I-Robot

Egyptian creation stories tell of several variations of how the

world was composed. According to one variation, the ocean was the only thing

in existence. Then the sun, Ra, came out of an egg (or a flower in some

versions) that appeared on the surface of the water. Ra created four

children. They were the gods Shu and Geb and the goddesses Tefnut and Nut.

Shu and Tefnut became the air, who stood on Geb, the earth, and held up Nut,

who became the sky. Ra ruled over all.

It was not uncommon for siblings to have children in ancient Egypt,

and Geb and Nut had two sons, Set and Osiris, and two daughters, Isis and

Nephthys. Osiris succeeded Ra as the king of the earth, helped by Isis.

However, Set hated his brother out of jealousy and killed him. Isis embalmed

Osiris' body with the aid of the god Anubis, who then became the god of

embalming. Isis then resurrected Osiris, and he became the god of the

afterlife and the land of the dead. Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, later

defeated Set in an immense battle and became king of the earth.

Another version tells that Ra emerged from primeval waters.