Thoth, << thohth, >> was an ancient Egyptian moon god. He was a patron of civilization and such intellectual arts as writing, astronomy, mathematics, law, magic, and medicine. He is most often shown in art with a human body and the head of an ibis bird. He is also portrayed as a dog-headed baboon.
Thoth’s most important role in the underworld was to oversee the scales on which the souls of the dead were weighed to determine innocence or guilt. He was considered the scribe of the sun god Re and even Re’s chief administrative officer. His center of worship was the city of Hermopolis. Thoth was also worshiped in many other cities of ancient Egypt, where he often had a role in their creation myths.
See also Mythology (Egyptian mythology).
