The pursuit of the Beetle God Khepri

The Pursuit Of The Beetle God Khepri

Srishti Madan

PROLOGUE Khepri, often represented as a scarab holding aloft the morning sun, or a scarab-headed man is a scarab-faced god in ancient Egyptian religion who represents the rising or morning sun.

The God’s mythology relates majorly to the New Kingdom, approximately between 1500 - 1600 BC i.e. the 18th Dynasty.

This research aims at the religious beliefs’s about Khepri, the paintings, the sculptures and the artifacts relating to him from ancient Egypt.

The information has been gathered fromtrusted sources and the author/editor does not own any rights/patents against them.

EGYPTIAN GODS Egyptian religion was polytheistic. The gods who inhabited the bounded and ultimately perishable cosmos varied in nature and capacity. The word netjer (“god�) described a much wider range of beings than the deities of monotheistic religions, including what might be termed demons.

As is almost necessary in polytheism, gods were neither all-powerful nor all-knowing. Their power was immeasurably greater than that of human beings, and they had the ability to live almost indefinitely, to survive fatal wounds, to be in more than one place at once, to affect people in visible and invisible ways, and so forth.

All the main gods acquired the characteristics of creator gods. A single figure could have many names; among those of the sun god, the most important were Khepri (the morning form), Re-Harakhty (a form of Re associated with Horus), and Atum (the old, evening form).

KH EPRI - HIS NA M E AND ORIGIN Khepri got his name from how he came to be, which is closely connected with his symbol. According to the ancient Egyptians, scarabs were born out of nothing: the eggs of scarabs are small and typically laid in carrion (animal carcasses), so they seem to just emerge from death. Khepri, similarly, was considered to have created himself, or kheper, which means ‘’to emerge’’ and ‘’to come into being.’’

The reverence of Khepri goes back further than we would believe while he was first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts dated between 23 and 2400 BC crude scarab items had actually been discovered that they all the way back to the Neolithic period around 7000 BC. His popularity as a god was at its peak at its highest during what is called the New Kingdom and that was started when the 18th dynasty of Egypt came to power and that is somewhere between 15 and 1600 BC.

SYMBOL & RELATION WITH SCARAB Scarab, in ancient Egyptian religion, important symbol in the form of the dung beetle , which lays its eggs in dung balls fashioned through rolling. This beetle was associated with the divine manifestation of the early morning sun, Khepri, whose name was written with the scarab hieroglyph and who was believed to roll the disk of the morning sun over the eastern horizon at daybreak. Since the scarab hieroglyph, Kheper, refers variously to the ideas of existence, manifestation, development, growth, and effectiveness, the beetle itself was a favourite form used for amulets in all periods of Egyptian history.

CONNECTION WITH REBIRTH & DEATH This connection with the scarab, which is born from death, (in the sense that it hatches from eggs laid in carrion) carried over to Khepri, who was associated with renewal and rebirth. He was often connected with Osiris, the god of the dead, because he embodied the idea of rebirth. His act of pushing the sun across the sky even represented this cycle of death (sunset) and rebirth (sunrise). This association caused him to be quite important in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, a text used for guiding souls to and through the afterlife. It was common practice for people, whether commoners or royals, to be buried with scarab emblems representative of Khepri. These emblems would be weighed against the feather of Ma’at, a symbol of balance and justice, in the afterlife and were inscribed with ‘’do not stand a s a witness against me’’ as a hope that the person would pass though successfully to the afterlife.

KH EPRI IN HIS SCARAB FORM TH E A MULETS

SCARAB TH E A mulet A Talisman or an amulet can be described as a religious object consisting of a stone or other small item, often inscribed or carved with magical inscriptions, magic signs, magic symbols, formula or sacred text.The Scarab was worn as a protective talisman by both the living and the deceased and the most popular talisman of the ancient Egyptians.

Meaning of the Scarab: To the ancient Egyptians the Scarab was one of the most potent of all amulets and symbolized the sun, resurrection, transformation and protection.

