three sanctuaries. There were painted reliefs within the
temple.
desert Called the Red Lands, or Deshret, by the Egyp-
tians, these were the arid regions surrounding the narrow
fertile strip of rich black soil along the Nile. The Egyptians
called the fertile region Khem or Khemet, the Black Land,
a name which also designated the nation as a whole. The
desert or Deshret served as a natural barrier for Egypt in
the early historic periods, failing only in the late Middle
Kingdom (2040–1640 B.C.E.), when the eastern borders
were overcome and the Asiatics, or HYKSOS, entered the
Nile Valley. The desert is very much visible in the land
today, especially in THEBES, where the red cliffs stand as
spectacular guardians on the western shore of the Nile, a
stark contrast to the lush green and black fields below.
The deserts of Egypt have always been viewed as
dangerous places of death and normally served as necrop-
olis sites. The Eastern Desert is formed by the Red Sea
hills and in the north is an extension of the SINAI. The
Western, or LIBYAN,DESERTcovers two-thirds of Egypt
and was believed to contain the entrance to TUAT, or the
Underworld. The area contains the oldest human settle-
ment in Egypt and documents the use of domestic ani-
mals as early as c. 9000 B.C.E. This desert has plateaus,
sandy depressions, and fertile oases.
Deshasha A territory of ancient Egypt that served as a
necropolis for the southeastern part of the FAIYUM. The
tombs discovered there date to the Old Kingdom
(2575–2134 B.C.E.) and provide documentation of that
period of Egyptian history. Some 100 tombs were fash-
ioned on the site of Deshasha, which is located on the
west bank of the Nile.
deshret See CROWNS.
Deshret See DESERT.
Diadoche A council that served as the successor of
ALEXANDER [III[THE GREAT (r. 332–323 B.C.E.), lasting
until the battle of IPSUSin 301 B.C.E. The original mem-
bership of this council included Antipater, Craterus,
Eumenes of Cardia, and PERDICCAS, who died soon after
Alexander. The remaining members were PTOLEMY I
SOTER(304–284 B.C.E.), ANTIGONUS I MONOPHTHALMUS,
Cassander, LYSIMACHUS, and SELEUCUS I Nicator. All
became rivals for power in the division of Alexander’s
empire.
Didymus(fl. 1st century B.C.E.)Alexandrian scholar of
the Ptolemaic Period (304–30 B.C.E.)
Called Chalcenterus, “Brazen Guts,” he was the author of
4,000 works. Didymus preserved the work of Homer and
Aristarchus of Samothrace among others. He was also
known for dramatic texts and lyric poetry. He was called
a true Scholia (scholastic treasure) at the LIBRARY OF
ALEXANDRIA.Dimeh el-Siba Anisland site in the FAIYUM, near the
modern village of Shakhshouk, called Soknopaiou-Mesos,
the Island of Soknapaiou, the area was dedicated to the
deity SOKNOKNONNEUS, a form of SOBEK. The temple of
the deity, also dedicated to ISIS, contains reliefs of
PTOLEMY II PHILADELPHUS(r. 285–246 B.C.E.). Made of
limestone with high walls, the site also served as a gar-
risoned caravan station.
See also BACCHIAS.Diodorus Siculus(fl. first century B.C.E.)One of the
foremost historians of Greece, who visited Egypt c. 60–59
B.C.E.
He wrote the Bibliotheca Historica,a history of the world
from the beginning to the time of Julius CAESAR. The his-
tory was contained in 40 volumes and included compila-
tions of lost authors. Egyptian historywas the basis of
part of the work, and continual events as well as accounts
of the Nile myths and mummification processes were
detailed.Dionyseas (Qasr Qarun) A site on the western shore
of Lake QARUN, dating to the Ptolemaic Period (304–30
B.C.E.) and earlier. APtolemaic temple to SOBEKis located
there. This temple has secret chambers once used for ora-
cle ceremonies and a sun chapel positioned on the roof.
The temple was actually a maze of corridors and cham-
bers related to cultic rites.Dionysius (Plenis) (fl. second century B.C.E.)Priest of
Achoris
He was a priest of the IBIScult in HERMOPOLISand was
skilled in demotic Egyptian and in Greek. Dionysius
entered the Egyptian military and earned tenancy on
royal lands. He became a priest while pursuing a career as
a farmer. In time, Dionysius was an economic force in the
area, amassing land, crops, and farm animals.Diospolis Parva (Hiw, Hut-sekhem) Asite south
of ABYDOS, called Hiw or Hut-sekhem in the Middle
Kingdom (2040–1640 B.C.E.), it was originally an estate
of SENWOSRETI(r. 1971–1926 B.C.E.) and was called
“Kheperkaré the Justified is Mighty,” and “the Mansion
of the SISTRUM.” A temple on the site during this period
is now gone, probably dating to a refurbished form
of the Ptolemaic Period (304–30 B.C.E.) as well. A
necropolis area is part of Diospolis Parva, containing
human and sacred animal burials from the Greco-
Roman Periods.100 desert