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Egyptian Artifacts

Stela with the God Sobek

This is a black granite π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“ˆ–π“Œ³π“Ώ stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ shows the god π“ŠΉ Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ in sunken relief. This stela is dated to the reign of Thutmosis III 𓅝𓄠𓋴 (18th Dynasty). The stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ originally belonged to a soldier named Amunemhat and he dedicated it to one of Sobek’s π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ temples. Thutmosis III 𓅝𓄠𓋴 saw a lot of military victories, and that is probably how Anunemhat was able to pay for this small stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ.

On the stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ, Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ is seen in crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ form standing on an altar π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ with an elaborate headdress on his head. There is an offering table 𓂝𓃀𓅑𓄿𓋃 in front of him that contains bread 𓏏𓏔𓏐 and meat 𓇋𓅱𓆑𓄹, which were very common things to be left as offerings π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ𓏏 𓏔𓏦 to either a god π“ŠΉ or the dead. Amunemhat is seen kneeling in the lower right corner of the stela π“Ž—π“…±π“†“π“‰Έ. Due to the faded hieroglyphs it’s very hard for me to translate them though next to Amunemhat’s head 𓁢𓏺 you can see β€œ π“‡‹π“ π“ˆ–β€ which is β€œAmun” and this the start of Amunemhat’s name π“‚‹π“ˆ–.

Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ had been worshipped since the Old Kingdom and is mentioned in the Pyramid Texts as being the son π“…­ of the goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Neith π“ˆ–π“π“‹Œπ“€­. He was a water god π“ŠΉ , and also of areas such as marshes and rivers/riverbanks. Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ usually appears in art as a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ or as a man with a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ head. The elaborate headdress on his head is representative of the sun disk 𓇳𓏺 with tall plumes on either side.