Khepri, god of Egypt

Ancient Egyptian solar gods and Goddesses for kids - Khepri

The Mythology & History of ancient Egypt surrounding Khepri, the god of the sunrise, the personification of dawn

 

Khepri, god of Egypt
Discover the legends and myths and religious beliefs surrounding Khepri, the Egyptian creator and solar god of the sunrise, the personification of dawn. Khepri was represented as a human with the head of a scarab beetle or simply by the form of just the scarab beetle. The Scarab was one of the most potent symbols of ancient Egypt primarily symbolizing the  sun, resurrection, transformation and protection. Additional, interesting facts and information about ancient Egypt, and its mysterious gods and goddesses, is also available via:

Who was Khepri?
Khepri was the Egyptian creator god of the sunrise, the personification of dawn.

Facts about Khepri
The following facts and profile provides a fast overview of Khepri:
 

Khepri Profile & Fact File

Egyptian Name:Khepri, His name means "He Who is Coming Into Being". Alternate names: Khepera, Khepra, Khepri, Khopri, Kheprer, or Chepera
 
Role & Function:The function of Khepri is described as being the solar god of the sunrise, the personification of dawn
 
Status:A creator god, revered throughout ancient Egypt
 
Symbols:The Scarab, the Ankh, the Was Scepter
 
Cult Center:Egyptologists have not located a specific cult center dedicated to Khepri but he was worshipped at Heliopolis a center for the worship of the sun god
 
Titles:The "Being", the "Extant"
 
Name in Hieroglyphics:
Translation of Hieroglyphics for Khepri: Phonetic: kpr symbol meaning dung beetle, become, emerge. Sound sign for letter 'R'. Shu feather and seated god

 

The Egyptian solar gods and Goddesses

 

Khepri in Egyptian Mythology
Khepri, the Egyptian solar god of the sunrise, the personification of dawn, featured in the stories, myths and legends in Egyptian Mythology. The Egyptian name for the dung beetle was 'hpri' meaning "rising from, come into being itself, to change"  and became the divine name Khepri, given to the creation god, who represented the rising sun particularly relating to when the sun first rises from the Underworld. Originally, Khepri represented the sun from sunrise to sunset, although the oldest texts describe him setting in the western horizon at dusk.

The Scarab Beetle - Symbol of Khepri
The symbol of Khepri was the scarab beetle that was also called the dung beetle because of its practice of rolling a ball of dung across the ground which it then used  as a source of food. The Scarab symbolized the sun because the ancient Egyptians saw a connection between the scarab beetle rolling the dung and Khepri rolling the sun to bring the dawn each day and its light shining on the Earth. In their religion the scarab was also a symbol of immortality, resurrection, transformation and protection. The scarab was therefore used in many aspects of funerary art. The life of the scarab beetle revolved around the dung balls that were eaten by the beetles, they laid their eggs in the dung balls, and fed their young on the content. The dung ball of the scarab therefore represented a cycle of rebirth. When the eggs hatched the scarab beetle would seem to appear from nowhere - a symbol of spontaneous creation, resurrection, and transformation.

Khepri scarab symbol

Picture of Khepri, scarab-headed god

Picture of Khepri, scarab headed god

The Role of Khepri
Khepri was believed to do just the same as the scarab beetle, only, instead of a ball of dung, Khepri rolled the sun from the Underworld to the eastern sky, thus renewing the sun so as to permit life to thrive on earth.

Khepri scarab god on boat

Khepri in Egyptian Art - Amulets and Talismans
The Scarab was one of the most potent symbols of ancient Egypt primarily symbolizing the  sun, resurrection, transformation and protection. A scarab amulet provided the wearer with protection and confidence in the certain knowledge of reincarnation. The black scarab beetle was therefore revered as a symbol of rebirth and scarab amulets and talismans, carved from valuable stones, were buried with mummies. The ancient Egyptians believed that a sacred scarab amulet or talisman would provide them with courage in the Underworld when the heart was weighed against the feather of truth during the  ceremony of justification in the Hall of the Two Truths. Millions of amulets and talismans were made in ancient Egypt depicting the scarab beetle for both the rich and the poor. There were many different types of scarab amulets and talismans that were inscribed with text and used for different purposes such as seals, marriage, spells, good wishes and heart scarab amulets.

Khepri in Egyptian Art - Heart Scarabs
A Heart Scarab amulet was much larger than ordinary scarab amulets and talismans, often flanked with falcon’s wings. A Heart Scarab amulet was often placed over the heart of mummies and inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead entreating the heart with the text "do not stand as a witness against me."

 

Khepri

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  • The Egyptian solar scarab god of the sunrise
  • Stories and Legends in Egyptian Mythology associated with Khepri
  • Facts and information about the gods and deities of of classical Egypt for schools, research and kids
  • The Egyptian scarab god

The Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

 

History and Facts about Khepri in Egyptian Mythology
Discover interesting information and research facts about Khepri, the Egyptian solar god of the sunrise, the personification of dawn. The facts about Khepri provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Khepri in Egyptian Mythology.

History, Mythology and Facts about Khepri

Fact 1:The symbol of the scarab beetle was also known as the 'Khepher'
Fact 2:Khepri was believed to be a self-created god
Fact 3:Khepri was first mentioned in the Pyramid Texts
Fact 4:Many pharaohs incorporated the name of Khepri with their own.
Fact 5:

Egyptologists have not located a specific cult center dedicated to Khepri but he was worshipped at Heliopolis that was dedicated to the sun god, however it is believed that there was probably a statue or colossal stone scarab on a plinth at most Egyptian temples.

Fact 6:Khepri is closely connected to the sun gods Atum and Ra
Fact 7:Khepri was believed to roll the disk of the morning sun over the eastern horizon at daybreak
 

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