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Reconstructed apex of one of the pyramids (G1-d) of the Giza Plateau, symbolizing Benben. In the creation myth of the Heliopolitan form of ancient Egyptian religion, Benben was the mound that arose from the primordial waters (Nu), and upon which the creator deity Atum settled.
Apart from being the name of a cult object, the Benben stone is also used to describe a type of ancient Egyptian architectural element. To the ancient Egyptians, this was known as a ‘benbenet’ (the feminine form of ‘benben’), whereas for people today, the stone is known also as a pyramidion.
The Benben stone was closely related to the myth of creation, and is often classified among the most prominent symbols of ancient Egypt. It had associations with the gods Atum, Ra, and with the bennu bird.
The mythological Benben Stone originates in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, a cheat sheet of spells and rites for the dead to use to navigate the afterlife.
Reconstructed cornerstone of one of the pyramids on the Giza plateau, symbolizing Benben. Benben was the mound that emerged from the primordial waters Nu upon which the creator deity Atum settled in the creation myth of the Heliopolitan form of religion in ancient Egypt.
The word "Benben" may come from the verb "weben", meaning "to rise"—linking it to the sun's daily journey. The pyramid shape of the Benben was copied in temples, obelisks, and sacred architecture across Egypt.