The scarab aided its wearer with the power of “eternal renewal of life.� It was also worn by the Egyptian warriors in their signet rings for health, strength, and virility.

There were many different types of scarab amulets used in ancient Egypt. The talis-

mans and amulets that featured a scarab were heart scarabs, scarab seals, winged scarabs, signet rings, marriage scarabs, scarabs with spells, scarabs with good wishes and scarabs decorated with figures of gods and sacred animals.

The scarab symbol was derived from a common Egyptian dung beetle that deposited its eggs in a ball of clay or dung. The burial of its ball was symbolic of the setting sun from which new life arises with each dawn.

The action of the beetle in rolling this ball along the ground was compared with the sun in its progress across the sky. Under the heat of the sun the ball which contained the egg of the beetle hatched out and so the scarab became the symbol of creation.

Khepri was the name of the scarab-headed creator and sun god who was depicted in ancient Egyptian art as a human with the head of a scarab beetle or in the form

of just the scarab beetle. Khepri was likened to the scarab beetle, only, instead of rolling a ball of dung, Khepri rolled the sun from the Underworld to the eastern sky, renewing the sun and enabling life to thrive on earth.

The Heart Scarab amulet was much larger than ordinary scarab talismans and often flanked with the wings of a falcon.

A Heart Scarab amulet was often placed over the heart of mummies on the day of their internment and inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead beseeching the heart with the text “do not stand as a witness against me.� Scarab talismans with green stones and rims of gold were a popular choice of design for the wealthy.

Other scarabs were made of green basalt, green granite, limestone, green marble and green, purple or blue faience glass.

The ancient Egyptians believed that a sacred heart scarab amulet would provide them with courage in the Underworld

when the heart was weighed against the feather of truth during the Ceremony of Justification in the Hall of the Two Truths when the a long series of ‘Negative Confessions’ had to be repeated.

A scarab amulet was also placed under the coffin as a protective device so that no evil spirit could harm the dead in his journey through the underworld. Pharaohs also used the back of scarabs to commemorate famous historical events.

Scarab Amulets

SCARABOIDS By the end of the First Intermediate Period (about 2055 BCE) scarabs had become extremely common.

[3] They largely replaced cylinder seals and circular “button seals” with simple geometric designs.[4] Throughout the period in which they were made, scarabs were often engraved with the names of pharaohs and other royal persons. In the Middle Kingdom scarabs were also engraved with the names and titles of officials and used as official seals.[5] From the New Kingdom scarabs bearing the names and titles of officials became rarer, while scarabs bearing the names of gods, often combined with short prayers or mottos, like “With Ra behind there is nothing to fear” became more popular. These “wish” scarabs are often difficult to translate.

Scarab Inscribed “Hatsh epsut, United with A mun”

During the 1926-1927 excavation season, the Museum’s Egyptian Expedition uncovered three foundation deposits along the eastern enclosure wall of Hatshepsut’s funerary temple at Deir el-Bahri in Western Thebes. Among the contents were 299 scarabs and stamp-seals. Sixty-five of these are now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, and the rest were acquired by the Museum in the division of finds.

Among the inscriptions on the bases of these scarabs and seals are examples of every title Hatshepsut held, from the time she was “king’s daughter” during the reign of her father, Thutmose I; through the time she was queen of her half-brother, Thutmose II; and during her co-reign with her nephew/ step-son, Thutmose III. Thirteen of the scarabs (27.3.199 to 27.3.212) are inscribed with various writings of the extended form of Hatshepsuts personal name, Hatshepsut-united-with-Amun, which sometimes appears, enclosed in a cartouche, as the last element of her titulary as king. By adopting this name, Hatshepsut links herself to the powerful god Amun of Thebes, whom she claimed as her father.

This example is the largest and most elaborately carved of the scarabs. Unlike others, the body of the beetle has been partially separated from the base. A triangular repair is also visible in the upper right of the base, and a small ankh hieroglyph (life) may be seen in the lower right.

