Amidst the horde of gods the ancient Egyptians worshipped, Khepri was among the most important of them all. The scarab beetle is considered one of the most important symbols in ancient Egyptian civilization. Khepri (Kheper, Khepera, Chepri, Khephir) was associated with the scarab or dung beetle (Scarabaeus sacer), making him one of the most famous insect gods. The three founding goddesses of the ancient Egyptian religion: Isis, Nephthys, and Hathor (because present in the myth of the assassination of the god Osiris) The other important goddesses of the ancient Egyptian religion: Nut, Bastet, Sekhmet, Maat, Wadjet, and Nekhbet Controlling the rain and water, lion-headed Tefnut was the goddess of moisture. Though he rose to popularity during the New Kingdom, beginning around 1500 BCE, worship of the god probably began as early as the Neolithic period from 7000 to 5000 BCE. The association with the ram is unique. All rights reserved. George Bancroft & 19th Century Historiography in the U.S. Dunning School's Approach to the U.S. Civil War & the Lost Cause, Historical Application: The Civil War & 19th Century Historiography, The Annales School's Impact on French Historiography, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Although the scarab symbol was custom practice for funerary rituals, it was also popular with common people, as well as royalty. Ra (/ r /; Ancient Egyptian: r; also transliterated rw /iuw/; cuneiform: ri-a or ri-ia; Phoenician: , romanized: r) or Re (/ r e /; Coptic: , romanized: R) was the ancient Egyptian deity of the sun.By the Fifth Dynasty, in the 25th and 24th centuries BC, he had become one of the most important gods in ancient Egyptian religion . Khnum is believed to have created the Nile, created humankind (physically and spiritually), and other gods. The beetles would roll their eggs, or germs of life, into a dung ball. Carvings of the scarab beetle were so common that archeologists and excavators have found them throughout Egypt and the Mediterranean. Image credit: Public domain. Nut did not participate in these acts of creation; he only supplied Khepera with the primordial matter from which all life was created. Yet, it is he that brings the dawn. Sometimes, Khepri is depicted with the Atef crown of Osiris. Khepri, also spelled Kephera, Kheper, and Chepri, was the Egyptian solar deity associated with the rising Sun and dawn. In paintings of the scarab, the ancient Egyptian artists usually used the scarabs blue or lapis lazuli to emphasize the beetles connection to the blue sky. A combined iconography of both the gods can be seen with the head of a ram on a scarab body. [4] Khepri was a solar deity and thus connected to the rising sun and the mythical creation of the world. However, his main mythological role was that of the rising sun from the horizon. Khepri was the god of the first sunrise at the dawn of the creation, and sometimes, he also symbolized the sun in general, which means he was linked with the solar god Ra. This is fitting to the ancient Egyptian religion that believed in immortality and resurrection. [4] Egyptians believed that each day the sun was also reborn or created from nothing. Khepri represents the creative, transformational power of the sun. The dung beetle, or Kephera, rolls the red sun disk into the hands of the goddess Nut. He typically wears a white crown and is holding a jar with water coming out of it. If we compare this belief to other religions and mythologies, we can see the three forms or aspects of the god Ra as the representation of the Egyptian Trinity. Young dung beetles, having been laid as eggs within the dung ball, emerge from it fully formed and thus were considered to have been created from nothingness. However, this species died out, so later depictions show him being modeled after a ram whose horns curve inward. Osiris as the promise of eternal life, having been killed and then resurrected by his sister-wife, Isis. Work on this temple began during the Ptolemaic Kingdom; however, many parts of the temple were built (or rebuilt) during Roman times. Ancient Egyptians used to think, the beetles express the sun's motion by rolling their feces on the sand, which is why the sun god Khepri is associated with this particular species of beetle. He was also believed to help the dead receive a favorable judgment in the afterlife. When the Sun rises, it seems as though it emerges from darkness and death into life and light and repeats this cycle morning after morning. Scarab amulets are found as grave goods, amulets, talismans, jewelry types, or gifts of affection. As stated in The Book of the Dead,[5] Khepri was also sometimes believed to be a part of Atum. The ancient Egyptian god Khepri was usually portrayed as a scarab beetle or dung beetle. Later in Egyptian history, Ra was merged with the god of wind, Amun, making him the most powerful of all the Egyptian gods. egyptian predatory beetle. Khnum guided Ra (the sun god) on his journey through the underworld, created the boat they used, and defend him from the serpent that tried to attack. You may change your settings at any time. There are also multiple ways of spelling Khepri, such as: But regardless of spelling, the meaning remains the same: He Who Is Coming Into Being. This god appeared as a scarab-headed man, a scarab or a man wearing a scarab as a crown. The sun god was however included in the creationist theory of Heliopolis and later Thebes. 