Sobek
/ˈsoʊ.bɛk/noun
An ancient Egyptian crocodile god associated with the Nile, fertility, royal power, and protection.
Did you know?Sobek was believed to embody the living force of the Nile, and real crocodiles were sometimes mummified and kept as sacred animals in his temples.
Etymological Timeline
Old Kingdom, c. 2600–2180 BCE
Egyptian
sbk
“The name of the crocodile deity, written without vowels in Egyptian hieroglyphic writing.”
Middle Kingdom, c. 2055–1650 BCE
Egyptian
Sobek
“A major god associated with crocodiles, the Nile’s fertility, physical potency, and kingship.”
Ptolemaic Period, 305–30 BCE
Greek
Σοῦχος (Souchos)
“Greek rendering of the Egyptian crocodile god’s name.”
Roman Period, 30 BCE–4th century CE
Latin
Suchus
“Latin form of the Greek name for Sobek, also used in descriptions of the crocodile deity.”
Modern English
English
Sobek
“The conventional scholarly English form of the ancient Egyptian god’s name.”