1.18x1.62x0.74 cm, Stone-steatite, 18th Dynasty This steatite amulet has been carved to depict a stylized scarab. It has a worn top with some brown discoloration. On its back, there are two small elytra lines on either side. It is a bluish turquoise in color.

The bottom is inscribed with the name of Amun and a depiction of a wesekh (broad) collar. It is pierced through lengthwise, from head to rear.

1.84x2.22x0.72 cm, Stone-carnelian, Late Period This carnelian scarab is an amber/orange color. It is rendered in a highly naturalistic style and both its back and bottom are carved with fine detail. Traces of black paint remain in its incised lines. The striking red/orange color of this amulet’s carnelian strengthens its solar associations.

ANATOMICAL DIFFERENCES OF SCARABOIDS

A related type of seal amulet, called by Egyptologists the scaraboid, was similar in shape but lacked the details of the beetle’s anatomy. These scaraboids conjain just the body of the beetle and not the locomotive anotomy. Egyptian scarabs were carried by trade throughout the eastern Mediterranean and to Mesopotamia.

SCAN THE QR TO VIEW OVER 3500 SCARAB AMULETS

FUNERARY SCARABS The Book of the Dead contains 200 spells and rituals for burying the dead in the time of the Ancient Egyptians. Information about the scarab beetle is found in a chapter of the book called ‘Weighing the heart against the feather of truth’. The scarab was an amulet or lucky charm placed on the heart to protect it on its journey to the afterlife. The heart was the only organ left in a body when it was mummified. This was because it was believed that the heart stored the thoughts and memories of an individual that would be needed in the afterlife. That is why a scarab was found placed on the heart of Tutankhamun in his tomb. Using evidence gathered from various sources, the final mystery about the scarab could be solved.

There are, however, three types of specifically funerary scarabs, heart scarabs, pectoral scarabs and naturalistic scarabs.

HEART SCARABS Heart scarabs became popular in the early New Kingdom and remained in use until the Third Intermediate Period. They are large scarabs (typically 4 cm-12 cm long) often made from dark green or black stone and are not pierced for suspension. The base of a heart scarab was usually carved, either directly or on a gold plate fixed to the base, with

hieroglyphs which name the deceased and repeat some or all of spell 30B from the Book of the Dead.

The spell commands the deceased’s heart (typically left in the mummy’s chest cavity, unlike the other viscera) not to give evidence against the deceased, when the deceased is being judged by the gods of the underworld. It is often suggested that the heart is being commanded not to give false evidence but the opposite may be true. The Book of the Dead requires the heart scarab to be made of green nemehef stone but a variety of green or dark coloured stones were used.[9] Heart scarabs were often hung around the mummy’s neck with a gold wire and the scarab itself was held in a gold frame.

Two heart scarabs beside Queen Mernua’s coffin.

PECTORAL SCRABS From the Twenty-fifth Dynasty onwards large (typically 3 cm-8 cm long) relatively flat uninscribed pectoral scarabs were sewn, via holes formed at the edge of the scarab, onto the chests of mummies, together with a pair of separately made outstretched wings. These were mainly made from faience and glazed blue. The association of pectoral scarabs appears to be with the god Khepri, who is often depicted in the same form.

NATURALISTIC SCARABS A third kind of funerary scarab is the naturalistic scarab. These were relatively small scarabs (typically 2 cm to 3 cm long) made from a wide variety of hardstones and faience and are distinguished from other scarabs by having naturalistic carved “3D� bases, which often also include an integral suspension loop running widthways. Groups of these funerary scarabs, often made from different materials, formed part of the battery of amulets which protected mummies in the Late Period.[10] When a person died and went to their final judgement, the gods of the underworld would ask many detailed and intricate questions which had to be answered precisely and ritually, according to the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Since many people of those days were illiterate, even placing a copy of this scroll in their coffin would not be enough to protect them from being sent to Hell for giving a

wrong answer. As a result, the priests would read the questions and their appropriate answers to the beetle, which would then be killed, mummified, and placed in the ear of the deceased. When the gods then asked their questions, the ghostly scarab would whisper the correct answer into the ear of the supplicant, who could then answer the gods wisely and correctly.

pectorals This piece is a superb example of how glazed composition could be used to imitate pectorals made from precious metal with semi-precious stone inlays.

