Sebennytos

Sebennytos or Sebennytus (Greek: Σεβέννυτος, Ptol. iv. 5. § 50, Steph. B. s. v. or ἡ Σεβεννυτικὴ πόλις, Strabo xvii. p. 802) or Egyptian: Tjebnutjer (𓎀𓃀𓃘𓊹𓊖) Arabic: سمنود Samannud) was an ancient city of Lower Egypt, located on the Damietta (Sebennytic) branch of the Nile in the delta. Sebennytos was the capital of Lower Egypt's twelfth nome (the Sebennyte nome).

Sybennytos lies nearly due east of Sais, in latitude 31° north. Sebennytos was anciently a place of some importance, and standing on a peninsula, between a lake (λίμνη Σεβεννυτική, now called Burlos) and the Nile, was favourably seated for trade and intercourse with Lower Egypt and Memphis. The neglect of the canals, however, and the elevation of the alluvial soil have nearly obliterated its site. (Champollion, l'Egypte, vol. ii. p. 191, seq.).

Sebennytos is perhaps best known as the hometown of Manetho, a historian and chronicler from the Ptolemaic era, c. 3rd century BC. Sebennytos was also the hometown of Nectanebo II, Egypt's last native ruler.^[1]

A temple dedicated to the local god Onuris, or Onuris-Shu, once existed at this location but is now reduced to ruins. The site is also known as part of the route of the Holy Family during their time in Egypt.

References

See also

• Nile Delta
• Manetho

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "^{article name needed}". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray. 

Coordinates: 30°58′N 31°15′E / 30.967°N 31.250°E / 30.967; 31.250