Hypselis

Hypselis or Hypsela (Ancient Greek: Ύψηλή;^[1] Coptic: ϣⲱⲧⲡ^[2]), known to the ancient Egyptians as Shashotep, is an ancient Egyptian city and Roman bishopric, which was located near the modern town of Shutb (or ash-Shatb, Chutb) in the Asyut Governorate.

Hypselis

ϣⲱⲧⲡ شطب
Shown within Egypt
Alternative name	Shashotep
Location	Asyut Governorate, Egypt
Coordinates	27.1440°N 31.2380°E / 27.1440; 31.2380
Type	Settlement

History

Antiquity

or
šꜣs ḥtp[3][4] in hieroglyphs
Era: Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 BC)

Shashotep is first mentioned in texts dating back to the First Intermediate Period. During the subsequent Middle Kingdom it was the main town of the 11th Upper Egyptian nome.^[5] The main deity of ancient Shashotep was Khnum, who was sometimes called "Lord of Shashotep".^[6] The cemeteries near the modern place Rifeh, once belonged to the town.^[5][6] Later, the city became known by the Greeks as Hypselis.^[5][6]

Titular see

During Roman time, and before fading into the desert, the city became one of the suffragan sees of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Antinoë, capital of the province of Thebais Prima. The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as Latin Titular bishopric by the names of Hypselis / Ipseli. It is vacant since 1997, following the death of its last bishop, Jesús Serrano Pastor.^[7]

See also

• List of ancient Egyptian towns and cities
• List of Catholic dioceses in Egypt
• Apollonopolis Parva (Hypselis)