Ennead

The Ennead

Egyptian pesedjet (psD.t).
The main gods of a locality, not necessarily nine in number, like the
Ennead of Heliopolis which included:
Atem (the creator) who brought forth
Shu (god of air) and Tefnut (moisture), parents of
Geb (earth-god) and Nut (the heavens) who gave birth to
Osiris, Isis, Seth, Nephthys
The Memphite ennead was made up of the organs of the creator god Ptah, Atem-Re created an ennead of his own body parts:

I am that great and self-created god who invented all the names for what he himself is, master of the nine gods, who yields to no other deity.
Coffin Text 335a
J. Rabinowitz ,Isle of Fire, pp. 92ff

The Abydos ennead comprised seven or eleven gods, while the Theban ennead headed by Monthu counted fifteen deities. About others one knows less:

Pakht, the great ... I made her a temple with that which was due to her ennead of gods. The doors were of acacia wood, fitted with bronze...
Hatshepsut
J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Two, § 301

In a temple inscription at Heliopolis Senusret I lists his offerings to a number of gods, among them the ennead of Khereha

(For) the Nine Gods of Khereha: a copper bowl
J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part One, § 500

Some enneads were of lesser importance than others, apparently depending on their composition. In his sun-hymn Horemheb wrote:

The great ennead worship thee
The lesser ennead exult to thee
They praise thee in they beautiful forms
With thy brilliance in the Evening-Barque,
As when the sacred apes spy thee.
Tomb of Horemheb
J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Three, § 16

The Ennead existed since earliest times. On the Palermo Stone Sahure is recorded as having made a monument for it in his 6th year:

The king of Upper and Lower Egypt [Sahure; he made it as his monument for]:
The Divine Ennead
//////
J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part One, § 160

Egypt, being protected by the gods, anyone rising against her was the enemy of all the gods

Since the time of the gods, say they, Egypt has been the only daughter of Re; his son is he who sits upon the throne of Shu. No one can make a design to invade her people, for the eye of every god is behind him who would violate her; it (the eye) captures the rear of her foes. [//////] A great wonder has happened for Egypt, the power of which has made the invader a living prisoner. The divine king [exults (?)] over his enemies, in the presence of Re. Meyey, the evil-doer, whom the god, the lord who is in Memphis, has overthrown, he has been judged with him in Heliopolis, and the divine ennead declared him guilty of his crimes.
J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Three, § 612

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October 2005