Ideally make from a quartz sand core covered by a vitreous alkaline glaze, glazed composition was a particularly popular material with the Egyptian jewellery maker because of its malleability and its ability to imitate the colors of other materials. The motif of a heart scarab flanked by the figures of Isis and Nephthys is first found in pectorals from the burial of Tutankhamun.Glazed composition pectoral: this pectoral or chest ornament is pylon shaped, initiating the towers flanking the monumental gateway entrance into an Egyptian temple. Like a pylon it has sloping sides and a curved cavetto cornice along the top which represents, the blending fronds found at the top of a wall made from the vertical reed stalks daubed with mud. Around the other three edges is block decoration. The basic colour is yellow, inlaid with blue, red and green glazes, which imitate respectively gold, lapis lazuli, cornelian and turquoise. A dark blue glazed composition heart scarab, an obvious substitute for lapis lazuli, is inset into a hole cut exactly to receive it so that the insect’s back is visible on the pectoral’s upper face.

It is depicted resting in a solar barque which sails on the celestial ocean and is flanked by figures of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys, the hieroglyphs for

their names on their heads, their arms raised in adoration. The text names then respectively “Lady of the West” and “Mistress of the Necropolis”. A ‘djed’ pillar, Girdle of Isis amulet and two wedjat eyes provide protection. All are inlaid with polychrome glazes. On the reverse of the pectoral the text of the heart scarab is visible inlaid in turquoise green hieroglyphs. It is Chapter 30B of the ‘Book of the Dead’. The deceased is named as the Lady Ptahemheb. The remainder of the pectoral’s underside has a pattern of parallel lines in dark blue glaze which cross to form a square frame to the scarab. Six holes for stitching to the mummy wrappings run from behind the cavetto cornice to emerge along the top of the rim.

Jew elry stones m eanings scarab jew elry The Ancient Egyptians observed the scarab beetle as it rolled a bit of dung into a ball. The beetle’s mission reminded them of Ra, their sun god, who they believed rolled the sun across the sky each day.

Because of the scarab beetle’s association with creation and renewal, ancient Egyptians revered the insect and carved figures of scarabs into their jewelry.

Protection: The image of the scarab is translated from hieroglyphs to mean “to become” or “to transform.” Because the scarab was connected in the ancient Egyptians’ minds with regeneration, scarab jewelry was often buried with the dead. The Pharaoh Tutankhamen was buried with a heart scarab -a protective amulet, usually of green stone, placed over the heart or on the chest of the deceased. Green was the symbolic color of rebirth to the Egyptians, and the flat base of the scarab could be inscribed with the name of a pharaoh or god to safeguard the wearer in the afterlife.

Good Luck: Both rich and poor viewed the scarab as a good luck charm. Scarab beetles were mass produced by 1850 BC and decorated pendants, rings, amulets and bracelets. They were carved from amethyst, carnelian, lapis lazuli and other gemstones, as well as faience, which is a combination of crushed quartz, lime and alkali.

Ornamentation: According to Egyptologist Joyce

Tyldesley, bracelets were popular with women of all social classes from the pre-Dynastic period (approximately 3100 B.C.) onward, and women would often wear decorated wrist bracelets with slightly thicker matching ankle bracelets. Workshops attached to the palace crafted jeweled pieces for the pharaoh and his family while commoners purchased costume jewelry at the village market. Men, women and children wore white garments, which provided a plain background to bright jewelry.

Celebration: Commemorative scarabs played a role in celebrating the achievements of Egypt’s rulers.

The underside of the scarab might be inscribed to celebrate a royal marriage or the success of a pharaoh’s hunting expedition. The jewelry acted as a type of propaganda for Egypt’s elite class and conferred status on the wearer.

