Sebennytos
Sebennytos or
Sebennytus (
Greek: ,
Ptol. iv. 5. § 50,
Steph. B. s. v. or ,
Strabo xvii. p. 802) or
Egyptian:
Tjebnutjer was an ancient city of
Lower Egypt, now known as
Samannud, located on the
Damietta (Sebennytic) branch of the
Nile in the
delta. Sebennytos was the
capital of
Lower Egypt's twelfth
nome (the
Sebennyte nome).
Sybennytos lies nearly due east of
Sais, in latitude 31° North. Sebennytos was anciently a place of some importance, and standing on a peninsula, between a lake (, now called
Burlos) and the Nile, was favourably seated for trade and intercourse with Lower Egypt and
Memphis. The neglect of the canals, however, and the elevation of the alluvial soil have nearly obliterated its site. (
Champollion,
l'Egypte, vol. ii. p. 191, seq.) Sebennytos is perhaps best known as the origin of
Manetho, an
historian and
chronicler from the
Ptolemaic era,
circa 3rd century BC.
A
temple dedicated to the (local) god
Onuris-Shu once existed at this location, although it is now reduced to ruins. The site is also known as part of the route of the
Holy Family during their time in Egypt.
*
Egypt*
Manetho*
River Nile*
Onuris-Shu# See
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/niledeltaruins4.htm.
