Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-08-14
A TUMBLE BUG.
A Symbol Worshiped by Eastern
Nations.

or LlnnacuS, Is found III this country
from Maine to Texas, and in Tennes-
see during the spring time they are
often seen in myriads, shaping and
rolling their balls in the freshly fer
tilted burrows. This insect of the
beetle family, is identical with the
Sacred Beetle of the ancient Egyp-
tians, andin no particular differs from
it, either in form, color or habit.
1t was held in the greatest venera-
ton by ancient nations of intelli-
gence; those who represented the adj
vanced civilization of the period. 1t
can be traced back to the gray dawn
of civilization; even to a time before
Egypt was inhabited; and the reli-
gious feeling connected with it, eX-
tended through Asia Minor, Ph@ni-
cha, Greece and Etruria. The Egyp-
tians held it sacred to Amun-Ra,
the Sun God and their symbol of the
sun, of immortality, of the creative
power, and was connected with as
Economical and funeral rites.
OF the sun, for the reason that one
variety (also abundant in TENNESSEE,
has diverging from its head in fam
like shape, brilliancy resembling
rays Of the sun. 1t rolls up by the
action of its legs ball of dirt that
contains its egg, which is eventually
buried, and thus became the symbol
of reproduction. The number of its
toes, thirty, symbolized the days of
the month and themovement of the
ball, the motion of the sun. 1t was
the first living creature seen coming
to life from the mud of the Nile after
the subsistence of its waters and was
supposed to be only of the male spe-
cies, and as such, signifying self-be-
gotten, or self-eXistent. 1t was wor-
SHIPPED when alive and embalmed
when dead, being placed either next
to the skin on the breast of the de-
ceased, or inside the closed left hand.
In past years, thousands of num-
my cases have been broken open and
the bodies they contained destroyed
by vandals in searching for the sacred
scarab, sometimes realizing large
prices for fine specimens, valuable as
historical relics in the cabinet of the
antiquarian.
To the Egyptian, the representa-
ton of scarab was sacred,
and it was carried as n charm
or amulet, being in that form
the earliest engraving OH stones
known, and they were cut in various
materials; the Oldest of those found,
being Steatite or soft limestone. The
most used materiel was granite, jas
per, serpentine and verde antique; a
few were engraved from emeral, cor
nelian and amethyst, but these are
extremely rare.
At first, carved representations of
the beetle contained no inscription,
the under part representing the legs
of the scarab folded under it, but SUBJ
sequently that part was finished fiat
and engraved either with hieroglyp-
les or the representation of deity, so
that it might be used for a seal. The
earliest manner of wearing the scarab
was by stringing it, so that it could
be worn pendant to a necklace, the
back engraved and serving as the
pivate seal of the wearer; subsequent
ly it became the custom to perforate
them longitudinally so that by pass
ing wire through the perforation it
could be shaped into and worn as a
finger ring on the forefinger of the
left hand, as that finger was thought
by the Egyptians to contain nerve
leading directly to the heart. The
inscriptions run from right to left and
the engraved part was turned in,
next the flesh. Those found on mum
mics embalmed most extensively
sometimes have bodies of stone with
extended wings as if flying, these
wings being occasionally of metal
and the forelegs clasping represen-
tatiOn Of the sun.
A few years ago the BOulak Mu-
scum at Cairo, containing bushels OF
Searches was robbed. The thief well
versed in Egyptologypassed by num-
erous specimens intrinsically valua-
bic for the delicacy of their workman
ship or the genus from which they
were carved and only took some 81
OF 100, ofno apparent worth as tC
workmanship or materiel, but which
were of ineStimable value, as in the
whole museum they were the only
ones which illustrated a particular
Dynasty and could never be replaced