In early times of the ancient Egypt, Seth was worshipped as the god of desert and wind. Seth was also thought to stand in front of his father Re on his daily journey across the sky to protect him from the evil serpent Apep. On stormy days, the Egyptians would think that Re and Seth had lost the battle. Seth was considered the patron god of Lower Egypt during the entire pharaonic period, and his cult place was mainly in Ombos.
In the archaic period, dynasty 1 and 2, Seth got connected with teaching of astronomy,the methods of agriculture, medicine and magic. He was also considered the patron god of the opening-of-the-mouth seremony. The pharaoh was always considered the embodiment of Horus, but the pharaoh Peribsen in the 2nd dynasty changed his name from Horus Sekhemib Perenmaat to Seth Peribsen. His successor Khasekhemwy kept the Horus title, but added Seth to the titulary.
In the dynasties 4 to 15, Seth was mainly ignored. His functions were absorbed into other gods, but he kept his function as a god of the desert. He was also considered the patron god of foreigners.
In the 14th dynasty, invaders from Palestine managed to gain control and ruled as kings through the 15th and 16th dynasty. They built a new capital, Avaris (which Ramesses II later named Pi-Ramessu), which became a cult place for the worship of Seth. Being a patron god of foreigners, Seth became the patron god for the Hyksos kings.
The temple of Seth at Naqada was restored during the reign of Thothmes I, and also Thothmes III and Amunhotep II, in the 18th dynasty. Pharaoh Hatshepsut, also of the 18th dynasty, built a temple dedicated to Seth and Horus the Elder in Ombos. The interest for Seth in this period was also marked by the prophecy in the temple of Hatshepsut; "She will not only enjoy the days of Horus, but
the days of Set will be added to her span".
The militaristic pharaohs of the 19th dynasty, coming from Avaris, claimed direct desdend from Seth. They worshipped Seth as a military god and also the god of foreign countries. The cult of Seth was also popular among foreigners settling in Egypt. The 20th dynasty worshipped Seth as well, which is clearly marked by the name of the founder Sethnakht (Seth is Victorius).
By the end of the 20th dynasty, the funerary cult of Osiris grew stronger. In this period, the myth of Seth and Osiris grew up. In this myth, Seth killed Osiris, and was from now on considered a murder and an evil deity. The myth reflect the political allegiances and rival cults during the Hyksos reign. Seth had now become the embodiment of evil and was associated with the Hebrew Baal and the Hittite storm god Teshut.
In the 26th dynasty, it became common practise to disfigure any representation of Seth.
In the Ptolemaic period, Seth was identified with the Greek Typhon. Seth-Typhon was used to bring spirit helpers, and Seth was now also considered a god for healing of the head and spinal coloumne.
