Scarab artifact
Encyclopedia
Scarabs were popular amulet
s in ancient Egypt
. According to ancient Egyptian myths, the sun (Ra
) rolls across the sky each day and transforms bodies and souls. Modeled upon the Scarabaeidae
family dung beetle
, which rolls dung into a ball for the purposes of eating and laying eggs that are later transformed into larva, the scarab was seen as an earthly symbol of this heavenly cycle. This came to be iconographic
, and ideological
symbols were incorporated into Ancient Egyptian society.
Through different time periods, about 3000 years, the use of the scarabs became many and varied. As amulets, and a flat surface on the bottom (as a similar artifact of a paperweight), it became a surface with other utilitarian purposes. Other nations and regions, especially in the Levant
, even came to reproduce Egyptian styles, or to adapt their use to their own god
s or personal uses. They were also found as grave goods
, amulet
s, talismans, jewelry types, or gifts of affection.
Beginning in the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt
, memorializing scarabs became common. They were often incorporated into tombs, as grave goods
, or given as 'gifts'.
Amenhotep III
is famous for his commemorative scarabs
that memorialized events of his day. A type of these relates to his lion hunts in the first 10 years of his reign
(with claims of extraordinary lion numbers); others of the series relates the building of 'the lake for his wife, Queen Tiye
'.
To the ancient Egyptians, the scarab or dung beetle (see: Scarab (artifact)) was a protector of written products. The scarab was also used as a holder or medium for personal name seals. A figurine of a scarab would be carved out of stone, and then on the smooth stomach of the scarab, the engraving of a seal was made. Later, this oval image was used for the representation of the cartouche, or name/title seals.
, Khakheperre Senusret II
, Aakheperkare Thutmose I
, Aakheperenre Thutmose II
, Menkheperre Thutmose III
, Aakheperrure Amenhotep II
, Menkheperrure Thutmose IV
, etc.) its meaning is therefore important. As the word "transform", or "transformation", the phrase Men-(Kh)eper-Re becomes: strong-transforming-Ra, and some renderings in common English are The Transforming Strength (of) Ra, or Ra's Steadfastness (of) Transformations. A much later word that replaced the kheper, 'transforming' was the Greek language
"epiphanous", the word for manifesting. A similar usage, but not with the implications of transformation, as an insect larva, transforming into an adult-form bug. The Ptolemaic era Ptolemy V of the Rosetta Stone
, 196 BC is named Ptolemy V Epiphanes
. Coins of Greece and other Greek influenced kingdoms had coins using the King's profile and the word epi(ph)anous, namely basileus epi(ph)anous, (King-Manifested).
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s in ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. According to ancient Egyptian myths, the sun (Ra
Ra
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
) rolls across the sky each day and transforms bodies and souls. Modeled upon the Scarabaeidae
Scarabaeidae
The family Scarabaeidae as currently defined consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. The species in this large family are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family is fairly unstable, with numerous competing theories, and new proposals appearing quite...
family dung beetle
Dung beetle
Dung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of...
, which rolls dung into a ball for the purposes of eating and laying eggs that are later transformed into larva, the scarab was seen as an earthly symbol of this heavenly cycle. This came to be iconographic
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
, and ideological
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
symbols were incorporated into Ancient Egyptian society.
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
, even came to reproduce Egyptian styles, or to adapt their use to their own god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
s or personal uses. They were also found as grave goods
Grave goods
Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...
, amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s, talismans, jewelry types, or gifts of affection.
Old Kingdom
Old Kingdom is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley .The term itself was...
, memorializing scarabs became common. They were often incorporated into tombs, as grave goods
Grave goods
Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...
, or given as 'gifts'.
Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. According to different authors, he ruled Egypt from June 1386 to 1349 BC or June 1388 BC to December 1351 BC/1350 BC after his father Thutmose IV died...
is famous for his commemorative scarabs
Commemorative scarabs of Amenhotep III
During the reign of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III hundreds of so-called memorial scarabs were issued to commemorate the deeds of the pharaoh. Such scarabs were found in several archaeological sites of the Near East, from Syria to Sudan...
that memorialized events of his day. A type of these relates to his lion hunts in the first 10 years of his reign
The lion hunts of Amenhotep III during the first ten years of his reign
The Lion-Hunts of Amenhotep III During the First Ten Years of his Reign is one of a group of five historical and commemorative scarabs made during the reign of Amenhotep III. The set of five scarabs were presumably used to validate, and proclaim his choice of Tiye as his wife...
(with claims of extraordinary lion numbers); others of the series relates the building of 'the lake for his wife, Queen Tiye
Tiye
Tiye was the daughter of Yuya and Tjuyu . She became the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III....
'.
Miniature Scarab seals
Miniature scarab seals were carried, or kept in the later periods of Ancient Egypt. They often had "catch phrases"; for example: "A mun-my-Strength". (A mun-my-Rock)To the ancient Egyptians, the scarab or dung beetle (see: Scarab (artifact)) was a protector of written products. The scarab was also used as a holder or medium for personal name seals. A figurine of a scarab would be carved out of stone, and then on the smooth stomach of the scarab, the engraving of a seal was made. Later, this oval image was used for the representation of the cartouche, or name/title seals.
Scarab, "Kheper" as transformation
The scarab, Egyptian language (kh)pr is used in many pharaonic names, for example Thutmosis III as Mn-Kheper-Re. Because it is used so frequently in pharaonic names (for example: Kheperkare Senusret ISenusret I
Senusret I was the second pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. He ruled from 1971 BC to 1926 BC, and was one of the most powerful kings of this Dynasty. He was the son of Amenemhat I and his wife Nefertitanen. His wife and sister was Neferu. She was also the mother of the successor Amenemhat II...
