In ancient Egypt, lovemaking was a meaningful act that went beyond reproduction and taboos.
Male masturbation was an even more important image in
ancient Egypt: when performed by a god it could be considered a creative or magical act: the god
Atum was believed to have created the universe by masturbating to ejaculation, in some other accounts, sneeze. Atum is one of the most important and frequently mentioned deities from earliest times, as evidenced by his prominence in the
Pyramid Texts, where he is portrayed as both a creator and father to the king, he created his children—the first deities, out of loneliness.