TYPE: War and Plague god
ORIGIN: Western Semitic - Phoenician and Canaanite
INFORMATION: Originating in Syria. Introduced into Egypt by the XVIII Dynasty during the sixteenth century BCE and rapidly achieved some prominence. His wife is Itum and he was also known as Resep-Amukal and Resep-Sulman. Resep is probably modeled on the Mesopotamian Nergal. He is depicted as a youthful, warlike god, often with a gazelle's head springing from his forehead, and with a spear in his right hand. In Egyptian iconography he is depicted wearing the crown of Upper Egypt surmounted in front by the head of a gazelle. He has links with the Theban war god Montu and was thought of as a guardian deity in battle by many Egyptian pharaohs; he is said to have shot firebrands with a bow and arrow. He also exerted a benign influence against disease. The influence of Resep extended to Cyprus during the Pre-Hellenic period and at the time of Hellenization, he was allied to and perhaps syncretized with Apollo. Also Rasap, Resef.