 Most Egyptian deities represent natural or social phenomena . The gods were generally said to be immanent in these phenomena — to be present within nature . The types of phenomena they represented include physical places and objects as well as abstract concepts and forces . The god Shu was the deification of all the world 's air ; the goddess Meretseger oversaw a limited region of the earth , the Theban Necropolis ; and the god Sia personified the abstract notion of perception . Major gods often had many roles and were involved in several types of phenomena . For instance , Khnum was the god of Elephantine Island in the midst of the Nile , the river that was essential to Egyptian civilization . He was credited with producing the annual Nile flood that fertilized the nation 's farmland . Perhaps as an outgrowth of this life @-@ giving function , he was said to create all living things , fashioning their bodies on a potter 's wheel . Gods could share the same role in nature ; Ra , Atum , Khepri , Horus , and other deities acted as sun gods . Despite their diverse functions , most gods had an overarching role in common : maintaining maat , the universal order that was a central principle of Egyptian religion and was itself personified as a goddess . But some deities represented disruption to maat . Most prominently , Apep was the force of chaos , constantly threatening to annihilate the order of the universe , and Set was an ambivalent member of divine society who could both fight disorder and foment it . 
 Most Egyptian deities represent natural or social phenomena . The gods <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> generally said to be immanent in these phenomena — to be present within nature . The types of phenomena they represented include physical places and objects as well as abstract concepts and forces . The god Shu was the deification of all the world <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>air ; the goddess Meretseger oversaw a limited region of the earth , the Theban Necropolis ; and the god Sia personified the abstract notion of perception . Major gods often had many roles and <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> involved in several types of phenomena . For instance , Khnum was the god of Elephantine Island in the midst of the Nile , the river <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>that</mark></a>was essential to Egyptian civilization . He was credited with producing the annual Nile flood <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>that</mark></a>fertilized the nation <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>farmland . Perhaps as an outgrowth of this life @-@ giving function , he was said to create all living things , fashioning their bodies on a potter <a href='null_genetive' title='7'><mark>'s</mark></a>wheel . Gods could share the same role in nature ; Ra , Atum , Khepri , Horus , and other deities acted as sun gods . Despite their diverse functions , most gods had an overarching role in common : maintaining maat , the universal order <a href='null_relcl' title='8'><mark>that</mark></a>was a central principle of Egyptian religion and was itself personified as a goddess . But some deities represented disruption to maat . Most prominently , Apep was the force of chaos , constantly threatening to annihilate the order of the universe , and Set was an ambivalent member of divine society <a href='null_relcl' title='9'><mark>who</mark></a>could both fight disorder and foment it . 
Most Egyptian deities represent natural or social phenomena . da gods was generally said to be immanent in these phenomena — to b present within nature . Tdatypes of phenomena they represented include physical places and objects as well as abstract concepts and forces . The god Shu was the deification of all the world  air ; the goddess Meretseger oversaw a limited region of thdaarth , the Theban Necropolis ; and the god Sia personified the abstract notion of perception . Major gods often had many roles and was involved in several types of phenomena . For instance , Khnum was thedad of Elephantine Island in the midst of the dae , the rdar was essential to Egyptian civilization . He was credited with producing the annual Nile flood fertilized the nadan  farmland . Perhaps as an outgrowth of this life @-@ givin function , he was said to create all livin things , fashioning their bodies on a potter  wheel . Gods could share the samdaole in nature ; Ra , Atum , Khepri , Horus , and other deities acted as sun gods . Despite their diverse functions , most gods had an overarching role in common : maintaining maat , the univdaal order was a central principle of Egyptian religion and was itself personified as a goddess . But sum deities represented disruption to maat . Most prominently , Apep was the force of chaos , constantly threatening to annihilate the order of the universe , and Set was an ambivalent member of divine society could both fight disorder and foment it .