Egyptian scarab with falcon headed deity flanking a crude cartouche “Menkheperre” (Thutmose III)

ITEM: Scarab with falcon headed deity flanking a crude cartouche “Menkheperre” (Thutmose III)
MATERIAL: Steatite
CULTURE: Egyptian
PERIOD: Post-Ramesside, 1000 - 900 B.C
DIMENSIONS: 12 mm x 9 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex American egyptologist collection, active in the early part of the 20th century, brought to the US with the family in 1954.

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The Egyptians saw the Egyptian scarab (Scarabaeus sacer) as a symbol of renewal and rebirth. The beetle was associated closely with the sun god because scarabs roll large balls of dung in which to lay their eggs, a behavior that the Egyptians thought resembled the progression of the sun through the sky from east to west. Its young were hatched from this ball, and this event was seen as an act of spontaneous self-creation, giving the beetle an even stronger association with the sun god’s creative force. The connection between the beetle and the sun was so close that the young sun god was thought to be reborn in the form of a winged scarab beetle every morning at sunrise. As this young sun god, known as Khepri, rose in the sky, he brought light and life to the land.

Scarab amulets were used for their magical rejuvenating properties by both the living and the dead. Scarabs were used by living individuals as seals from the start of the Middle Kingdom (ca. 2055 BCE) onwards. The most common inscription for these scarabs was the owner’s name. The incised design was often a schematic combination of hieroglyphs and geometric patterning. Patterns could often denote the specific administrative office held by the wearer.

Scarabs were also often rendered naturalistically in the round. The regenerative powers of scarabs of this nature could be used by either the living or the dead for healing and protection during quotidian activities or during a deceased person’s passage into the afterlife. The striking red/orange color of this amulet’s carnelian strengthens its solar associations.

Thutmose III, often referred to as the Napoleon of Egypt, was one of the most illustrious pharaohs of the New Kingdom, reigning from approximately 1479 to 1425 BCE. He ascended to the throne after the death of his stepmother, Hatshepsut, although he had been co-regent with her for several years. Thutmose III's reign is marked by his military prowess, administrative reforms, and ambitious construction projects. He is credited with expanding Egypt’s empire to its greatest territorial extent, stretching from Nubia in the south to the Euphrates River in the north, significantly increasing Egypt’s influence and wealth. His military campaigns, especially the famous Battle of Megiddo, solidified his reputation as a skilled strategist and warrior, and he brought back vast amounts of tribute, enriching the Egyptian state.

In addition to his military achievements, Thutmose III was a prolific builder and patron of the arts. He undertook numerous construction projects, including the enlargement of the Temple of Amun at Karnak, where he also commissioned an impressive set of records known as the Annals of Thutmose III. These records were inscribed on the walls of the temple, detailing his military campaigns and the tribute he received from conquered territories. He also built several temples and monuments across Egypt, further solidifying his legacy as a great ruler. Thutmose III’s contributions to Egyptian religion and statecraft were equally notable, as he implemented several reforms to strengthen the monarchy and enhance its central authority.

Thutmose III’s reign was not only a period of expansion and construction but also of cultural flourishing. Under his rule, Egypt enjoyed prosperity, with the king fostering a climate of intellectual and artistic innovation. The king was also a patron of the arts, commissioning statues, reliefs, and inscriptions that celebrated his military victories and divine status. Thutmose III’s legacy is also reflected in his funerary monument, the Tomb of Thutmose III in the Valley of the Kings, and his mummified remains, which were discovered in the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari in 1881. His reign, marked by strategic military conquests, monumental construction, and cultural achievements, left a lasting impact on Egyptian history and established him as one of the greatest pharaohs of the New Kingdom.