Sepermeru
Encyclopedia
Sepermeru was a town of ancient Egypt situated roughly midway between the city of Heracleopolis
to the north and Oxyrhynchus
to the south in what was considered the XIX Upper Egyptian nome
.
During the Ramesside Period of Pharaohs, Sepermeru enjoyed some prominence as both a largely populated religious, military, and administrative center for the XIX Nome, located near the Bahr Yusuf canal that connected the Nile
with the Fayyum region (cf. S. Katary, Land Tenure in the Ramesside Period, p. 215; O'Connor, Man, Settlement and Urbanism, pp.690-91). The meaning of the town's name ("near to the desert") signifies its status as a frontier community (cf. H. te Velde, Seth: God of Confusion, p. 118, n.2) and was thus a suitable cult center for the god Seth
.
According to Wilbour Papyrus (cf. Gardiner, Commentary, 28, pp.127-128), by Dynasty XIX there existed two land-owning temple
institutions within the main Seth-enclosure at Sepermeru. The larger of these two institutions was the "House of Seth, Lord of Sepermeru," and the smaller a temple dedicated to his consort, Nephthys
, and called the "House of Nephthys of Ramesses-Meriamun." It is not known how long the temple of Seth had been established in Sepermeru before Dynasty XIX, but it is evident that the temple of Nephthys was a specific foundation (or refurbishment) of Ramesses II
, which dates this particular institution to that Pharaoh's reign (1279-1213 BCE).
Both temples (and their respective land-holdings) were apparently under separate administration; the Prophet Huy administered the House of Seth in Dynasty XIX and XX. Yet, as Katary notes, "What cannot be established from the evidence of P. Wilbour is the authority of any particular prophet of the House of Seth over the House of Nephthys," and: "Although Huy may have been the chief administrator of the House of Nephthys as well as his own temple, he was most certainly not in charge of the administration of the...fields of the House of Nephthys, such fields being the responsibility of two prophets of Nephthys, Merybarse...and Penpmer." (Katary, Land Tenure in the Ramesside Period, pp.219-220).
There were at least two more subsidiary shrines in Sepermeru in Dynasties XIX and XX: a sanctuary called the "House of Seth, Powerful-is-His-Mighty-Arm," and a cult-place called "The Sunshade of Re-Horakhte" (P. Wilbour, A45,11 and S29 and 169). Like the Nephthys temple, these smaller shrines were considered affiliations or dependencies "within the House" (or primary temple enclosure) of Seth, who was supreme "Lord" of the town.
Sepermeru is perhaps of most interest to modern Egyptologists because of its status as one of the chief ancient Egyptian cult centers of Seth, along with the cities of Ombos , Nagada
, and Avaris
. It is thought that the cult of Seth waned considerably after Dynasty XX, due to the increasing "demonization" of this deity and his association with territories and priorities increasingly considered foreign to the general interests of Egypt. Religious and administrative prominence in Nome XIX was duly shifted south to Oxyrhynchus after this time (cf. te Velde, Seth: God of Confusion, p.139). We know, however, that Seth continued to be the object of veneration in cult centers on the outskirts of Egypt well into Roman times, especially at Dakhlah Oasis , Kellis
, Mut
, Kharga, and Deir el- Haggar (cf. te velde, van Dijk, Essays, p.236). It may be that Seth's cult survived in some form at Sepermeru, long after Sepermeru's decline as a religious center. Indeed, a late inscription in the Ptolemaic temple of Horus at Edfu makes reference to "Seth of Sepermeru," albeit with an insulting caveat that the god's canals in this district had become "dried-up and useless" (cf. P. Wilson, A Ptolemaic Lexikon, p. 827).
The foundations of both the Seth and Nephthys temples at Sepermeru were excavated and identified in the 1980s (cf. R. Lachaud, Les Deesses, p.51). Therefore, the site is also of some interest for boasting remnants of the only surviving temple of Nephthys, along with her temple at Komir, near the ancient site of Esna
.
Herakleopolis Magna
Heracleopolis or Herakleopolis Magna is the Greek name of the capital of the Twentieth nome of ancient Egypt. It was called Henen-nesut, Nen-nesu, or Hwt-nen-nesu in ancient Egyptian, meaning 'house of the royal child.' Later, it was called Hnas in Coptic, and Ahnas in medieval Arabic writings...
to the north and Oxyrhynchus
Oxyrhynchus
Oxyrhynchus is a city in Upper Egypt, located about 160 km south-southwest of Cairo, in the governorate of Al Minya. It is also an archaeological site, considered one of the most important ever discovered...
to the south in what was considered the XIX Upper Egyptian nome
Nome (Egypt)
A nome was a subnational administrative division of ancient Egypt. Today's use of the Greek nome rather than the Egyptian term sepat came about during the Ptolemaic period. Fascinated with Egypt, Greeks created many historical records about the country...
.
