SCARAREIJS, the name of a beetle held sacred by the Egyptians, commonly known in entomology as the *marabous or ateachns sneer. It was called hellocantharus or can Mares, by the Greeks, and scarabtens by the Latins. Searaba2i were employed for rings, necklaces, and other purposes by theEgyptians, Phenicians, and Etruscans (see These are principally distinguished by the absence or presence of striated elytra and other marks. Entomologists have recognized four distinct species of the ateuchtes on the Egyptian monuments, viz., A. sennpunetatus. A. laticollis, A. snorbillosus, 4. punetieollis. Several mystical ideas were attributed to the scarabams: the number of its toes, 30, symbolized the days of the month; the time it deposited its ball in which its eggs were deposited, was supposed to refer to the lunar month; the movement of the clay-ball referred to the action of the sun on the earth, and personified that luminary.
The scarabmns was supposed to be only of the male sex, hence ittsignified the self existent, self-begotten generation or metamorphosis, and the male or paternal principle of nature. In this sense it appears on the head of the pygmean deity, Ptah-Socharis Osirii. the demiurgos, and in astronomical scenes and sepulchral formulas. In the hieroglyphs it is used for the syllable lehe,m‘a, and expresses the verb "to be, exist." la connection with Egyptian notions, the Gnostics and some of the fathers called Christ the scarabreus. The insect, during its life, was worshiped, and after death. embalmed. —fforapollo, i. c. 10; .zElian. De _Yak Anim. x. 15; Pettigrew, history of ..Mummies, p. 221; Wilkinson, Man. and Cast. v. p. 255.