Many Meanings: Scarab jewelry maintained an important role in funerary ritual among the ancient Egyptians, but the stones were popular also as good luck charms with the living. The jewelry reflects the beauty of early craftsmanship, and scarab artifacts remain, keeping alive the memory of a mysterious and fascinating culture.

ALL THE PHAROAHS AND GODS HEAVILY ACCESORIZED THEMSELVES, AND THE JEWELRY SEEMED INCOMELETE WITHOUT KHEPERS

TANKHA MUN jew elry, scarabs

This is a Pectoral, or chest ornament, which was worn by both men and women. It was discovered intact in the tomb of Tutankhamun. The piece depicts Scarab Beetles or Khepri, pushing the sun.

Khepri was believed to be a Sun god by the ancient Egyptians, and was represented as a scarab beetle.

The jewel is also decorated with inlaid lotus blossoms, which hang at twhe bottom.

Winged Scarab Pectoral of Tutankhamun, is filled with symbolism, made with semi-precious stones (carnelian, lapis lazuli, glass,) and with a lotus blossom fringe.

The symbols of the Ankh and the Eye of Horus (Udjat) are among the most used in ancient Egyptian Art.

This pendant made with a method called Cloisonn and inlaid with semiprecious stones and colored glass. It is full of symbols and hieroglyphs.

The central element of the composition is a winged scarab with a yellow stone of disputed origin which grasps on one side a lotus and on the other a papyrus flower, flanked by two uraei (cobras.).

A gold frame outlines the main composition and supports pendants of lotus flowers, papyrus, and poppy seed heads.

A slim solar boat rests upon the front feet of the scarab and carries the Udjat eye of Horus, flanked by two cobras. The Udjat eye is surmounted by a lunar crescent of gold and a silver disk with images of the gods, Thoth and Re-Horakhty, crowning the central figure of the ki

This pendant made with a method called Cloisonn and inlaid with semiprecious stones and colored glass. It is full of symbols and hieroglyphs.The central element of the composition is a winged scarab with a yellow stone of disputed origin which grasps on one side a lotus and on the other a papyrus flower, flanked by two uraei (cobras.).A gold frame outlines the main composition and supports pendants of lotus flowers, papyrus, and poppy seed heads. A slim solar boat rests upon the front feet of the scarab and carries the Udjat eye of Horus, flanked by two cobras. The Udjat eye is surmounted by a lunar crescent of gold and a silver disk with images of the gods, Thoth and Re-Horakhty, crowning the central figure of the ki

This pectoral is centered on a scarab of lapis lazuli, that symbolizes the god, Khepri. Khepri represents the sun on the horizon of the new day. The scarab holds a solar disc of carnelian surrounded by a gold rim. The beetle is flanked by two baboons with lunar symbols on their heads.

This item was discovered inside an inlaid box of ebony and ivory with an inscription that read: “gold jewelry for the funerary procession from the bedchamber of Nebkheperure.” This was Tutankhamun’s coronation name.

The artist who made this Pectoral used the hieroglyphic sign for ‘horizon’ (akhet), which represents the sun rising between two mountains, with the scarab ( the sun-god) pushing the sun in front of it He has also added uraei (cobras) with pendent ‘life’ signs (ankh) to the ‘horizon’ hieroglyph, showing that the rising sun is bringing life to Upper and Lower Egypt.

On the symbol for the sun-god’s gold barque (boat) are two uraei, one in the prow and the other in the stern; on their heads are disk of the sun and their tails are replaced by three amulets symbolizing ‘goodness’ (nefer), ‘life’ (ankh) and ‘stability’ (djed).

The straps of the pectoral are made of separate inlaid gold plaques held together at the back and the sides by rows of small gold, carnelian and glass beads. The plaques use the same elements as those in the pendant, except that the sun’s disk is substituted for the sign of the horizon, and the hieroglyphic sign for ‘festival’ is placed beneath the scarab.

