Syene
Sye'ne
(Heb. Seveneh, סוֵנֵה; Sept. Συήνη; Vulg. Syene), a town of Egypt on the frontier of Cush, or Ethiopia. The prophet Ezekiel speaks of the desolation of Egypt "from Migdol to Seveneh, even unto the border of Cush" (29, 10), and of its people being slain "from Migdol to Seveneh" (30, 6). Migdol was oh the eastern-border, SEE MIGNOL, and Seveneb is thus rightly identified with the town of Syene, wihichi was always the last town of Egypt on the south, though at one time included in the name Nubia. Its ancient Egyptian name is Sun (Brugsch, Geogr. Inschrifit. 1, 155, tab. 1, No. 55), preserved in the Coptic Sonan, Senon, and the Arabic Aswdn. The modern town is slightly to the north of the old site, which is marked by an interesting early Arab burial-ground, covered with remarkable tombstones having inscriptions in the Cufic character. Champollion suggests the Coptic derivation sa "causative," and buen or ouen, "to open" as if it signified the opening or key of Egypt (L'Egypte, 1, 161-166), and this is the meaning of the hieroglyphic name. It is the natural boundary of Egypt at the south (Pttolem, 9:5; Pliny, Hist. Nat. 5, 10; 12:8 Strabo, p. 787, 815), being situated at the foot of the first cataract on the Nile (Murray, Handbook for Egypt, p. 463). See Jour. Sac. Lit, Oct. 1851, p. 158. SEE EGYPT.
