Sacrificing a Lamb in Egypt
When a Temple of Yahu Stood Near a Temple of Khnum
Published: April 18, 2016
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Last Updated: September 7, 2026
Herodotus then adds the following (2:42):
On one day however in the year, on the feast of Zeus (=Amun), they cut up in the same manner and flay one single ram and cover with its skin the image of Zeus (=Amun), and then they bring up to it another image of Heracles (=Khonsu). This done, all who are in the temple beat themselves in lamentation for the ram, and then they bury it in a sacred tomb.
This ritual finds no support in Egyptian documents.
Tacitus, History 5.1.4
Cf. for the following esp. Bezalel Porten, Archives from Elephantine. The Life of an Ancient Jewish Military Colony (Berkeley and Los Angeles: U of California P, 1968).
TAD A4.9 und A4.10; HTAT Nr. 286 and 287 in: Porten, B. / Yardeni, A., Textbook of Aramaic Documents from Ancient Egypt 1-4 (TAD); Newly copied, edited and translated into Hebrew and English, (Jerusalem 1986-1999). It is not certain if this was the cause of the conflict on Elephantine; Porten advocates this interpretation, and it is most plausible.
Prof. Jan Assmann, z”l, was a Professor of Egyptology at the University of Heidelberg and is now Honorary Professor of Cultural and Religious Studies at Constance. He received his Ph.D and Dr.habil from Heidelberg, as well as honorary
Dr. Rabbi Zev Farber is the Senior Editor of TheTorah.com at the Academic Torah Institute. He holds a Ph.D. from Emory University in Jewish Religious Cultures and Hebrew Bible, an M.A. from Hebrew University in Jewish History (biblical
