In the Heliopolitan creation myth, Atum is considered the father of the gods. He is the primordial, self-created deity who emerged from the primeval waters of Nun and became the source of the divine order.
Atum produced the first divine pair, Shu and Tefnut. Depending on the ancient text, he created them through spitting, semen, speech, or an act involving his hand. Shu personified air, while Tefnut represented moisture. Their union produced Geb, the earth god, and Nut, the sky goddess.
Geb and Nut then became the parents of Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys, making Atum the ancestral father of the Heliopolitan Ennead. This is why Atum is described as the father of the gods, rather than Ra, Osiris, or Ptah. Ra was later closely merged with him as Ra-Atum, while Ptah belonged primarily to the Memphite creation tradition.