1985/06/01 by R. H. Cherry, G. Kritsky, Gene Kritsky
Arts and Humanities · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Psychology · #Ancient Egypt and Archaeology #Animal and Plant Science Education #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
paper · doi:10.1093/besa/31.2.15
crossref issued 1985/06/01 · crossref published 1985/06/01 · crossref published-print 1985/06/01 · openalex publication_date 1985/06/01 · crossref created 2015/01/13 · crossref deposited 2017/01/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/16 · crossref indexed 2026/07/29
Ancient Egyptians were fascinated by the sacred scarab beetle, Scarabaeus sacer L. and the beetle symbol known as a scarab was ubiquitous in ancient Egyptian religion. Scarabs were found in religious rites, tomb hieroglyphics, drawings, as amulets, commemoratives, good luck charms, and hand-carved scarabs Were buried with the dead. We can trace the ideas which the Egyptians held about this insect as far back in time as the building of the pyramids (ca. 2500 B.C.) and there is no doubt that they represented beliefs which even at that early period were very old. The worship of this creature antedates the history of any land.