Ra originally began as one of the ancient Egyptian sun gods. By the fifth dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion. He was identified primarily with the mid-day sun.  There were other deities that represented other positions of the sun. The role of Ra went through many changes and his relationship to the sun and its position also went through a number of changes.  Much later in the fifth dynasty it was said that he represented the sun at all times of the day, which is still what is chiefly put forth today.

The focal point or main religious temple of Ra first was based in Heliopolis, which meant literally, "City of the Sun." In later Egyptian dynastic times, Ra was merged with the god Horus, as Re-Horakhty.  As those who worshipped him grew stronger and more numerous, he reached a position of importance in the Egyptian pantheon.  It was then believed that he rightfully commanded the sky, the earth, and the underworld. He was associated with the falcon, the symbol of other sun deities who protected the pharaohs.. After the deities were paired with pharaohs, the children of Hathor were considered to be fathered by Ra.

There was a writer,  and Egyptian Historian, who put forth a different perspective of Ra.  This was E. A. Wallis Budge, who live from 1857 to 1934. Budge claimed that Ra was the one god of Egyptian monotheism, of which all other deities were aspects, manifestations, phases, or forms.  He also postulated that Hymn to Ra (c. 1370s BC) which was written circa 1370 BC was actually written to stress the more monotheistic aspect of Ra and to combat encroaching polytheism. In this hymn, several deities are described not as beings in their own right, but as certain forms of Ra. For example:

"Praise be unto thee, O Ra, thou exalted Power, who dost enter into the habitations of Ament, behold [thy] body is Atum."
"Praise be unto thee, O Ra, thou exalted Power, who dost enter into the hidden palace of Anubis, behold [thy] body is Khepera."

The meaning of Ra's name is uncertain, but there is speculation that if it is not a word for 'sun' it may be a variant of or linked to 'creative'. As his cult arose in the Egyptian pantheon, Ra often replaced Atum as the father, grandfather, and great-grandfather of the deities of the Ennead, and became a creator of the world.

Up until the mid-twentieth century, theories of Egyptologists postulated that the Heliopolis priesthood was in part established  in order to place their local sun-god Ra above all other deities. Many Egyptologists are now revisiting and questioning if that was the purpose of the establishment of Heliopolis.

More research is suggesting that the nine deities of Atum, Geb, Isis, Nut, Osiris, Nephthys, Seth, Shu, and Tefnut first appeared during the decline of Ra's cult in the sixth dynasty.  The worshipping of Ra experienced a great resurgence until the worship of Horus gained prominence. (Here is it important to remember that the reigning pharaoh and his location had much to do with what gods were also in power and popular with the people.)

During the next several dynasties Ra would go in and out of "fashion" and the beliefs and practices of Ra also continued to alter.  For example, in the 18th dynasty Ra was seen to have created Sekhmet, the early lioness war goddess who became Hathor. Then he created the cow goddess after she had sufficiently punished mankind as an avenging Eye of Ra.

At one point it is written that he was both the father and brother to the god Osiris. From this, the stories evolved that all forms of life were created only by Ra, who called each of them into existence by speaking their secret names and eventually humans were created from Ra's tears and sweat, hence the Egyptians call themselves the "Cattle of Ra."

Thus the deity who began as the reigning sun god only when the sun was in its mid-day position evolved to become the creator of all life.

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