NOTES AND 
Mr. T. A. Geraup StRickiANn, F.E.S., who 
The Sacreq SUpplies the two photographs on 
Scarabeus of this page, writes: “To the ento- 
the Egyptians.» 5Jogist this beetle is simply 
looked upon as a more or 
less interesting example of 
the family Scarabaide, and 
the knowledge that the 
large balls made by these 
insects of a mixture of 
clay and camel’s dung are 
sunply reserve supplies of 
food for themselves or their 
larve knocks any later 
mysticism on the head. 
With the ancient Egyptians 
it was far otherwise. The 
sight of these beetles’ 
peculiar evolutions as they 
rolled spheres larger than 
themselves over the desert, 
and also the fact that the 
creatures seemed to appear 
COMMENTS. 
and disappear from and to they knew 
not where, naturally was quite mexplicable 
to these ancient peoples; consequently 
the insects were held in great reverence— 
not to say awe. According 
to Pliny the scarabeeus was 
worshipped as one of the 
gods of the country: but be 
that as if may, as an emblem 
and symbol it abounded. 
Representations of the beetle 
in the sculptures are ex- 
tremely numerous. It was 
an emblem of the sun (to 
which deity 1t was particu- 
larly sacred), symbolically 
represented the world, was 
an emblem of Ptah, the 
Creative Power, of Ptah- 
Socharis-Osiris, of the world, 
and finally was connected 
with astronomical subjects 
and with funeral rites.” 
SACRED SCARABASUS 
= 
eS 
SACRED BEETLES ROLLING THEIR BALLS ON THE FACE OF THE DESERT. 
89 
asl 
