the earth at the Royal Fortress, to the North of
this land to which he had come. His son Horus arose as King of Upper Egypt,
arose as King of Lower Egypt, in the embrace of his father Horus and of the
gods in front of him and behind him.” (source)
Ptah (the
Creator) grants his power (sh.m) to his heirs the gods and the spirits, Shabaka
Stone line 53:
There comes into being in the heart ; there comes into being by
the tongue as the image of Atum ! Ptah is the very great, who gives life to all
the gods and their kas. Lo, through this heart and by this tongue.
Ptah “The
Opener” begets Atum, Shabaka Stone lines 57-58:
(57) the heart & the command by the tongue. Thus all
witnessing faculties were made and all qualities determined, they that make all
foods and all provisions, through this word. {Justice} is done to him who does
what is loved, {and punishment} to him who does what is hated. Thus life is
given to the peaceful and death is given to the criminal. Thus were made all
labor, all crafts, the action of the arms, the motion of the legs,
(58) the movements of all the limbs, according to this word which
is devised by the heart and comes forth by the tongue and creates the
performance of everything
There came the saying that Atum, who created the gods, said
concerning Ptah-Tenen: "He gave birth to the gods." From him every
thing came forth : foods, provisions,
Amon is also
the “Great aged one” in Papyrus I 350 of Leiden:
[Chapter ninetieth.] The ennead was joined with thy limbs. As to thy form, all gods
were united in thy body. Thou didst emerge first, thou didst begin the
commencement. Amon hiding (imn) his name from the gods. Great aged one,
older than these (tny r nn) . . .(Alan H. Gardiner, “Hymns
to Amon from a Leiden Papyrus,” Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und
Altertumskunde 42 [1905]: 31-32)
The Lord of
Years (Ancient of Days) made by Atum, his father, but is united bodily with
Atum [via hypostasis], Coffin Text § 80
I am he whom Atum created, and I am bound for my place of
eternity. I am Everlasting, who fashioned the Chaos-gods, reproduced(?) by the
spittle of Atum which issued from his mouth when he used his hand; his
saliva(?) will be made to fall to the earth. . . . I indeed am one who lives, son of Atum; he
has fashioned me with his nose, I have gone forth from his nostrils; I put myself
on his neck and he kisses me with my sister Mā'et. He rises daily when he
issues from his egg which the god who went up shining(?) fashioned. There is
said to him 'Hail!' by those who begot him, who are in the horizon; I make his
father to live, the crew of whose bark are the Unwearying Ones, the life of
living flesh. (Raymond O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts, 3
vols. [Warminster, England: Aris and Phillips Ltd., 1973], 1:83, 84)
Note: Hugh
Nibley in Abraham in Egypt, p. 87 identifies “Atum” with “Adam.”
(My thanks to Robert F. Smith whose handout he kindly shared with me, "ADAM Ptah the Ancient of Days" referenced some articles and ancient texts that I tracked down for this post)
