Date:

Soknopaiou Nesos – The Crocodile Cult Temple

Soknopaiou Nesos, also called Dimeh es-Seba, is an ancient temple complex and settlement associated with the Graecised deity of Soknopaios (Sobek neb Pai), who was a local form of the Ancient Egyptian crocodile-headed god Sobek.

Sobek was generally represented in the form of a crocodile or as a human with a crocodile head, associated with pharaonic power, fertility, healing, and protective qualities for the dangers represented by the Nile.

- Advertisement -

In Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, a local monograph called the “Book of the Faiyum” gives mention of the journey made by Sobek-Ra with the movement of the sun through the sky, and Sobek’s role in creation as a manifestation of Ra as he rises from the primal waters of Lake Moeris (present-day Lake Qarun).

Soknopaiou Nesos is located in the desert north of Lake Moeris in the El-Fayyum Oasis, where it was founded around 100-50 BC during a period of land reclamation around El-Fayyum by the ruling Ptolemies.

Soknopaiou Nesos DSC 0255
The temenos – Image Credit : Bruno Bazzani – CC BY-SA 4.0

Dating of the site is based on a treasure trove of papyri that date from 50 BC to AD 250, giving archaeologists a glimpse into the everyday life of the settlement and the religious cult practices of the temple.

Soknopaiou Nesos played an important role in the regional economic system for state administration, and as a major employer of cult staff and wab-priests who served the temple in five separate phyle (each phyle consisting of 30 men) alternately over a lunar month.

- Advertisement -

Soknopaiou Nesos consists of a temenos (sacred enclosure) containing two contiguous sanctuaries connected by an open-air courtyard that formed the nucleus of the main temple complex. Within the temenos are several supporting mud-brick structures which functioned as priests’ houses, workshops, administrative buildings, and subsidiary temples for worship.

Soknopaiou Nesos DSC 8798
The dromos – Image Credit : Bruno Bazzani – CC BY-SA 4.0

Leading up to the temenos was a dromos, a raised road or platform that divided the settlement in two for ritual processions during feast days. Excavations alongside the dromos have revealed many residential structures, where finds include fragmentary wall-paintings, pottery, agricultural equipment, and numerous examples of papyri and ostraca in Demotic and Greek.

Papyrological evidence suggests that Soknopaiou Nesos was abandoned around AD 230, although the reason for this is not entirely clear. It may have succumbed to a loss in pilgrim revenue over its remote location, or possibly from a dwindling interest in the cult worship of Soknopaios.

Header Image Credit : HemikRania – iStock

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Mammoth bones uncovered during road construction works

The Construction of the S17 Piaski–Hrebenne highway near the Arabunie village in Zamość County has revealed the remains of what is believed to be either a woolly mammoth or a forest elephant.

Hidden Medieval tower unearthed in Lublin reveals forgotten chapter of city’s past

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a previously undocumented medieval tower within the grounds of the former Pobernardine monastery complex, near the Church of the Conversion of Saint Paul on Bernardyńska Street.

Sinkhole reveals lost remains of medieval hospital

A sinkhole that formed outside the York Theatre Royal has led to the discovery of what could be one of England’s largest medieval hospitals.

Chalcolithic cultural treasures unearthed in Caucasus

Archaeologists from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences have uncovered 13 Chalcolithic-era sites, each yielding a wealth of cultural artefacts and material evidence.

Study reveals East Asia’s earliest gold-inlaid spear sheath

In 1954, a bronze spear sheath dating from Japan’s Kofun period (AD 300–538) was found beneath a rock on Okinoshima, a sacred island located off the coast of Munakata, Fukuoka.

Cache of military helmets from both World Wars discovered during roadworks

Road construction works in the Polish city of Wroclaw have unearthed an unusual cache of military objects from WWI and WWII.

Ten Roman wonders of Britain

Discover the Roman Empire’s extraordinary legacy left on Britain through this selection of ten Roman wonders.

New archaeological treasures unearthed at Finziade

Archaeologists excavating at Finziade in southern Italy have unearthed an artisan workshop and a domestic sacellum containing archaeological treasures.