El Hiba

El- Hibe (Arabic الحيبة, DMG al - Hiba ) is the modern name of an ancient city in the 18th nome of Upper Egypt on the east bank of the Nile approximately 32 kilometers south of Beni Suef.

Naming

The original name of the city was Dehenet Weret, " Big Rock ". The occupied since the 22nd dynasty name Teudjoi ( Teuzoi ) "Your walls" probably goes back to a built in Dynasty 21 enclosure. In Greco- Roman times the city was called Ἀγκυρῶν Πόλις Ankyronpolis.

The temple

The local god of el- Hibe was the ram-headed Amun, Lord of the great rock. Under Sheshonk I. and Osorkon I. a temple to Amun at el- Hibe was built from the ruins still remain. The 36 x 18 meter tall building is the earliest example of a temple with a real pronaos with open front. In addition, the blocks of a temple to the local god Horus were discovered south of el- Hibe, which had been built by Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II. However, the exact location of the temple is not known.

History

The foundation of the city dates back to at least the New Kingdom. During the 3rd meantime, the city marked the northern limit of the Thebaid under the rule of High Priest of Amun. As a border town el- Hibe was therefore fixed during the 21st dynasty. Some mud bricks bear the stamp of the High Priest of Amun of Thebes, and I Pinudjem Menkheperre. In Greco- Roman times el- Hibe won as a fortress in importance again.

The town of el- Hibe included a large necropolis, which is known for discovery of numerous hieratic, demotic and Greek papyri.

History of Research

1901-1902 undertook Ahmed Bey Kamal is a first investigation of el- Hibe after numerous papyri were acquired on the art market in previous years. 1902-1903 Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt dug in the necropolis of el- Hibe and found more papyri. 1907 discovered Tadeusz Smolensky south of el- Hibe re-used blocks of a temple to the local god Horus. 1911 Hermann Junker and Wilhelm Pelizaeus dug a grave, which was filled with numerous coffins, some of which came in the Roemer - und Pelizaeus - Museum Hildesheim. 1913-1914 grub Hermann Ranke from the temple as well as Greco-Roman houses. An Italian Mission under Enrico Paribeni dug from 1934-1935 more houses and graves. Finally in 1980 undertook an American mission under Robert Wenke excavations at el- Hibe.

Since 2011, the reference to the looting is exposed, serving the illegal antiquities market especially. This mummies and body parts were scattered on the ground.