Talk:Elephantine

Pronunciation
When I was a grad student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I believe we usually pronounced this name like the common adjective elephantine. Now I am at the Oriental Institute in Chicago, and the Egyptologists here generally pronounce it ELL-luh-funt-TEE-nee. I can see arguments for a valid pronunciation ELL-luh-funt-TIE-nee as well. Now obviously the OI pronunciation has the backing of professional experts, but I was wondering if anyone had data as to how Egyptologists (as well as archaelogists, classicists, semiticists and other professionals who might need to use the name) in other parts of the English-speaking world pronounce this name. --Iustinus 18:33, 26 June 2007 (UTC)
 * I live in Aswan. I interact with Egyptian archaeologists in both English & Arabic, but not with foreign Egyptologists. I also see foreign tourists & local tour guides a fair bit. I don't think I've ever heard any pronunciation other than /ˌɛləfʌnˈtiːn/ ELL-luh-fun-TEEN. I don't know how European & American archaeologists & Egyptologists generally pronounce the name, but I was surprised to see the pronunciation given on this page. I'm also perplexed by the Egyptian Arabic name given: In Arabic, people usually say جزيرة أسوان Jizīrit Aswān: Aswan Island. Pathawi (talk) 15:35, 30 September 2018 (UTC)

Well of Eratosthenes
The article claimed previously that the Well of Eratosthênes was "probably the nilometer" on the Elephantine island. Eratosthenes supposedly used the well in his calculation of the circumference of the Earth. The claim seems to be quite common and it could be a misinterpretations of the reference by Strabo, and the well or nilometer used by Eratosthenes was probably in Syene (Aswan), not in Elephantine. Neither of the nilometers are suitable for the purpose. The old version of the article referenced an actual scientific article from 1914,, which is probably wrong about the location of the well as the picture in the article does not appear to be neither of the two nilometers. The picture may be mislabeled and the article wrong. Magi42 (talk) 19:01, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Shape of small islands are unknowable?
What would be so hard about realizing the shape of an island 1200 meters long? You could tell it was lenghty and narrow easy enough, and you could realize one side is concave, the other convex; the point on the north end would be obvious; hence the tusk shape. Anyone could draw a map in the dirt and say Huh, looks like a tusk. But these people surveyed their land, measured and built pyramids, etc. It's ridiculous. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Friendly person (talk • contribs) 02:27, 15 August 2009 (UTC)

Khnum, a Ram-headed deity, is reminiscent of the blowing the Ram horn at Rosh Hashana
Boy, this is pretty far fetched. As the article states, this was an outpost manned only in part by Israelite (Jewish would be an anachronism) soldiers far from their home. To ascribe a local deviation in worship to the Israelite community at home, which would have no reason at all to worship a foreign idol, is truly a stretch of the imagination. Perhaps you intended to imply that these soldiers might have been drawn to worshipping a Ram's headed idol, because it reminded them of the shofar blowing on the New Year. That would seem possible, but not a very important point to emphasize. Pollira (talk) 02:45, 10 April 2011 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: 311_History of Ancient Egypt
— Assignment last updated by Johnstoncl (talk) 18:16, 2 March 2024 (UTC)