Ostracon of the Crocodile God Sobek

This is an ostracon, which is basically either a broken piece of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 (in this case), pottery, a rock 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙, etc. that was used for drawing practice or even “To Do” lists! A lot of the ostraca from ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 were often used as “political cartoons” – where animals were depicted doing human things that were usually comments of society and the social hierarchy! Pieces of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 were often used because papyrus 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛 was too expensive to practice on! 

This nice little ostracon pictured however, is just a lovely drawing of the crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 god 𓊹 Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋! This piece is dated to the New Kingdom (Ramesside – c. 1295–1070 B.C.E.) and was most likely found at Deir el-Medina! 

Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋 was one of the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 that was named in the Pyramid Texts, which makes him one of the oldest deities 𓊹𓊹𓊹 in the Egyptian pantheon. He is often depicted as a human body with a crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 head 𓁶𓏺. 

Some of the Egyptian legends state that Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋 rose out of the primordial waters and created the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺. Since Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋 is associated with the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺, this makes him also associated with fertility (much like Taweret, the crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 goddess 𓊹𓏏 of fertility) since the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 associated the Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 with fertility and rebirth. 

Sobek 𓋴𓃀𓎡𓆋 was both feared and revered due to him being a crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌! He was worshipped 𓇼𓄿𓀢 in order to ensure the fertility of both people and crops, but also to protect against crocodile 𓅓𓋴𓎛𓆌 attacks.