Rich nobles kept crocodiles in pools as ornamental additions to their homes. Temple priests kept crocodiles in the temples. They were dressed in jewels, and roamed freely. They were not caged. It must have been quite dangerous, but the crocodile was special to the ancient Egyptians.

Their beloved god Sobek was the god with a crocodile head. He was the god who controlled water and marshes. The Nile was water. Everything in ancient Egypt depended upon the Nile. The waters of the Nile provided an easy route for trade. The Nile provided fish and other food to eat. Crops grew easily in the rich soil left behind by the annual flooding of the Nile. 

Sobek (the god with the crocodile head)

Crocodile Story from Ancient Egypt

Crocodiles

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