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Why Did The Ancient Egyptians Worship And Sacrifice Crocodiles?
Greek Reporter ^ | July 15, 2024 | Matthew Norman

Posted on 07/15/2024 7:51:59 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Ancient Egyptians, 2000-3000 thousand years ago, not only worshipped crocodiles, offering them bread, meat and wine, but also sacrificed and mummified them, a new study confirms.

Published in the journal Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, the research purports to have gained a deeper understanding of a religious practice behind the mummification of crocodiles in ancient Egypt.

The specific crocodile mummy examined for the study that led to the conclusions was 2.2 meters-long and is housed at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

The team of experts conducted various scans on the mummified crocodile, which revealed a fish hook and an undigested fish inside its stomach, suggesting that the reptile was killed immediately after being captured, as an offering to a crocodile god of the ancient Egyptians.

Ancient Egyptians and their worship of crocodiles

But not all crocodiles in ancient Egypt were killed. In fact, some of them were worshipped as cult animals – the finding of many mummified crocodiles across Egypt bears testament to this.

Grecian Delight supports Greece

“The ancient Egyptians venerated crocodiles as avatars of Sobek, Lord of the Nile and of the primaeval swamp from which they believed the Earth was created,” researchers wrote in the new study.

The most widely known among these crocodile lords was Suchus, who lived in the god’s temple in Crocodilopolis and according to the study “received the levels of care befitting a god on earth”.

“Believed to be the living incarnation of Sobek, Suchus was provided with a dedicated pond within the temple complex where he received a lavish diet of bread, meat and wine delivered by the priests, and adornments of precious metals and jewels,” the study reports.

According to the University of Manchester, whose researchers took part in the project, healthy crocodiles were associated with fertility and plentiful agriculture in ancient Egypt.

The ancient Egyptians also believed you could protect yourself from danger by wearing clothing made from the skin of the animal.

Ancient Greek historians recorded Egyptians’ methods for catching crocodiles

One of the main curiosities for researchers is how the ancient Egyptians managed to get hold of these crocodiles.

After the discovery of an ancient hatchery at the archaeological site of Medinet Madi, some historians have posited that the ancient Egyptians reared the reptiles in captivity.

However, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, besides others, wrote about a unique method which was employed by ancient Egyptians to catch the crocodiles; they were apparently lured to the banks of the Nile by the sound of a pig being beaten, and subsequently captured.

However, the ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus, a contemporary of Strabo, thought Herodotus’ writing on crocodile hunting were limited in scope. Diodorus Siculus argues that Herodotus only explains crocodile baiting in very early times, and that the hunting methods used later on involved the use of either heavy nets or iron spears from boats.

The Nile crocodile is indigenous to the Nile river and has existed across the Nile valley from prehistoric times. It was very closely associated with Egypt, and in Roman times even acted as a symbol for the country.


TOPICS: History; Pets/Animals; Religion
KEYWORDS: ancientautopsies; archaeology; crocodiles; egypt; fauxiantroll; fauxiantrolls; godsgravesglyphs; professortwist
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1 posted on 07/15/2024 7:51:59 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Because they were heathens.


2 posted on 07/15/2024 7:54:57 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: nickcarraway

After a while, they got tired of alligators.


3 posted on 07/15/2024 7:55:24 PM PDT by Ezekiel (🆘️ "Come fly with US". 🔴 Ingenuity -- because the Son of David begins with MARS ♂️, aka every man)
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To: nickcarraway

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/mummified-crocodiles-0017824

Sacrifices to Sobek, the Crocodile-Headed God

In ancient Egypt, crocodiles were used in rituals dedicated to Sobek, the god of water, fertility and pharaonic power and influence. In addition to his role in helping Egypt’s pharaohs achieve and preserve political and military strength, Sobek was also said to protect the people from the dangers associated with the Nile.

These would have included rapid and massive flooding, exposure to waterborne diseases, and attacks by ferocious creatures including venomous snakes, hippopotami, and crocodiles - the same crocodiles that were used in rituals meant to appease the mighty Sobek, who was usually portrayed with a man’s body but a crocodile’s head.


4 posted on 07/15/2024 7:59:37 PM PDT by mairdie (Trump (I Will Win) - Pavarotti's Nessun Dormac https://youtu.be/MigUKGKr-nQ)
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To: nickcarraway

They deified bulls too. Serapeum of Saqqara - The Tomb of the Apis Bulls. Approximately 64 bulls, plus ritual objects are buried there.


5 posted on 07/15/2024 8:00:51 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: nickcarraway
Why Did The Ancient Egyptians Worship And Sacrifice Crocodiles?

Same reason they worshiped frogs. They were pagan.

6 posted on 07/15/2024 8:01:34 PM PDT by fso301
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To: nickcarraway

What else could they do about a dinosaur that would not go away, know matter how many they killed?


7 posted on 07/15/2024 8:08:18 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
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Hmmmmmm tastes like chicken...


8 posted on 07/15/2024 8:10:12 PM PDT by Clutch Martin ("The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right." )
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To: fso301

9 posted on 07/15/2024 8:10:41 PM PDT by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: fso301; nickcarraway

10 posted on 07/15/2024 8:11:27 PM PDT by rlmorel (In Today's Democrat America, The $5 Dollar Bill is the New $1 Dollar Bill.)
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To: nickcarraway

They also worshipped dung beetles and wore dungballs on their crowns ..it’s on the internet ...it’s not the sun... sun is round, dungballs are oval...now you know what their slaves called
Them and where that term s____head originated.


11 posted on 07/15/2024 8:27:54 PM PDT by bunkerhill7 (Don't shoot until you see the whites of their lies)
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To: nickcarraway; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...
Because they taste like chicken? Thanks nickcarraway.

12 posted on 07/15/2024 8:37:19 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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To: nickcarraway

Choot em!


13 posted on 07/15/2024 8:43:26 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: nickcarraway
Because the Reptilians built the pyramids, DUH!
14 posted on 07/15/2024 8:52:44 PM PDT by null and void (I identify as a conspiracy theorist. My personal pronouns are told/you/so.)
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To: nickcarraway

Happy to shoot, I mean sacrifice a croc


15 posted on 07/15/2024 10:53:25 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion (🦅 MAGADONIAN ⚔️ )
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To: nickcarraway

Ereptile Dysfunction?


16 posted on 07/15/2024 11:21:40 PM PDT by I Drive Too Fast
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To: nickcarraway

For the shoes.


17 posted on 07/16/2024 12:07:52 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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To: nickcarraway

Why? Might have to chew on that one.


18 posted on 07/16/2024 1:48:11 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: nickcarraway

They probably sacrifice the crock because they needed new boots!


19 posted on 07/16/2024 1:50:52 AM PDT by Herakles (Diversity is applied Marxism )
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To: nickcarraway
The most widely known among these crocodile lords was Suchus, who lived in the god’s temple in Crocodilopolis...

Really? Did the priests there mine "adamantium" too?

Adam Atom

20 posted on 07/16/2024 3:54:00 AM PDT by MikelTackNailer (Fortunately despite aging I've been spared the ravages of maturity.)
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