Tag: sobek

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Reading Hieroglyphs

“Sobek” in Hieroglyphs

Let’s read some hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

TodayΒ π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³Β we are going to be looking at the name π“‚‹π“ˆ– of the god π“ŠΉ SobekΒ π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ in hieroglyphsΒ π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ!

I like Sobek’sΒ π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹Β name π“‚‹π“ˆ– a lot because its phonetic and easy to spell/remember if you know the phonogram symbols! This is because SobekΒ π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ has kept his β€œEgyptian Name” and it wasn’t changed by the Greeks like some if the other deities π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ such as AnubisΒ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“Šͺ𓅱𓃣, OsirisΒ π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­, Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭, etc.Β 

The β€œFolded Cloth 𓋴” symbol is a uniliteral phonogram that has the sound of β€œs.” 

The β€œFoot 𓃀” symbol is also a uniliteral phonogram that has the sound of β€œb.” 

The β€œBasket with a Handle π“Ž‘β€ symbol is also a uniliteral phonogram that has the sound of β€œk.” A lot of people get this one confused with just the β€œbasket π“ŽŸβ€ symbol which is a biliteral phonogram that has the sound β€œnb.” So they are very different!! 

The β€œCrocodile on a Shrine 𓆋” symbol is the determinative in Sobek, so in this case it is not pronounced! The symbol can also be used as an ideogram, where it would have the sound β€œsbk” or Sobek! 

Sobek can be written as: 

π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹

π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†

𓆋𓏺

𓆍𓏺

Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘𓆋 is usually depicted as a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ sitting on a shrine π“π“Šƒπ“…“π“‚œπ“‰ – just like this hieroglyph β€œπ“†‹,” or as a human body with a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ head 𓁢𓏺. 

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Egyptian Artifacts

Limestone Relief of Sobek

I enjoyed talking about my friend SobekΒ π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ so here’s another piece that depicts SobekΒ π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹! This is a raised limestoneΒ π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰Β relief of SobekΒ π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹Β from the Ptolemaic Period and is at the MET.

Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘𓆋 is usually depicted as a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ sitting on a shrine π“π“Šƒπ“…“π“‚œπ“‰ – just like this hieroglyph β€œπ“†‹,” or as a human body with a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ head 𓁢𓏺. 

Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘𓆋 was worshipped π“‡Όπ“„Ώπ“€’ from the Old Kingdom through the Roman Periods, but his popularity seemed to have peaked during the Second Intermediate Period as many pharaohs π“‰π“‰»π“¦ of the 13th Dynasty had names π“‚‹π“ˆ–𓏦 that were associated with him. For example, the names π“‚‹π“ˆ–π“¦ of the pharaohs π“‰π“‰»π“¦ called β€œSobekhotep π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ” translates to β€œSobek is satisfied.” There were also many commoners whose name π“‚‹π“ˆ– was also Sobekhotep π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ.

Fun fact! While β€œSobekhotep π“†‹π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ” can literally be written as β€œSobek π“†‹β€ and β€œHotep π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ” with the ideogram for β€œSobek π“†‹β€ taking on the full meaning of the word, the name can also be written as β€œπ“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“Š΅π“π“Šͺ,” which also spells out Sobekhotep, but this time, only phonograms are used! I love seeing different variations of the same words in hieroglyphs π“ŠΉπ“Œƒπ“ͺ! 

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Egyptian Artifacts

Ostracon of the Crocodile God Sobek

This is an ostracon, which is basically either a broken piece of limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ (in this case), pottery, a rock π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‚‹π“ˆ™, etc. that was used for drawing practice or even β€œTo Do” lists! A lot of the ostraca from ancient Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š– were often used as β€œpolitical cartoons” – where animals were depicted doing human things that were usually comments of society and the social hierarchy! Pieces of limestone π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“ˆ™π“Œ‰ were often used because papyrus π“…“𓍑𓏏𓏛 was too expensive to practice on! 

This nice little ostracon pictured however, is just a lovely drawing of the crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ god π“ŠΉ Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘𓆋! 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 π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘𓆋 was one of the gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ that was named in the Pyramid Texts, which makes him one of the oldest deities π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ in the Egyptian pantheon. He is often depicted as a human body with a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ head 𓁢𓏺. 

Some of the Egyptian legends state that Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘𓆋 rose out of the primordial waters and created the Nile River π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί. Since Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘𓆋 is associated with the Nile River π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί, this makes him also associated with fertility (much like Taweret, the crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ goddess π“ŠΉπ“ of fertility) since the ancient Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ associated the Nile π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί with fertility and rebirth. 

Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘𓆋 was both feared and revered due to him being a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ! He was worshipped π“‡Όπ“„Ώπ“€’ in order to ensure the fertility of both people and crops, but also to protect against crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ attacks. 

Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

The Temple of Dendur and the Crocodile!

Being at the Temple of Dendur is just so relaxing to me. I just love being in this room – I have so many amazing memories here with my Nonno and my sister π“Œ’π“ˆ–π“ who is in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 with me! I could literally just sit in here for hours and just exist.

One of my favorite things as a kid was the little crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ statue that’s in the β€œriver” that goes around the temple! I always thought it was so cool! The ancient Egyptians π“†Žπ“π“€€π“π“ͺ both feared and worshipped crocodiles π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œπ“¦. Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹, the god π“ŠΉ with the head of a crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ was worshipped from the time of Narmer all the way through the Roman period. He was a fertility god π“ŠΉ, associated with the annual flooding of the Nile π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί.

Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ also represented the power and might of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 because crocodiles π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œπ“¦ are incredibly strong – and were a constant threat to those living along the Nile π“‡‹π“π“‚‹π“…±π“ˆ—π“ˆ˜π“ˆ‡π“Ί. Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹ is the son π“…­ of the war goddess π“ŠΉπ“ Neith π“ˆ–π“π“‹Œπ“€­ and is sometimes referenced as being the son π“…­ of Seth π“Šƒπ“π“„‘π“£. Hundreds of crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ mummies have been found in Faiyum and other places in Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, most likely as way to appease Sobek π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“Ž‘π“†‹.

Taweret 𓏏𓄿𓅩𓂋𓏏𓆗, another crocodile π“…“π“‹΄π“Ž›π“†Œ goddess π“ŠΉπ“ is associated with female fertility and childbirth.

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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.