The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the scarab beetle rolling its ball of dung across the desert mirrored the journey of the sun across the sky from day to night. As the beetle laid its eggs within the dung, it became a symbol of rebirth and regeneration. These scarab beetle amulets were made in various forms, 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.
Hunting scene scarabs such as this one have been found in abundance in North Egypt and the Southern Levant, suggesting they were mass-produced. Scenes produced depict a variety of animals, from horned deer, ferocious lions and rare ostriches. Due to their abundance, this type of seal can be dated quite precisely to the late 11th century and into the 10th century, from Dynasty 21 to early Dynasty 22.
