Origin: Israel, Lebanon, Palestine
Circa: 1650 BC to 1000 BC
Dimensions: 0.750" (1.9cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian Antiquities
Style: Canaanite
Medium: Steatite
The ancient Egyptians maintained that the sun was propelled across the heavens by means of a scarab, or sacred beetle. With the passing of time, the Egyptians created a series of amulets in the form of this beetle in a great variety of materials, and these were routinely provided with inscriptions in hieroglyphs conveniently accommodated to their stylized flat bottoms. So popular was the scarab that it became the one amulet associated with Egypt by all of her neighbors, and local variations were created in imitation of the Egyptian model.
Our scarab is just such a variation, and may be termed a scaraboid inasmuch as the entomological details of the beetle have been completely suppressed. The base is framed by a braided surround, or guilloche, within which appears to be a beetle propelling the sun disc across the heavens. The design of this beetle, however, includes a tail, or stinger, suggesting that the artist has conflated the body of beetle with that of a scorpion. The talismanic character of such a design is evident because our scaraboid is pierced transversely in order to accommodate it as a pendant to be worn on a necklace, thus protecting its owner from malevolent forces.

Antiquities
Ancient Egyptian