, Khakheperre Senusret II
Senusret II
Khakeperre Senusret II was the fourth pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. He ruled from 1897 BC to 1878 BC. His pyramid was constructed at El-Lahun...
, Aakheperkare Thutmose I
Thutmose I
Thutmose I was the third Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. He was given the throne after the death of the previous king Amenhotep I. During his reign, he campaigned deep into the Levant and Nubia, pushing the borders of Egypt further than ever before...
, Aakheperenre Thutmose II
Thutmose II
Thutmose II was the fourth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. He built some minor monuments and initiated at least two minor campaigns but did little else during his rule and was probably strongly influenced by his wife, Hatshepsut...
, Menkheperre Thutmose III
Thutmose III
Thutmose III was the sixth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. During the first twenty-two years of Thutmose's reign he was co-regent with his stepmother, Hatshepsut, who was named the pharaoh...
, Aakheperrure Amenhotep II
Amenhotep II
Amenhotep II was the seventh Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt. Amenhotep inherited a vast kingdom from his father Thutmose III, and held it by means of a few military campaigns in Syria; however, he fought much less than his father, and his reign saw the effective cessation of hostilities...
, Menkheperrure Thutmose IV
Thutmose IV
Thutmose IV was the 8th Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt, who ruled in approximately the 14th century BC...
, etc.) its meaning is therefore important. As the word "transform", or "transformation", the phrase Men-(Kh)eper-Re becomes: strong-transforming-Ra, and some renderings in common English are The Transforming Strength (of) Ra, or Ra's Steadfastness (of) Transformations. A much later word that replaced the kheper, 'transforming' was the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
"epiphanous", the word for manifesting. A similar usage, but not with the implications of transformation, as an insect larva, transforming into an adult-form bug. The Ptolemaic era Ptolemy V of the Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele inscribed with a decree issued at Memphis in 196 BC on behalf of King Ptolemy V. The decree appears in three scripts: the upper text is Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the middle portion Demotic script, and the lowest Ancient Greek...
, 196 BC is named Ptolemy V Epiphanes
Ptolemy V Epiphanes
Ptolemy V Epiphanes , son of Ptolemy IV Philopator and Arsinoe III of Egypt, was the fifth ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He became ruler at the age of five, and under a series of regents the kingdom was paralyzed.-Regency infighting:Ptolemy Epiphanes was only a small boy when his father, Ptolemy...
. Coins of Greece and other Greek influenced kingdoms had coins using the King's profile and the word epi(ph)anous, namely basileus epi(ph)anous, (King-Manifested).
Literary and popular culture references
- P.G. Wodehouse's first Blandings novel — Something FreshSomething FreshSomething Fresh is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published as a book in the United States, by D. Appleton & Company on September 3, 1915, under the title Something New, having previously appeared under that title as a serial in the Saturday Evening Post between June 26 and August 14,...
(1915) — involves the pilfering of a rare Egyptian scarab (a "Cheops of the Fourth DynastyFourth dynasty of EgyptThe fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt is characterized as a "golden age" of the Old Kingdom. Dynasty IV lasted from ca. 2613 to 2494 BC...
") as a key plot device. - In the British crime novelist Dorothy L. SayersDorothy L. SayersDorothy Leigh Sayers was a renowned English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and Christian humanist. She was also a student of classical and modern languages...
` novel Murder Must AdvertiseMurder Must AdvertiseMurder Must Advertise is a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, published in 1933.Most of the action takes place in an advertising agency, a setting with which Sayers was very familiar. One of her advertising colleagues, Bobby Bevan, was the inspiration for the character Mr Ingleby...
a scarab, catapulted, is the murder weapon. - The rock band JourneyJourney (band)Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
uses various types of scarabs as their main logo and in the cover art of the albums DepartureDeparture (Journey album)-Personnel:*Neal Schon - guitars, lead vocals on track 4, backing vocals*Steve Perry - lead vocals*Gregg Rolie - keyboards, harmonica, lead vocals on track 3, backing vocals*Steve Smith - drums and percussion*Ross Valory - bass, backing vocals-Charts:...
, CapturedCaptured (Journey album)This album was recorded during the band's "Departure" tour in 1980. Tracks 1-4 were taken from a performance recorded at The Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on August 8, 1980...
, EscapeEscape (Journey album)-Personnel:*Steve Perry - Lead Vocals*Neal Schon - Guitar, Vocals*Ross Valory - Bass, Vocals*Steve Smith - Drums, Percussion*Jonathan Cain - Keyboards, Piano, Guitar, Vocals-Additional personnel:*Wally Buck - Engineer, Assistant Engineer...
, Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Journey album)Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American rock band Journey. The album was originally released on November 15, 1988 by Columbia Records....
, ArrivalArrival (Journey album)-Japanese Edition:-Personnel:*Neal Schon - lead guitar, backing vocals*Ross Valory - bass, backing vocals*Jonathan Cain - keyboards, backing vocals*Deen Castronovo - drums, backing vocals*Steve Augeri - lead vocals-External links:*...
, Generations, RevelationRevelation (Journey album)-DVD:#"Sky Light" #"Any Way You Want It" #*Originally from Departure, 1980#"Wheel in the Sky" #*Originally from Infinity, 1978#"Lights"...
, and The Essential JourneyThe Essential JourneyThe Essential Journey is a compilation of songs from the rock band Journey. Released on October 16, 2001, it is part Sony BMG's "Essential" series of compilation albums. The album includes most of Journey's major and minor hits that have charted on Billboard Hot 100... - Scarabs are still made as jewelery; one of the best-known makers is iconic London-based jewelers The Great Frog.
- The Egyptian death metal band Scarab take their name from these artifacts.
- The famous Dutch print-maker, M. C. Escher (1898–1972) created a wood engraving in 1935 depicting two scarabs or dung beetles.