The Heart Scarab

The Heart Scarab hero image

The Heart Scarab

The protective amulet for the heart was in the form of the scarab beetle, the manifestation of the creator and solar deity Khepri. It was a symbol of new life and resurrection.

The heart scarab was a large scarab amulet which was wrapped in the bandages of the mummy over the deceased's heart. It was made out of a range of green and dark-coloured materials, including glazed stearite, schist, feldspar, haematite and obsidian. It was inscribed with Chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead. The gist of the inscription was an instruction from the dead person in his or her heart that, when it was brought before the tribunal of the gods lead by Osiris for judgement (the Weighing of the Heart Ceremony), it should not confess to any of the wrongs that the dead person might have committed during his or her lifetime.

O my heart that I received from my mother, my heart that I have had since birth, my heart that was with me through all the stages of my life, do not stand up against me as a witness! Do not oppose me at the tribunal! Do not tip the scales against me in the presence of the Keeper of the Balance! You are my ka of my body, you are the creator god Khnum who makes my limbs sound. Go forth to the Hereafter...

Books:

Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient EgyptComplete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt
Egyptian MythologyEgyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt
The Gods of Ancient EgyptThe Gods of Ancient Egypt
Egyptian Hieroglyphs for Complete BeginnersEgyptian Hieroglyphs for Complete Beginners
The Egyptian Book of the DeadThe Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by DayThe Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images
Hieroglyphs Without MysteryHieroglyphs Without Mystery: An Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Writing
How to Read Egyptian HieroglyphsHow to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself, Revised Edition
Egyptian HieroglyphicsEgyptian Hieroglyphics: How to Read and Write ThemYourself, Revised Edition
Hieroglyph (TC's Adventures Book 1)Hieroglyph (TC's Adventures Book 1)

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