Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt

358 Sebennytos

ended with the ruler and his retinue sailing on the Nile or
on one of the SACRED LAKESof a temple.
See also HEB-SED.

Sebennytos (Tjebnutjer, Samannub) It was a site
on the left bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile, called
Tjebnutjer by the Egyptians and now modern Samannub.
MANETHO, the Ptolemaic Period historian, was a native of
Sebennytos. A temple of a local deity was discovered on
the site, and blocks bearing the name of NECTANEBO II(r.
360–343 B.C.E.) and Ptolemaic rulers were discovered
there.
An ALTARfrom the reign of AMENEMHET I(1991–1962
B.C.E.) and an Old Kingdom (2575–2134 B.C.E.) FALSE
DOOR were found on the site. A shrine dating to
NEPHRITES I(r. 399–393 B.C.E.), a statue from the reign of
PSAMMETICHUS I(664–610 B.C.E.), and a sculptured piece
from NECTANEBO I(r. 380–362 B.C.E.) were recovered as
well.

SebniSee SABNT.

Sebu’a, el- A site at the Wadi es-Sebu’a, in NUBIA(mod-
ern Sudan), where RAMESSES II(r. 1290–1224 B.C.E.) built
a temple dedicated to the gods AMUNand RÉ-Harakhte,
this temple was noted for its SPHINX-lined entrance and
colossal figures of the pharaoh. Six human-headed
sphinxes formed the decoration for the second court,
where four hawk-headed sphinxes were positioned.
Another PYLONopened to a third court. Storage rooms
were built on an underground level for this temple.

sed(heb-sed) This was an ancient Egyptian FESTIVAL
dating to predynastic times (before 3,000 B.C.E.) and
remaining popular throughout Egypt’s history. Also called
the HEB-SEDin some eras, this festival was a symbolic
recreation of the ruler’s physical and magical powers. It
was usually celebrated in the 30th year of the ruler’s reign
and every three years to 10 years thereafter. Details of the
sedare obscure because the FESTIVALchanged over the
centuries. The hieroglyph for sedis an image of an open-
sided pavilion with a column and two thrones.
It is believed that the sedfestival became a substitute
for the traditional and archaic custom of slaying the
pharaoh, sparing his life, and allowing him a ceremonial
foretaste of his rule in the afterlife. During the ceremony
the pharaoh visited the shrines of the various gods,
dressed in a short garment that completely enveloped his
torso and arms. The ruler performed the rite of “going
around the wall,” danced, and jumped in order to
demonstrate his rejuvenation.
The festival also included ritual battles between the
FOLLOWERS OF HORUSand theFOLLOWERS OF SETand the
herding of oxen and cattle around the royal residence. At

the close of the ceremony, the ruler was attired in jubilee

clothing and distributed honors and gifts to higher-

ranked subjects. The sedceremony ended at a temple

lake, where the ruler mounted a barge. The festival lasted

two or more months in some eras, uniting the Egyptians

to the gods. Some pharaohs lived long enough to cele-

brate more than one festival, and others anticipated their

30 years of reign, celebrating one or more sedfestivals

without actually achieving the proper number of years of

rule.

sedge A particular hieroglyphic symbol of the plant,

serving as the insignia of Upper Egypt and joined with

the BEEsymbol of the Delta in Lower Egypt to reflect a

united land. The Two Kingdoms of Egypt were thus por-

trayed by the sedge and the bee and were used separately

or in a combined form. The sedge became part of the

royal names of the pharaohs in time.

Sefer-t A mythological creature associated with the

PYRAMID TEXTSand the MORTUARY RITUALSof the Fifth

Dynasty (2465–2323 B.C.E.), the Sefer-t was a winged lion

with magical powers. The Pyramid Texts depict the crea-

ture as a friend of Unis (r. 2356–2323 B.C.E.) in the after-

life.

See also CANNIBAL HYMN.

Sefkhet-Abut See SESHAT.

Segerseni(fl. 20th century B.C.E.) Rebel from Nubia

(modern Sudan) who opposed the Twelfth Dynasty

He opposed AMENEMHET I(r. 1991–1962 B.C.E.) when he

founded that royal line upon the death of MONTUHOTEP

IV. Segerseni wanted to stop Amenemhet I and fought

repeated, intense campaigns before he was defeated.

Later, Segerseni’s allies fought the armies of Egypt on ELE-

PHANTINEIsland before being routed.

Sehel Island A site between the first and second

cataracts of the Nile, south of ASWAN, ancient fortifica-

tions, a canal, and inscriptions were discovered there.

The canal dates to the Middle Kingdom (2040–1640

B.C.E.) or perhaps earlier, and TUTHMOSIS I(r. 1504–1492

B.C.E.) cleared the waterway for his Nubian campaigns.

The FAMINE STELA, erected on Sehel Island in the Ptole-

maic Period (304–30 B.C.E.), commemorates a visit by

DJOSER(r. 2630–2611 B.C.E.) to the shrine of KHNUM.

Sehetepibré (Sehetepibré-ankh)(fl. 19th century

B.C.E.)Financial official and esteemed sage of the Twelfth

Dynasty

He served SENWOSRET III(r. 1878–1841 B.C.E.) and AMEN-

EMHET III (r. 1844–1797 B.C.E.) as a court treasurer.

Sehetepibré is famous for his Loyalist Instruction, in