PHI'LE, the name of a celebrated island lying in the midst of the Nile, a. of Syene, beyond the frontier of Egypt, in 24° 1' 28" n. lat. It was called by the Egyptians Men lak, the place of the cataract; or Menuab, the abaton or sanctuary; and by the Copts, pilak or "cataracts." It is a small granite rock, about 1000 ft. long, and 200 ft. broad, on which is placed a suite of buildings, not of the most remote antiquity, but distinguished for great architectural beauty. The oldest of these, consisting of a hyOcethral or roofless hall, was built in the reign of Nectanebus I., 377-357 B.C. A second mention of the same monarch occurs on the first propylon,. where a door, constructed in his reign, has been incorporated into the constructions by a later Ptolemy. Both these are dedicated to the goddess Isis. who in Phihe was venerated as Athor or the Egyptian Venus. The principal remains consist of the great temple of Isisi erected by Ptolemy II. or Philadel phus, and continued by his successors, especially by Ptolemy III., Euergetes, 247-222 I3.C.
The temple consists of a shrine or sekos, a pronaos, an open portico, and two pylons or gateways. Both of the propylons were constructed by Ptolemy VII., or Philometer, and Lathyrus; but the tirst was added to it by Ptolemy IN., or Energetes IL, 145-141 B.C. On the second pylon, the,monarch is represented slaying the hostile nations. The colon
nade was principally erected by Yiberins. The charming little temple, the Mastabat el Phantom], or Pharaoh's bed of the Arabs, was made in the reign of Trajan, 100 A.D. The temples are particularly important as containing the principal representations of the story of Osiris, his birth, bringing-up, death', and embalmment by Isis. Commenced in the reign of Nectanebus I., and continued by the Ptolemies and Romans, the worship of Isis lingered here till 453 A.D., or sixty years later than time edict of Theodosius. After the subjection of the Blemmyes to the }years Christians, the temple was converted into a church, and the paintings daubed with mud; and, in 577 A.D., the bishop Theodorus changed time pronaos of the temple of Isis into the chureh•of St. Stephen; and a Coptic church, at a later period, was built out of time ruins. The whole area of the ancient temple was about 435 ft. long by 135 broad, in the center of the dromos. At the present day the island is deserted. It is a favorite resort of travelers ascending to Nubia, and is one of the best of the remaining ruined sites of ancient Egypt.
Pliny, N. v., c. 29. Servius. _LEneid, v. 154; Jones and Goury, Views on the Kik; Wilkinson, Modern Egypt, ii. 295-303; Brugsch, Reiseberickte aus _Egypten, p. 236; Lep sius, Reise, p. 262.