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[2] The central belief surrounding Khepri was the god's ability to renew life, in the same way he restored the sun's existence every morning. Create your account. The ancient Egyptians believed that Khnum was the lord of the Waters of the Underworld; and in this capacity was a protector of the dead. This article is about the Egyptian god. Meretseger: Theban Cobra Goddess Who Presided Over The Valley of The Kings, Elusive Celtic Otherworld Where Tuatha D Danann Reside And Time Passes Slower, On This Day In History: Amelia Earharts First Solo Ocean Flight On Jan 11, 1935, Shiva Hindu God Who Resides In Every Being And In All Things, Cuneiform Tablets: One Of The Earliest Systems Of Writing Invented By The Sumerians, Raven: Uncommonly Intelligent Bird, Symbol Of Providence, Wisdom And Prophecy, Halloween: Facts And History About All Hallows Eve And Its Connection With Samhain An Ancient Celtic Festival. He is also depicted as a scarab in a solar barque held aloft by Nun. | Egyptian Cartouche Symbols, Eye of Ra vs. One myth suggested that Khepri pushed the sun across the sky (rather than the sun travelling on the back of a bovine goddess like Nut or Hathor or travelling on a boat). Thus, it long predates veneration of Khepri in Egypt. The solar connection was enhanced by the fact that the scarab has antenna on its head and when the scarab pushed a ball of dung along the ground, the ball would sit between the antenna in a way that was reminiscent of the solar disc flanked by a pair of horns which was worn by many deities. The scarab beetle also lays its eggs in carrion, leading the ancient Egyptians to speculate that those scarab beetles were created from dead matter. $1.99. Khnum was one of the earliest-known Egyptian deities, originally the god of the source of the Nile. According to scholars, the underground tunnels of scarabfound in the Mastaba tombs of the Old Kingdom take the same form of verticle shaft and horizontal passage and the pupae of the insect resemble the bandaged mummy of the deceased. The temple of Khnum found on the island dates to the early Middle Kingdom. Khepri (also spelled Khepra, Khepera, Khopri, Kheprer, or Chepera), in ancient Egyptian religion and mythology, is the god of the morning sun. Usually content to stay aloof, Khepri has risen for battle to defend existence from this shattering war. Create an account to start this course today. Khepri is associated with the dung beetle (kheper), whose behavior of maintaining spherical balls of dung represents the forces which move the sun. Ancient Egyptian Gods & Goddesses | Names & Family Tree, What is an Egyptian Cartouche? Meaning and Healing Properties, Do I Need Sapphire? Also spelled Khnemu, Khnum was one of the earliest deities which we know the Egyptians worshiped. The scarab beetle lays its eggs in a ball of dung. At the Esna temple, he was believed to be married to a local goddess named Nebtu; while Heka was believed to be his son and successor. This god, Khepri, was usually depicted as a scarab beetle or as a man with a scarab head and was considered to be a sun god, among other things. Grace attended James Madison University has a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in teaching. 9 chapters | According to the lore of the Heliopolis priests, the world began with the existence of the watery abyss from which the male deity Nu and the female deity Nut emerged. As seen in the Egyptian civilization, the scarab is the god of bugs. Khepre (also known as, Khepri, Khepra and Khepera), the scarab-beetle god, was identified with Ra as a creator-god and often represented as a scarab beetle within the sun-disk or as a man with a scarab for a head. Young dung beetles, having been laid as eggs within the dung ball, emerge from it fully formed and thus were considered to have been created from nothingness. People wore and used them for various protection purposes, including marriages, spells, and good wishes. PDF. TK Waters has been an adjunct professor of religion at Western Kentucky University for six years. Archeological evidence shows that he had been worshiped there since the early Dynastic period. The goddess of motherhood Isis was the most popular goddess in ancient Egypt due to the myth of Osiris her husband and her son Horus who saved the ancient Egyptian civilization from . 