Gebel el-Silsila

The principal deity of Gebel el-Silsila is Sobek,[5][6] the god of crocodiles and controller of the waters.[2] Silsila is located within the Ancient Egyptian nome of Kom Ombo (or Ombos), Kom Ombo being 15 km to the south or upriver. The Roman coins of the Ombite nome exhibit the crocodile and the effigy of the crocodile-headed god Sobek.

Roman coin Octavianus Aegypto capta from another area depicting a crocodile on reverse and Augustus on the obverse.

The rock-cut temple of Horemheb is referred to as the Great Speos and may have been created in a former sandstone quarry. The temple is dedicated to seven deities, including Amun, the local god Sobek and Horemheb himself.[3] Later rulers included further scenes and inscriptions to this structure. The scenes on the facade of the Great Speos include Ramesses III offering Maat to Amun-Re, Mut, Khonsu and Sobek in one scene and offering Maat to Anhur-Shu in another scene. Elsewhere Ramesses II is depicted in the company of his Vizier Neferronpet, while offering Maat to Ptah and Sobek. The central doorway contains a stele showing Sety II before Amun-Re, Mut and Khons.[7]

The Great Speos also contains two chapels belonging to Viziers. On the south end of the entrance is the chapel of Panehesy, Vizier to Merenptah. Panehesy is shown adoring Merenptah. Panehesy is also depicted on a stele showing Merenptah, Queen Isetnofret, and Prince Sety-Merenptah (later Seti II).[7] On the northern end is a similar chapel of the Vizier Paser from the reign of Ramesses II. A stele in the doorway shows Ramesses II, Queen Isetnofret and Princess-Queen Bintanath. The king is offering Maat to Ptah and Nefertem.[7]

South of Horemheb's Great Speos are a collection of erected royal stelae. The stelae date to a variety of reigns. They include a rock stela depicting Ramesses V before Amun-Re, Mut, Khons and Sobek.[7] Ramesses III is shown offering Maat to Amun-Re, Mut and Khons.[7] From a much later time is the stele of Shoshenq I. The scene shows Shoshenq accompanied by his son Iuput. The text is dated to year 21 of his reign. The goddess Mut leads the king and his son before Amun-Re, Re-Harakhti and Ptah.[7]

South of the royal stelae several cut shrines are found. These include shrines for the Scribe of the Treasury of Thutmose, the Overseer of the Seal of Min (from the time of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III), an official named Maa, and the Scribe of the Nome Ahmose (from the time of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III).[7]

North of the royal stelae more shrines can be found. One shrine belonged to an official dated to the reigns of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III: User, vizier. A shrine at this site records User's family, including his father Amethu called Ahmose.[7][8]

Further shrines were constructed near the river. Most of these date to the reigns of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III. Included are the shrines of some high-ranking officials such as the Overseer of the Granaries Minnakht, the Overseer of the Seal and Royal Herald Sennufer, the Overseer of the Seal Nehesy, the Overseer of the Prophets of Upper and Lower Egypt Hapuseneb, and the Great Steward of the Queen Senenmut.[7] Senenmut's is noteworthy because the inscriptions show a change in the status of Hatshepsut. She is said to be the "King's First-born Daughter" and she is depicted as a pharaoh in a striding fashion.[8]

Additionally, three rock-cut shrines were constructed and the site also shows some royal stelae. The shrines belong to Seti I, Ramesses II and Merenptah.[3][7] One of the stele depicts Ramesses III offering wine to Amun-Re, Re-Harakhty and Hapi. The stele mentions year 6 of the reign of Ramesses III. Adjoining this is another stele, this one depicting Horemheb adoring Sety I.[7]

Between the shrines of Merenptah and Ramesses II a stele was erected depicting Merenptah and a son (likely Sety-Merenptah, but the name has been destroyed) offering Maat to Amun-Re. The royals are accompanied by the Vizier Panehesy.[7]

Stele of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) from Gebel el-Silsila.[9] Kings are shown adoring Amun-Re.[9] Image depiction from Lepsius.[9][10]

Survey work of the east bank has revealed 49 quarries, the largest being Quarry 34 (Q34) (reviewed in 7 partitions due to its immensity) containing 54 stone huts.

The East bank holds several stele from the time of Amenhotep III. The stele and their texts are described in Karl Richard Lepsius' Denkmahler. The stelae are damaged, but one of them was inscribed in year 35. Amenhotep is shown adoring Amun-Re and is called "beloved of Sobek" in the inscriptions.[9] The stela have been studied and described by Georges Legrain.[7]

A shrine with stele on three sides depicting Amenhotep III is located at Gebel el-Silisila East.[9] In the scenes Amenhotep III is accompanied by an official named Amenhotep, who held the title "Eyes of the King in the whole land".[7]

A stela was discovered showing Akhenaten—named Amenhotep IV—before Amun-Re.[7]

Further finds date to the time of Sety I. An inscription from year 6 shows Sety I before Amun-Re, Ptah and a goddess. Another stele shows the Commander of troops of the fortress of the Lord of the Two Lands, named Hapi adoring the cartouche of Sety I.[7]

The rediscovery of the Temple of Kheny[2] is a significant find for the east bank.[5] The other item of significance is the collection of over 5,000 epigraphic symbols and hieroglyphs collected from this site and all over Egypt.[5] There appears to be an image depicting the actual transport of the sandstone blocks to temple sites.[5]

The east bank also has two unfinished ram-headed sphinxes or criosphinxes.

Indications have been noted of possible stables providing horses to the Roman Caesars.[5]

The changeover of constructing temples in Ancient Egypt from limestone to sandstone may have started with the Temple of Kheny.[2][5] It appears that the Temple of Kheny may be the "mother temple" to all future temples built with sandstone.[5]

According to Nilsson:[2]

The oldest building phase of the temple was made up by limestone, which is unique within a sandstone quarry, and may signify the official changeover from limestone construction to sandstone.

English

• Kitchen, Kenneth A. (1983). Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II, King of Egypt, Aris & Phillips. ISBN 978-0856682155.
• O'Connor, David and Cline, Eric H. (2006). Thutmose III: A New Biography. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0472114672.
• Porter, Bertha; and Moss, Rosalind (1937). Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs and Paintings, V Upper Egypt: Sites (Volume 5). Griffith Institute. 1937, 1962; 2004: ISBN 978-0900416835.
• Tyldesley, Joyce (1998). Nefertiti: Egypt's Sun Queen. Penguin. ISBN 0-670-86998-8.
• Wilkinson, Richard H. (2000). The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt, Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05100-3.

German

• Lepsius, Karl Richard (1849). [Monuments from Egypt and Ethiopia]. Denkmaeler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien nach den Zeichnungen der von Seiner Majestät dem Koenige von Preussen, Friedrich Wilhelm IV., nach diesen Ländern gesendeten, und in den Jahren 1842–1845 ausgeführten wissenschaftlichen Expedition auf Befehl Seiner Majestät. 13 vols. Berlin: Nicolaische Buchhandlung. (Reprinted Genève: Éditions de Belles-Lettres, 1972). Retrieved online Lepsius Denkmahler.

• Interview by Scott Roberts of Maria Nilsson and John Ward (while both in Sweden), The Intrepid Radio Program broadcast, Intrepid Paradigm Broadcast Network, 2015 May 31 Sunday 9-11 p.m. CDT (2015 June 1 UTC 0400-0600 UTC), Wisconsin, U.S.A., archived podcast 2015 June 1; accessed 2011 June 11.

• "Long-Lost Egyptian Temple Found". DNews (Discovery News). Retrieved 2015-05-18.