The lion-headed wife of Ptah was a goddess of war and the heat of the desert. Her name means “powerful.” She rose to prominence during the second millennium BC, when Egypt engaged in many wars extending its domain and was a leading power in the world. The Egyptians of the era readily worshipped a goddess who was a fierce hunter. Together with Bast, the cat goddess, Sekhmet destroyed Apep, the underworld serpent that attempted to swallow Ra. In one myth, she is sent to wage war on those who thought Ra was getting feeble. She was so effective in spreading ruin that Ra had to trick her into drinking a lake of what appeared to be blood, but was actually beer dyed with pomegranate juice. Sekhmet became intoxicated and humanity was saved.