Apophis

Definition

The Greek-language form of the Egyptian Apep, the great chaos-serpent that opposes the solar order each midnight. Used interchangeably with Apep in Hellenistic and modern scholarship.

Literal meaning

Greek Apophis, transliterated from Egyptian ꜥꜣpp. The form entered the Greek cosmological vocabulary through Plutarch and the Hermetic literature, where the Egyptian Neteru received Greek names that often persisted into modern Egyptology.

Esoteric meaning

See Apep. The Greek form is preserved here because it appears in older translations of the Egyptian funerary literature and in modern academic discussions of Egyptian cosmology. The cosmological meaning is identical to Apep.

Extended meaning

In modern usage the Greek-derived form Apophis has acquired secondary meanings outside the cosmological frame, including the name of an asteroid (99942 Apophis) tracked by NASA for close approaches to Earth in 2029 and 2036. The asteroid was named for the chaos-serpent because of its perceived threat character.

Comparative tradition

See Apep.