The scarab, the humble dung beetle, was one of the most important symbols of ancient Egypt. Egyptians watched it roll balls of dung across the ground and saw in it an image of the sun being rolled across the sky each day, and of life coming out of death.
Khepri, the rising sun
The beetle lays its eggs in a ball of dung, and the young seem to emerge from it as if from nothing. The Egyptians linked this to the god Khepri, the sun at dawn, shown as a scarab or as a man with a scarab for a head. His name comes from the word kheper, “to come into being”.
Scarab amulets and seals
Scarab-shaped amulets were made by the millions, in stone, faience and glass. The flat underside was often carved with a name, a title or a short wish, and used as a seal. Amenhotep III issued large “commemorative scarabs” to announce events such as his marriage to Queen Tiye or a lion hunt, a bit like royal press releases.
The heart scarab
A large scarab was placed over the heart of a mummy, inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead asking the heart not to speak against its owner at the weighing of the heart.
The scarab at Karnak
At Karnak a large granite scarab stands on a pedestal near the sacred lake. Local tradition says that if you walk around it seven times, your wish will come true. Read about other Egyptian symbols, and visit Karnak on our Luxor tours.