MOST RECENT DISCOVERY The mummified beetles were among artifacts found in seven tombs discovered over the past six months on the edge of the King Userkaf pyramid complex at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, south of Cairo.

As they were preparing the site to present the latest discoveries, archaeologists found the door of another tomb that remains sealed, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, told reporters.

The tomb dates from the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom and is unusual because the facade and door are intact, meaning its contents may still be untouched, said Mohamed Youssef, director of the Saqqara area. He said experts plan to open the tomb in the coming weeks.

The Fifth Dynasty ruled Egypt from about 2,500 BC to 2,350 BC, not long after the great pyramid of Giza was built.

The tombs lie in a buried ridge that has only partially been uncovered and could offer many more similar discoveries, Waziri said. Excavations in the area had halted in 2013 before resuming earlier this year.

Saqqara served as the necropolis for Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt for more than two millennia.

Ancient Egyptians mummified humans to preserve their bodies for the afterlife, while animal mum-

mies were used as religious offerings.

Two large scarabs wrapped in linen and in very good condition were found inside a limestone sarcophagus with a vaulted, decorated lid, the antiquities ministry said in a statement.Another collection of scarab mummies was found inside a smaller sarcophagus.“The (mummified) scarab is something really unique. It is something really a bit rare,” Waziri said.“A couple of days ago, when we discovered those coffins, they were sealed coffins with drawings of scarabs. I never heard about them before.”

Dozens of cat mummies and gilded statues of cats were unearthed, including a bronze statue dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet.The team also found painted wooden cobra and crocodile sarcophagi, a collection of gilded statues depicting animal features, as well as objects including amulets, canopic jars, writing tools and papyri baskets.

COM M EMORATIVE SCARABS In the first eleven years of his reign, Amunhotep III issued more than two hundred large scarabs (beetle-shaped amulets) inscribed with descriptions of important events, such as a wild-cattle hunt or the building of an artificial lake. Of these commemorative scarabs, fifty-six list the king’s complete titles, the boundaries of the empire, and Queen Tiye’s title and parents’ names. This formal statement of Tiye’s lineage and her official link to Amunhotep III have led most Egyptologists to call these objects “marriage scarabs” even though they do not mention the royal union.

“Marriage Scarab” of Amunhotep III and Queen Tiye, ca. 1390-1353 B.C.E. Faience, 1 1/8 x 1 15/16 x 2 3/4 in. (2.8 x 5 x 7 cm)

MEDIUM: Faience Place Made: Egypt DATES ca. 1390-1353 B.C.E. DYNASTY Dynasty 18 PERIOD New Kingdom DIMENSIONS 1 1/8 x 1 15/16 x 2 3/4 in.

Blue faience scarab, commemorating the marriage of Amenhotep III with Queen Tiy. The inscription on the underside is inlaid with bluish-white glaze.

There are additional inscriptions on two sides, under the legs of the beetle – right) name of Queen Tiy; left) throne name of Amenhotep III. Probably sent to dignitaries of Egypt as announcements.

Condition: Good, except for the blowholes in glaze surface, and the wearing away of the bluish white glaze in the hieroglyphs.

KH EPRI IN HUM AN AND SCARAB FORM ON PAINTINGS

A papyrus leaf from th e Book of th e Dead of Im enemsauf

Thoth and Khepri, The ancient Egyptian gods of creation and knowledge vanquish the ‘Lord of Chaos’.

Thoth and Khepri, on board a barque, defeat the serpent Apep in this detail from the Book of the Dead of Imenemsauf, written during the 21st and 22nd dynasties (1069-716 BC) and now in the Louvre.

Just seen at the bottom of this image, Apep, also known as Apophis, was the embodiment of chaos.

He battled daily with Ra, the sun deity, seeking to devour him as he descended below the horizon – where Apep lived – into the underworld. Night would fall, but Apep, never managing to swallow Ra whole, would spit him out and the sun would rise again.

KHEPRI, the scarab-headed god second from the right, is the morning manifestation of Ra, associated in particular with creation: the eggs of the scarab beetle are laid in dung and so emerge fully formed, their incubation hidden from the world. Because scarab beetles roll dung, they also became associated with the movement of the sun across the sky.

