1. A scarabaeid beetle, especially Scarabaeus sacer, regarded as sacred by the ancient Egyptians.
2. A representation of this beetle, such as a ceramic or stone sculpture or a cut gem, used in ancient Egypt as a talisman and a symbol of the soul.

The Ancient Egyptians considered the scarab beetles as being sacred and were revered as a symbol of the resurrection and the enduring human soul. The dung beetle came to represent the Egyptian morning sun god, Khepri, and the the Egyptians believed that scarab beetles rolled the sun across the sky the same way they do a ball of dung across the sands.

They also thought that the beetles were symbols of rebirth, because of the way the parent beetle would bury itself underground and the newly hatched adults would emerge.

The Ancient Egyptians carved stones into the shape of scarab beetles as good luck charms. Although most people no longer believe they are sacred, scarab beetles are very important to the ecosystems of many parts of world.