- Elephantine Island is located in the river Nile opposite Aswan, Egypt.
- The Ruins of several Temples, two Nilometers and the Aswan Museum are on the island. The Aswan Museum holds a collection of artefacts found on the island.
History
- It was located near the First Cataract of the Nile, and with Philae Island, were the first to record the Annual Rise of the Nile.
- Along with Philae Island just upstream, it formed the Frontier with the Kingdom of Nubia to the south.
Ancient Egyptian Sites
- Temple of Satet
- As early as 3,000 BCE, there was a Temple of Satet.
- The Ruins are still standing, along with the small Temple of Heqaib and a Step Pyramid.
- Temple of Thutmose III
- However, very little is left of the Temple of Thutmose III, the Temple of Amenhotep III and the Temple of Khnum as they were all dismantled.
- Nilometer
- Near the Temple of Satis is a corridor Nilometer with a flight of 99 stone stairs leading down to the Nile with the heights marked off along the stair wall in Hieroglyphs, Roman Numerals and in Arabic.
- Nilometer
- Another Nilometer exists at the southern end of the island near the Temple of Khnum.
- This is a Basin that fills.
Museums
- Aswan Museum
- The museum is located on Elephantine Island and holds artefacts found from excavations all over the island.
The Ancient Egyptian Fort
- The Ancient Egyptians maintained a Garrison at Elephantine, as this marked the southern Border of Egypt.
- According to the Elephantine Papyri, this was manned by a contingent of Jewish Mercenaries during the period of the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE). They built their own Temple of Yahweh.
The Ivory Trade
- The Island was also used as a warehouse for Ivory that came down the Nile from Africa.
- The name Elephantine Island is possibly derived from the storage of elephant tusks here.
Navigation on the Nile
- Elephantine Island was the limit of navigation on the Nile. After this, vessels could not pass the Cataracts of the Nile.
- According to Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE), the Kushites managed to reach Elephantine Island, using collapsible boats, which they carried on their backs to pass the Cataracts.
Nilometer
- The Nilometer indicated the height of the Nile and measured the annual rise and fall of the Nile.
- Records were kept from the time of the Pharaohs, enabling the Egyptian priests to announce the date of the first Nile Flood and the date of its maximum height.
- Other Nilometers on the Nile:
- One near Cairo
- Another at Alexandria
- Several located in various Temples along the banks of the Nile:
- One at the Temple of Philae, at Philae Island.
- One at the Temple of Kom Ombo, which had a Nilometer that consisted of a channel that led to a deep cylindrical well inside the Temple building.
Temple of Satet, Elephantine Island