elephantine

The first of six cataracts or shallows of the Nile is at Aswan and Elephantine Island is close by.

Elephantine island is perfectly located to allow tribes to build barriers of defense against people or animals. It has invited such people since the earliest of times. The ancient Egyptians called this large island Abu or Yabu. The Greeks called it Elephant Island (elephantine).

Khnum was the patron god of the island. Khnum, aka., Khnemu, Chnum, etal., had at least one temple built in his honour on Elephantine Island. Cults adopted a creation myth where Khnum was a ram headed potter, who moulded species on his divine potter's wheel.

John Anthony West explains it this way.

Khnum was the Great Artificer, carrying out the plans of Ptah, the Architect, which were in turn the commands of Re, as uttered by Thoth. By a chain of associations, then Khnum, was an aspect of Re. He is called Supreme One, the One Great God, etc...

West continues to explain the Khnum trinity that exists between Neith, and Satet. Satet is a form of Isis and associated to the star Sirius. In later myths Neith is substituted for Esna, and Satet is substituted for the lion-headed Menhyet.

Sirius is the dog star and the brightest star in the night sky. It goes on to play a big role in the Giza pyramids with the Isis chamber.

Elephantine Island holds clues from as early as the 3rd and 4th dynasties about the offerings made to the Khnum triad. The earliest inhabitants would have been of Nubian decent and most likely influenced by the bird clans who came from the south more than the serpent or lizard lower nile clans who'd moved closer to the Mediterranean. Just speculation.....