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Unknown (Egyptian)
Amulet of Sebek
date unknown
faience
1 7/8 x 3/8 x 1/2 in. (4.8 x 1 x 1.2 cm)
Gift of Horace Mayer
59.21.13.A
 
bACKGROUND INFORMATION

Amulet of Sebek (Sobk/ Sobek)

Amulets were personal adornments worn by the living and placed on mummy wrappings to provide protection and aid on the journey from death to the afterlife. The color, shape, and other qualities of the materials were believed to endow the amulet and its wearer with special powers and protections. Amulets of crocodiles were worn to ward off evil. Crocodiles were a great fear for those who traveled on or lived near the Nile River. Those who were eaten by crocodiles were said to forfeit an Afterlife. Crocodiles posed danger even after death; the Book of the Dead devotes chapters to repelling a crocodile that aims to steal the magical power of the deceased. The crocodile also symbolized rebirth; it was said to sink into the waters of the primordial ocean and then re-emerge like the sun.

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