Ancient Egyptians revered the scarab beetle for its seemingly magical strength and mysterious life cycle. Khepri, an Egyptian god of the early morning with the head of a scarab, was believed to push the sun into the sky at the dawn of each day and down to the underworld at dusk, a myth likely inspired by observing scarab beetles pushing balls of dung across the sand.
Right: Green glazed composition scarab and gold, from the time of Queen Hatshepsut. Egypt C 1476BC-1457BC. The British Museum collection.
