archaeological evidence has found occupations around fayum dating @ least epipalaeolithic period. middle holocene occupations of area studied on north shore of lake qarun, caton-thompson , gardner did number of excavations of epipalaeolithic , neolithic sites, general survey of area. area has been further investigated team ucla/rug/uoa fayum project.
in pharaonic era, city called medinet el fayum (city of faiyum) called shedet. 10th-century bible exegete, saadia gaon, thought el fayum have been biblical city of pithom, mentioned in exodus 1:11. significant centre of cult of sobek, crocodile-god. in consequence, greeks named crocodilopolis, crocodile city , particular reverence paid inhabitants crocodiles. city worshipped tamed sacred crocodile, named petsuchos, adorned gold , gem pendants. crocodile lived in special temple pond , fed priests food provided visitors. when petsuchos died, replaced another.
under ptolemies, city while called ptolemais euergetis. ptolemy ii philadelphus (309–246 bc) rechristened city arsinoë , whole nome after name of sister , wife arsinoë (316–270 or 268), whom deified after death, if not before.
under roman empire, arsinoe became part of province of arcadia aegypti. distinguish other cities of same name, called arsinoë in arcadia.
with arrival of christianity, arsinoe became seat of bishopric, suffragan of oxyrhynchus, capital of province , metropolitan see. lequien gives names of several bishops of arsinoe, of them associated 1 heresy or another.
the catholic church, considering arsinoë in arcadia no longer residential bishopric, lists titular see.
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