During the Ramesside Period of Pharaohs, Sepermeru enjoyed some prominence as both a largely populated religious, military, and administrative center for the XIX Nome, located near the Bahr Yusuf canal that connected the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
with the Fayyum region (cf. S. Katary, Land Tenure in the Ramesside Period, p. 215; O'Connor, Man, Settlement and Urbanism, pp.690-91). The meaning of the town's name ("near to the desert") signifies its status as a frontier community (cf. H. te Velde, Seth: God of Confusion, p. 118, n.2) and was thus a suitable cult center for the god Seth
Seth
Seth , in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is the third listed son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, who are the only other of their children mentioned by name...
.
According to Wilbour Papyrus (cf. Gardiner, Commentary, 28, pp.127-128), by Dynasty XIX there existed two land-owning temple
Egyptian temple
Egyptian temples were built for the official worship of the gods and commemoration of pharaohs in Ancient Egypt and in regions under Egyptian control. These temples were seen as houses for the gods or kings to whom they were dedicated...
institutions within the main Seth-enclosure at Sepermeru. The larger of these two institutions was the "House of Seth, Lord of Sepermeru," and the smaller a temple dedicated to his consort, Nephthys
Nephthys
In Egyptian mythology, Nephthys is a member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis, a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paired with her sister Isis in funerary rites because of their role as protectors of the mummy and the god Osiris and as the sister-wife of Seth.Nephthys is regarded as...
, and called the "House of Nephthys of Ramesses-Meriamun." It is not known how long the temple of Seth had been established in Sepermeru before Dynasty XIX, but it is evident that the temple of Nephthys was a specific foundation (or refurbishment) of Ramesses II
Ramesses II
Ramesses II , referred to as Ramesses the Great, was the third Egyptian pharaoh of the Nineteenth dynasty. He is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire...
, which dates this particular institution to that Pharaoh's reign (1279-1213 BCE).
Both temples (and their respective land-holdings) were apparently under separate administration; the Prophet Huy administered the House of Seth in Dynasty XIX and XX. Yet, as Katary notes, "What cannot be established from the evidence of P. Wilbour is the authority of any particular prophet of the House of Seth over the House of Nephthys," and: "Although Huy may have been the chief administrator of the House of Nephthys as well as his own temple, he was most certainly not in charge of the administration of the...fields of the House of Nephthys, such fields being the responsibility of two prophets of Nephthys, Merybarse...and Penpmer." (Katary, Land Tenure in the Ramesside Period, pp.219-220).
There were at least two more subsidiary shrines in Sepermeru in Dynasties XIX and XX: a sanctuary called the "House of Seth, Powerful-is-His-Mighty-Arm," and a cult-place called "The Sunshade of Re-Horakhte" (P. Wilbour, A45,11 and S29 and 169). Like the Nephthys temple, these smaller shrines were considered affiliations or dependencies "within the House" (or primary temple enclosure) of Seth, who was supreme "Lord" of the town.
Sepermeru is perhaps of most interest to modern Egyptologists because of its status as one of the chief ancient Egyptian cult centers of Seth, along with the cities of Ombos , Nagada
Nagada
Nagada is the name of a town in ancient Egypt. It existed before and during the time of unification of Egypt into one nation, the so-called Protodynastic Period of Egypt. The process of unification apparently started from Nagada....
, and Avaris
Avaris
Avaris , capital of Egypt under the Hyksos , was located near modern Tell el-Dab'a in the northeastern region of the Nile Delta, at the juncture of the 8th, 14th, 19th and 20th Nomes...
. It is thought that the cult of Seth waned considerably after Dynasty XX, due to the increasing "demonization" of this deity and his association with territories and priorities increasingly considered foreign to the general interests of Egypt. Religious and administrative prominence in Nome XIX was duly shifted south to Oxyrhynchus after this time (cf. te Velde, Seth: God of Confusion, p.139). We know, however, that Seth continued to be the object of veneration in cult centers on the outskirts of Egypt well into Roman times, especially at Dakhlah Oasis , Kellis
Kellis
Ancient Kellis, now known as Ismant el-Kharab , was a village in Upper Egypt during the Roman Period. It was located about east-southeast of present day Ismant in the Dakhleh Oasis, and about northeast of Mut , which is the capital of the oasis...
, Mut
Mut
Mut, which meant mother in the ancient Egyptian language, was an ancient Egyptian mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture. Alternative spellings are Maut and Mout. She was considered a primal deity, associated with the waters from which...
, Kharga, and Deir el- Haggar (cf. te velde, van Dijk, Essays, p.236). It may be that Seth's cult survived in some form at Sepermeru, long after Sepermeru's decline as a religious center. Indeed, a late inscription in the Ptolemaic temple of Horus at Edfu makes reference to "Seth of Sepermeru," albeit with an insulting caveat that the god's canals in this district had become "dried-up and useless" (cf. P. Wilson, A Ptolemaic Lexikon, p. 827).
The foundations of both the Seth and Nephthys temples at Sepermeru were excavated and identified in the 1980s (cf. R. Lachaud, Les Deesses, p.51). Therefore, the site is also of some interest for boasting remnants of the only surviving temple of Nephthys, along with her temple at Komir, near the ancient site of Esna
Esna
Esna , known to the ancient Egyptians as Egyptian: Iunyt or Ta-senet; Greek: or or ; Latin: Lato, is a city in Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the River Nile, some 55 km south of Luxor...
.