Heart scarab of Nek
Green steatite. h. 5.9 cm, l. 4 cm, w. 2.3 cm
Late Period (664 - 332 BC).
Unknown provenance
Cat. 5995
There were many types of scarab amulets in ancient Egypt, however the best known is certainly that of heart scarab, whose first example dates back from the 17th Dynasty. It is a large amulet, generally green in colour, inscribed at the base with Chapter XXXB of the Book of the Dead. The function of the scarab was that of keeping safe the deceased’s heart which, unlike the other organs, was not placed in a specific container, but was treated with resins, oils and bandages and then placed back in the thoracic cavity. The scarab, therefore, was placed in the chest and a magic formula carved on its base ensured that the deceased went through Osiris’ judgement unscathed.
Nek’s scarab is in green schist, and is an object of exquisite workmanship. As it is custom, it bears chapter XXXB of the Book of the Dead on its base, while its back is carved with the hieroglyphic sign for the Benu bird, the symbol of rebirth and resurrection after death, which was supposed to enhance its amuletic power.