Symbol of both good and evil .. How did the ancient Egyptians view the crocodile?

A recent study revealed that the ancient Egyptians were able to mummify animals, whether cats or monkeys, as well as crocodiles, as experts believe that this was among the rituals used by the ancient Egyptians to appease the idol "Sobek" associated with the Nile crocodiles and was "depicted either in the form of a crocodile or a person with a crocodile head."

The crocodile was associated with the Egyptians since ancient Pharaonic times, so it was a symbol of both good and evil, as it appeared in a contradictory way to the ancient Egyptians, between sanctification, hatred and profanation, as it was a symbol of the god Sobek, who in the era represented the "key to life" the symbol of life, but he was also a symbol of Satan when others.

According to the book "The Crocodile in Coptic Art" by Pauline Todry, the crocodiles appeared in a contradictory way in the ancient Egyptian literature, as it appeared that the crocodile was worshiped in the name of the god "Sobek", especially in Kom Ombo and Fayoum, although the mummies of the mummified crocodiles that appeared, reveal the cult Crocodile in all parts of Egypt, and also we find that it can be hunted and chased.

This is in agreement with what was stated in his book “Upper Egyptian Territories” authored by Dr. Muhammad Ali, who mentioned that the crocodile was the local deity of “Kom Ombo,” and it is the deity “Sobak”, the symbol of fertility, development and strength, which they symbolized as a crocodile.

Returning to the book “Crocodiles in Coptic Art,” we also find that crocodiles used to express the good god “Osiris”, but at the same time he was expressing his evil brother “Sit,” and he could also represent the god “Ra.” The book explained that at the time it appears In it the ancient Egyptians their desire to turn into crocodiles after death, we find that the crocodile that represents Satan devours or annihilates the souls of the dead who did not lead a pure or virtuous life, and therefore they need an amulet or amulet that protects them from crocodiles in the afterlife (and this amulet is in the form of Small crocodile statues).

This is also consistent with a study published in the magazine "Popular Arts" in numbers (54-57) in 1997, which confirmed that the crocodile was part of the popular belief in the broadest way.