The ancient Egyptian scarab is linked to the mythological death and rebirth of the sun god. The hieroglyphic sign represented by the dung beetle 𓆣, forms the ancient Egyptian verb “ḫpr” (Kheper) meaning “to come into being”. The same sign also represents the deified morning sun -Khepri, who was thought to be reborn every morning in the form of the scarab beetle, bringing light and life to the land. They were made in various typology such as heart scarabs, commemorative scarabs, and scarab amulets, thus catering to different functions. Scarab amulets were believed to have magical rejuvenating properties, used by both the living and the dead.
Scarabs could be carved from relatively expensive stones, such as amethyst, jasper, carnelian, and lapis lazuli and also cheaper materials such as steatite, which would be glazed later on, faience and glass. Scarab amulets had an enduring appeal – adopted by many other cultures as good luck charms, including the Greeks, Romans and the Phoenicians.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.
