36 SCARAB^lD^ — DUNG-BEETLES. 



country of the Karai liis southern frontier, the foreign land 

 of Nliarina (Mesopotamia) his northern. The inscription 

 of the other Scaral)a3us, now in the Vatican, statbs that in 

 the eleventh year and third month of his reign, King Amen- 

 hept made a great tank or lake to celebrate the festival of 

 the waters ; on which occasion he entered it in a barge of 

 "the most gracious Disc of the Sun." This substitution, 

 by the King, of the barge of the Disc of the Sun for the 

 usual barge of Amun-Ra, is the Jirst indication of an hereti- 

 cal sun-worship.^ 



Such historical Scarabgei, Champollion and Rosellini 

 have happily compared to commemorative coins ; and, in 

 fact, those which record the names of the kings might per- 

 haps be considered as small Egyptian coins.^ 



Besides being ensculped upon monuments and tablets, 

 Scarabgei, as images in baked earth, are found in great 

 numbers with the mummies of Egypt. These little figures 

 also present an intermingling of several animal forms; for 

 some are found with the heads of men, others with those 

 of dogs, lions, and cats, and others are figures entirely 

 fantastical. Father Kirker says, they were interred with 

 the dead to drive away evil spirits; and there is much 

 probability, he continues, that these were put here for no 

 other purpose than to protect their relatives.^ The largest 

 of these rude images of Scarabsei, thus used for funereal 

 purposes, frequently had a prayer, or legend connected with 

 the dead, engraved upon them ; and a winged Scarabasus was 

 generally placed on those bodies wdiich were embalmed ac- 

 cording to the most extensive process.'^ These latter are 

 found in various positions, but generally upon the eye and 

 breast of the body.^ Placed over the stomach, it was deemed 

 a never-failing talisman to shield the "soul" of its wearer 

 against the terrific genii of Amenthi.^ 



A small, closely cut, glazed limestone Scarabaeus has 

 been found tied like a ring by a twist of plain cord on tlfe 

 fourth finger of the left hand. This has occurred twice. 

 Another has been found fastened around the left wrist. '^ 



1 Bunsen's EqypVs Place, iii. 142. 2 ijyid, 



3 Quot. by Montf. Antiq., ii. (Pt. II.) 323. 



* Wilkin. Anct. Egypt., ii. (2d S.) 257. 



5 Pettig. Hist, of Mum., p. 220. 



^ Maury's Tndig. Races, p. 156. 



^ Phind's Thebes, p. 130. 