Thoth, who stands at the prow of the barque, with the head of an ibis, was married to Ma’at. She was the god of order and so inextricably opposed to the serpent Apep, the ‘Lord of Chaos’. Thoth was the judge of the dead, who had overseen three epic battles between Good and Evil. He was also an engineer, associated with science and knowledge, and, as scribe of the gods, he was the creator of language.

TH E CARTOUCH E OF KING TUT The cartouche of King Tut depicts many events including the moment of his birth. A cartouche is an oval hieroglyph with a horizontal line at one end which indicates that the text within it concerns royalty. King Tut’s cartouche show his birth and throne name. The two cartouches can be seen between rampant Sekhmet lioness warriors depicted crushing several ethnic enemies while the vulture goddess Nekhbet flies protectively overhead. The circle of rope protects sthe one hwo’s name is inside

the cartouche is it’s supposed to be emblematic of a circle of ropes to protect the name of the person who’s inside of it and we’ve got three different hieroglyphics here. The bottom one represents “all” and then the Scarab represents “form or manifestation” and the three the little dots make it plural so, “all manifestations are for the sun-god”

TOMB OF PETOSIRIST KHEPRI / RELIEF / TOMB OF PETOSIRISTuna el-Gebel – Hermopolis-West (Middle Egypt), Tomb chapel of the High Priest Petosiris in the Necropolis of Hermopolis (early Ptolemy era, 2nd half 4th Century BC.) – Khepri (Scarab) with two sun disks.

Relief from the interior chamber.

KH EPRI IN TH E TOMB OF NEFERTARI

KH EPRI IN HUM AN AND SCARAB FORM IN SCULPTURES

Kh epri and Benu Bird on th e papyrus boat Scarab, the sacred dung-beetle was the symbol of the rising sun Khepri and of rebirth and resurrection.

Benu bird is described as “the one who came into being by himself”. It was believed to constantly rise renewed just like the sun, and was called the “lord of jubilees”. The Benu Bird was said to each morning appear under the form of the rising sun, and was supposed to shine upon the world from the top of the famous persea tree in Heliopolis wherein he renewed himself.

SCARAB of kh epri at karnak, egypt

December 30, 2018 - “Karnak is located just few Km North of Luxor, and is arguably Egypt’s greatest monument bar the Pyramids.

Built on a gigantic scale, the site covers in total more than 245 acres and is the largest ancient religious site on the planet. It took a total of 1300 years to build and has been attracting pilgrims (and now tourists) for more than 4000 years.

Unable to comprehend its construction as anything other than divine, the ancient Egyptians called the site ‘Ipet Isut’ meaning ‘perfect of palaces’.

WALL FIXTURE INSPIRED BY SCARAB

SKETCH OF A CAFE SITTING AREA

This is an image of an imaginary sitting area. There is a pillar in the center, demand of the architectural structure. There are a couple of air condition vents, since visible vents is a trend these days. The fixtures are to be put symetrically on the wall.

INSPIRATION

SKETCH OF TH E SCARAB FIXTURE

The fixture is a wall art along with an integrated lamp. The fixture is to be fixed on the wall, and hence is unmovable. The two sun like spheres contain a very slight glow, without electricity due to phosphors on the surface. Which means that while the lights of the pub are turned down low every night for the dance, the sun would have a slight luminance adding well to the ambiance. The wings are made of thin marble which are backlit with yellow light for a royal feel. Apart from this the beetle is made up of metal and reflects the light that surrounds it.

Following the basic anatomy of a scarab was essential, alongside I have added wings. This fixture is a huge shiny metal fixture with a lamp and is capable of creating the entire ambience on its own.

Imaginary look of the wall

At the end, what intrigues me the most about Khepri is that he’s a self-created God. Khepri was known as the god of rebirth and sunrise. Khepri was not depicted with any weapon or item of his own, and was not said to have had any special powers.