"With regard then to the rearing of the children they related so much as I have said: and I heard also other things at Memphis when I had speech with the priests of Hephaistos. Moreover I visited both Thebes and Heliopolis for this very cause, namely because I wished to know whether the priests at these places would agree in their accounts with those at Memphis; for the men of Heliopolis are said to be the most learned in records of the Egyptians."
- Herodotus Book II.3.1
According to Gods of Ancient Egypt, Egyptian gods lacked a distinct hierarchy. The existing human king determined which god dominated. "The creator of all things was either Re, Amun, Ptah, Khnum or Aten, depending on which version of the myth was currently in use."
Family Tree of the Gods of Heliopolis
Names marked with an asterix (*) are part of the Great Ennead, 9 great Heliopolitan deities who, according to (www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/6453/gods.html) Egyptian Gods: The Great Nine, handled "all the important features of Egyptian life; i.e., the sun, the atmosphere, the earth and sky, the underworld, etc. These gods form not only the nucleus of power, but also a court in which is judged the trials of gods."From Atum* or Re came Tefnut* and Shu*.
From Tefnut & Shu came Nut* and Geb*.
From Nut & Geb together came Isis*, Horus the elder, and Seth*. From Nut came Osiris*; from Geb came Nephthys*.
From Seth & Nephthys came Anubis and from Osiris and Isis came Horus the child.
