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.
Haematite is a rare material for scarab amulets, and almost always found in Phoenician contexts. In Ancient Phoenicia, as in many ancient societies, jewellery was an important social marker used to demonstrate wealth, social status and privilege. However Phoenician artistic exports are characterised by the variety of cultural influences that shaped their art and manufacture. The combination of Egyptian writing and glyphs alongside non-Egyptian motifs is typical of Phoenician craftsmanship of this period.
Phoenician religion was as diverse as its artistic output, borrowing much from Canaanite theology. Worship occurred both at designated temples and in sacred wildernesses with an administrative school of priesthoods. Typical religious practice included the burning of sacrifices and votive offerings upon altars, such as this scarab likely depicts.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.