Sobek - Ancient Egyptian God of the Nile and Crocodiles
Sobek was depicted as a man with the head of a crocodile, or sometimes as a full crocodile wearing the crown of a pharaoh
Illustration by Christa Galloway
Sobek made the Nile from his sweat.
In one ancient Egyptian myth, it was Sobek who created the world, and his sweat formed the Nile River. He could control the flooding cycle of the Nile. Sobek was important to farmers because the Nile's floods brought the black soil that helped fertilised crops.
Sobek represented both order and disorder.
In some myths, Sobek is said to have created order out of chaos, but he could also be unpredictable like a crocodile and was also associated with chaos.
Egyptians prayed to Sobek for protection.
Sobek was believed to be a powerful god, and Ancient Egyptians prayed to him to protect them from evil and crocodiles. He was the patron god of the army, protecting them from their enemies.
Sobek had the head of a crocodile.
He was depicted as a man with the head of a crocodile, or sometimes as a full crocodile wearing the crown of a pharaoh, showing his royal power over the waters.
Crocodiles were worshipped in Sobek's honor.
In temples dedicated to Sobek, tame crocodiles were kept in temple pools and treated like gods. These sacred crocodiles were fed the best food and adorned with jewelry and precious stones. When these crocodiles died, they were mummified and buried in special crocodile cemeteries.
