Idfa Explained

Other Name:Arabic: إدفا
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Egypt
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Egypt
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Egypt
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Sohag
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Timezone:EST
Utc Offset:+2
Coordinates:26.5725°N 31.6389°W

Idfa (Arabic: إدفا) is a village in Sohag Governorate in Upper Egypt located from the nearby city of Sohag. In antiquity, it was known by the ancient Egyptians as Iteb, then it was named by the Greeks as Itos (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἰτος).

Location

The Greek spelling Itos, which was derived from the Egyptian Iteb and formed the root of the Arabic name Idfa, was found on several ostracas found in today's Idfa. In addition, a poultry farmer is named "Horo(n)mephis" on two of these ostracas, which represents the Greek form of Horus Iunmutef.[1] An inscription on the outer wall of the temple of Edfu indicates that Iteb was a cult place of the aforementioned Horus Iunmutef. On the south wall of the Pronaos, Horus Iunmutef can be seen in this context as "the cleaner of the great house of Horus from Iteb, who is in his barge" at the head of the convoy of Horus.From the representations on the north wall of the Mammisi of temple of Dendera, further references to the place Chemmis (modern Akhmim) have been obtained, which allowed an assignment of Iteb in the immediate vicinity to Chemmis. In addition, Osiris bears the title "Lord of Iteb".[2]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Itos (Edfa) . Trismegistos.
  2. Book: Kurth . Dieter . Die Inschriften des Tempels von Edfu. Abteilung I Übersetzung. Vol. 2: Edfou VII. . 2004 . . . 9783447050166.