Mythology: As told in the Book of the Dead, Horus the Elder enlisted the help of Sobek to kill his uncle Seth. Sobek helped Horus on another occasion when he rescued Horus’ four sons from the waters of Nun. The Ancient Egyptians, who lived in cities that depended on water, worshipped him to placate the crocodiles. For instance, the people of Crocodilopolis (Arsinoe) would husband crocodiles in pools and adorn them with jewels. The importance of crocodiles to ancient Egyptian culture is demonstrated by the numerous mummified crocs that have been found in tombs.

Patron of: The strength of the pharaoh

Cult Center: Crocodilopolis the Faiyum Oasis region in Lower Egypt , after the Twelfth Dynasty he was worshipped everywhere with cult centers at Kom-Ombo in Upper Egypt , Wast and at Lake Moeris.

Attributes: Admired and feared for his ferocity. At the command of Ra, He performed tasks such as catching with a net the four sons of Horus as they emerged from the waters in a lotus bloom. Sometimes identified with Seth when Seth took the form of a crocodile. It is said that in the Osiris legends, Horus takes the form of a crocodile in order to retrieve the parts of Osiris's body that were cast into the Nile by Seth.

Description:Sobek was a sort of bodyguard to various gods, especially Ra and Set (in his original form), and was seen as having a similar function for the pharaoh. In times of need, he gives the pharaoh strength and fortitude so that he may overcome all obstacles. He also protects the pharaoh from all harm, especially evil magic.

Representation: A crocodile, a mummified crocodile or as a man with a crocodile-head. Sometimes wearing horns like those of Amun-Ra, the solar disk and the atef crown on his head.

Relations: Son of Neith of Sais, Consort Hathor, and father of Khnous

Other Names:Sobek, Sebek, Sebek-Ra, Sobk, Suchos, Sobki or Soknopais.

Titles:He who causes to be fertile, Lord of Faiyum, Watching Over You,

Role: God of all forms of water (rivers, marshes, canals, and lakes)

Sacred Animal:Crocodile

Sobek, God of the water sometimes called 'crocodile god', symbolic of pharaonic might. It was believed that on the day of creation Sobek came from the 'Dark Waters' in order to arrange the world. He can also be completely crocodile in shape with a crown of plumes and can snatch and destroy, this considered a show of royal power. The river banks and swamps and other haunts of the crocodile became employed in the titles of Sobek. Ancient Egyptians travelled the Nile for trade, fished in it, and used its waters to irrigate their fields. The crocodiles who lived in the water were a constant presence and danger.

Possessing the strength and nature of a crocodile, which Egyptians would both fear and respect, he was a symbol of the Pharaoh's power.

The Nile, which was full of crocodiles, was important to the livelihood of the Egyptians. It therefore made good sense to have a god which could appease these ferocious beasts.

Sobek had a dark streak that stayed with him for the time he was worshiped. In The Book of the Dead, he was showed as four crocodiles who were believed to attack the deceased in the underworld. This dark side sometimes put him in the camp of Set. In one version of the tale of Osiris, Isis had to place Horus into a little boat of papyrus reeds to protect him from a menacing Sobek. His form of a crocodile - one of Set's creatures - linked him closely to the enemy of Horus. It was believed that Set turned himself into a crocodile to escape from Horus, and Sobek was punished for allowing this.

Sobek, as with many of the other protective gods, also had a benign side. In a different version of the tale of Osiris, it was Sobek who carried the dead body of Osiris to the bank of the Nile on his back. The four mummiform sons of Horus - Imsety, human headed protector of the liver, Hapy, baboon headed protector of the lungs, Duamutef, jackal headed protector of the stomach and Qebehsenuef, falcon headed protector of the intestines - were believed to have come out of a water lily that rose from the waters of Nun. Under the orders of Ra, the four gods were rescued by Sobek in a net, and brought them to land.

The Book of the Dead suggests that Sobek's closeness to Horus can be traced back to his participation in the birth of this god. Sobek was responsible for calling Isis and Nephthys to aid in the protection of the dead.

Despite the different attitudes of people to the god, he was venerated as one who restored sight to the dead, who revived their senses and who protected them from Set who attacked those souls who traveled through the land of the dead.

During the Middle Kingdom, Sobek was linked to the god Amen, who seemed to have assimilated him to some degree. He was also connected to the sun god Ra, giving the form Sobek-Ra, who was worshipped as another omnipotent manifestation of the sun deity. Thus Sobek could be shown wearing either the headdress of Amen or the sun disk of Ra.