Valley of the Kings Of course, I knew of the significance of scarab beetles in ancient Egyptian culture before visiting the country. I had read that these humble insects symbolised rebirth, protection and the eternal cycle of life. When scarab beetles rolled balls of dung in the morning, it was as if they were rolling out the golden orb itself so they were connected with the sun god Ra. Visiting tombs and temples in The Nile Valley I was drawn to several images of scarab beetles in the hieroglyphs and stone carvings. It seemed that when you looked they were everywhere - venerated and yet one of the humblest creatures of all. As a souvenir gift for Phoebe I picked a golden scarab ornament that she could place on her window ledge. Maybe one day - when she is learning about Egypt at school - she will remember to take her special beetle in for other children to see. And I bought myself a carved stone scarab beetle from Hopi's shop on the waterfront at Luxor. He had several ver...
