The sacred beetle of ancient Egypt, the scarab is an emblem of the creator, Khepera. The word kepher denotes Being, Existence, Creation, or Becoming, and the god Kephera is the self-existent maker of all things. The worship of the scarab, which is symbolic of resurrection and fertility, dates from the earliest period of civilization in Egypt. Carved scarabs served two major functions: as amulets with protective and religious powers, and as personal seals, which designated the property and authority of the individual whose name was placed upon them. In both cases, the power ascribed to the scarab was very great—in life they served as the signature of their owner and were thought to bring prosperity, and in the afterlife they ensured rebirth through eternity.

Inscribed with a design. At the top are two Maat feathers, symbolizing divine order. These flank a sign meaning “good” or “beautiful”. Below is a pair of Wedjat eyes, which can be the Eyes of Horus or the Eyes of Re. This entire design means that divine order, or rightness, is good. In the myth of Horus, when the god’s eye, torn out by Seth, was restored, it meant that divine order had been restored in agreement with the Maat feathers above.