
25/10/2023
Both the hieroglyphic scarab and the actual beetle were very important in ancient Egypt.
The scarab hieroglyph was pronounced kheper and meant "to exist." But it also meant "beetle" as in the insect.
The beetle was very special to the Egyptians. The female lays its eggs in a dung ball and then rolls it to a safe place and buries it. Later, little scarabs pop out, like magic.
The Egyptians didn't understand the biological process, so to them, this was a remarkable case of procreation.
Thus, the beetle became a symbol of existence. They carved little beetles as amulets to be worn to ensure continued existence.
When Pharaoh Amenhotep III wanted to make announcements to the world, he had large scarabs carved, then wrote his message
on the bottom. He famously used a scarab to announce his marriage to Queen Tiye.