Known to the Ancient Egyptians as Abu or Yebu, the island of Elephantine stands at the border between Egypt
and Nubia. It was an excellent defensive site for a city and its location made it a natural cargo transfer point
for river trade. This border is near the Tropic of Cancer, the most northerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon and from which it appears to reverse direction or "turn back" at the solstices.
Elephantine was a fort that stood just before the first cataract of the Nile. During the Second Intermediate Period (1650 - 1550 BCE), the fort marked the southern border of Egypt.
According to Egyptian mythology, here was the dwelling place of Khnum, the ram-headed god of the cataracts, who guarded and controlled the waters of the Nile from caves beneath the island. He was worshipped here as
part of a late triad among the Egyptian pantheon of deities.
The Elephantine Triad included Satis and Anuket. Satis was worshipped from very early times as a war goddess
and protector of this strategic region of Egypt. When seen as a fertility goddess, she personified the bountiful annual flooding of the Nile, which was identified as her daughter, Anuket.
The cult of Satis originated in the ancient city of Swenet. Later, when the triad was formed, Chnum became identified as her consort and, thereby, was thought of as the father of Anuket. His role in myths changed later
and another deity was assigned his duties with the river. At that time his role as a potter enabled him to be assigned a duty in the creation of human bodies.
