The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-08-13
History of
the Scarab

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The origin of the scarab is not
known. AS far as we have learned ii
was a strong factor in the daily life
OF the ancient Egyptian, in that age
OF the worlds history, when the hui
man race was still very young, and
man communicated with the gods.
Many stories have written about the
scarab. The truth concerning these
little stones is somewhat different
from the popular idea so closely in
terwoven with the history of this earl
lest symbolic expression of life after
death, that has reached our day. The
scarab as we know it to day, is a stone
image of the beetle. To the old
Egyptians the beetle was a smybol of
fertility and Immortality. Hence it
become an object of great generation
and religious symbolism. To them it
represented what the cross stands for
to day among Christian peoples, and
occupied prominent place in the So
clal, political and religious life of the
nation. Consequently images of the
beetle were reproduced in great num-
bers, and were made out of a green or
blue flint, granite, basalt, and more
precious stones, such as Jasper.
amethyst, lapis-lazuli, carnelian and
glass. Scarabs or scarabaeus are
found in mummies and tombs and in
the ruins of the temples, and are div
ided into three classes: funeral, orna-
mental and historical scarabs. Used
as ornaments they made splendid set
tlngS tor rings, bracelets, necklaces
Ia
these little stone beetles were put to
was Of religious nature. The winged
scarab was part of the symbolic or
namentation Of every temple gate and
doorway. To be buried without hav-
ing one or more of these sacred emb-
lens of the beetle on or about ones
body, was to invite eternal damnation.
Therefore are the most valuable finds
made in the collins of the dead. No
matter OF how humble station in life
the deceased had come, some scarabs
are TO be found on the mummy.
Naturally the rich and the mighty
dead were ornamented with scarabs
of greater value than his poorer bre-
therein.
Glass distinction then, as now, was
a strong factor in national life. The
poor, or lower classes, were in the
majority, and as at this age furnished
fuel to feed the flame of national
hatred. A scarab found on the body
OF great king or some parsonage of
note, is more desirable and Of greater
value, than one found on the BODY or
mummy of commoner which is per-
fectly natural. Hence the great value
set upon some scarabs. Often the
cartouche or seal of the person
wearing it is thereon splendidly en-
graved. A scarab taken from the num-
my say of the great Pharaoh Ramases
ii, would be priceless at this age,
more so owing to its historic as
soclation, than its particular intrinsic
value
OF course the age has lot to do
in determining the value Collectors
of artworks and curios, in their en-
deavor to possess the best, coupled
with the evcrgrowing scarcity of the
genuine scarab, had much to do with
the prohibitive prices prevailing at
this time. AS a consequence, Egypt
is to day flooded with vendors of
spurious scarabs and other curios.
However, all good and genuine scar
abs are duly described and recorded
under government supervision. One
can easily ascertain the true from the
false, by comparing them with these
records. That the scarab was held in
esteem by the early Christians is evil
denced in St. Ambrose, who calls
Jesus The Good Scarabaeus."
So. its potential influence on the
peoples of the ancient world is ap-
parent. Mysticism and romance con
trlbuted their share in inspiring manv
modern writers of fiction and litera
ture abounds in treatises on the
scarab viewed from many angles.
Some of the finest and most COM
plete collections of scarabs are to be
found in the worlds great museums;
but one of the best is in the Metro
politan Museum in New York, the pift
OF the former Miss Helen Gould,
This is in brief the story of the
scarab. Oblivious to the world for
more than four thousand years,
Phoenix-like it re-appears on the
worlds stage, and today as of wore
1t IS Dame Fashions most coveted
rrlZe. Notwithstanding its hoary age
and many centuries Of oblivion. il
again, like the beetle it represents
comes to life and demands recogni
ton, from at least the social element
OF society and is still striving for the
fulillment of its nilsson.
After lying buried throughout the
ages amidst the splendor of dead row
atty on the banks of the Nile. it again
somes to light, to claim that which II
originally represented Immortality"
LOUIS SCHNABEL.