10 Symbols of New Beginnings with Meanings, Persian Lion and Sun Symbol History and Meaning, Do I Need Sodalite? Source: Walters Art Museum via Wikipedia, In the Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, Richard H. Wilkinson writes that it has been suggested that the underground tunnels of the insect take the same form as he vertical shaft and horizontal passage found in Old Kingdom mastaba tombs and that the pupae of the insect [scarab] resemble the bandaged mummy of the deceased, However, Wilkinson writes, there is no indication that the Egyptians themselves recognized such similarities, for these types of embellishments to the lore of the scarab were recorded by Classical writers such as Plutarch, Written by A. Sutherland - AncientPages.comSenior Staff Writer, Copyright AncientPages.comAll rights reserved. They have a master's degree in religious studies from Western Kentucky University and a bachelor's degree in English literature and religious studies from Western Kentucky University. His act of pushing the sun across the sky even represented this cycle of death (sunset) and rebirth (sunrise). Because the dung beetle lays its eggs in the ball of dung, the larva hatches, symbolically, out of nothing. When Egyptians began worshiping Khnum, he had long, corkscrew horns. The scarab ornaments and amulets were fashioned out of different materials and were worn for protection, signifying eternal life after death. Khepri was known as a scarab-faced god in ancient Egyptian religion. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. There were three principal social categories of deity: gods, goddesses, and youthful deities, mostly male. Instead, he was only recognized as a manifestation of the sun-god Ra, and their cults merged. The temple was built 9 meters underground and only a portion has been excavatedthe rest is buried beneath a modern town. This journey was difficult, so Ra depended on Khnum and a few other gods to help him on this difficult journey. The Egyptians made a connection between the movement of the sun across the sky and the movement of the ball of dung pushed by the beetle. The scarab amulet was one of the most popular symbols and scarabs were inscribed for all occasions, not just for use in mummification, confirming that he was popular with the common people. They do not store any information about you other than that which is strictly required for navigation and function, and I have no aceess to any of the data. A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com -Khepri is one of the important deities of Egyptian mythology. Updates? Khepri is a guardian, a protector and a friend. --~Attributes and Correspondences~-- Area of Influence: There were multiple aspects of the great solar deity and Khepri was simply one of them. Today, one can still find ornamental and jewellery pieces of the symbol of Khepri to purchase around Egypt. In some funerary papyri, he is shown as a scarab in a boat held aloft by Nun. The Egyptians watched the scarab beetle rolling dung into a ball and pushing it along the ground to its burrow. He was thought to be pushing the sun across the sky like a scarab beetle pushes a ball of dung. By the Eleventh Dynasty, Khnum was still worshiped at Elephantine, but as part of a triad with his wife Satet (or Satis) and their daughter Anuket. In Egyptian mythology, Khepri (also spelled Khepera, Kheper, Chepri, Khepra) is the name of a major god. A Scarab -faced God in Ancient Egyptian Religion who represents the rising or morning sun, and he can also represent creation and renewal of life. Sign up now for weekly facts, the latest blogs, and interesting features. Often times, different animals or insects were seen as the embodiment of these deities and thus were sacred to the Egyptian people. Or a bird as the symbol for Thoth. Both types of people incorporated this symbol into their daily lives, too. 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. His wide incorporation into temple architecture indicates how much the god was honoured in ancient Egypt. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Some Egyptologists believe that Khephri was among the most ancient deities of Egypt. There was no cult devoted to Khepri, and . You can recognize Khnum in ancient Egyptian works by his distinct associations with a ram. They mostly come out at night. The dung beetle will pick through the manure to find the nitrogen particles to eat, which is a great source of protein for them. In Elephantine, a temple was constructed to Khnum between the New Kingdom and Roman times. 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