Atums

Atums is a term used in scholarship to refer to the creator deity Atum in ancient Egyptian religion, sometimes applied to the god's multiple aspects or manifestations across regions and periods.

In Heliopolitan cosmogony, Atum emerges from the primeval waters of Nun and, by self-engendering, creates Shu (air) and Tefnut (moisture). Shu and Tefnut in turn produce Geb (earth) and Nut (sky), whose offspring include Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys. As creator, Atum is sometimes merged with Ra as Atum-Ra, emphasizing his solar function and his place in the creation sequence.

The name Atum is often translated as "the complete" or "the perfected one." The cult center for Atum was in Heliopolis (the Iunu temple complex), where rituals and offerings honored the creator deity and the benben stone, a symbol of creation. In art, Atum is typically depicted as a man, sometimes wearing the double crown of Egypt, and in some traditions appears in the form of a serpent or in association with the benben.

In later Egyptian theology, Atum's identity was absorbed into the composite sun god Atum-Ra, and his mythic role influenced understandings of creation and kingship. The term "Atums" appears in scholarly discussions to address the multiple rites, depictions, and textual variants associated with Atum across different periods.