Ancient Egyptian Amulet of the Soul

This amulet was made of gold inlaid with precious stones in the form of a human-headed hawk, and, when the words of the LXXXIXth Chapter of the Book of the Dead had been recited over it, it was directed by the rubric to the Chapter to be placed upon the breast of the deceased. The object of the amulet is apparent from the text in which the deceased is made to say, “Hail, thou god Anniu! Hail, thou god Pehrer, who dwellest in thy hall! Grant thou that my soul may come unto me from wheresoever it may be. If it would tarry, then let my soul be brought unto me from wheresoever it may be…

Let me have possession of my soul and of my spirit, and let me be true of voice with them wheresoever they may be… Hail, ye gods, who tow along the boat of the lord of millions of years, who bring it above the underworld, and who make it to travel over Nut, who make souls to enter into their spiritual bodies,…grant that the soul of the Osiris 1 “may come forth before the gods, and that it may be true of voice with you in the east of the sky, and follow unto the place where it was yesterday, and enjoy twofold peace in Amentet. May it look upon its natural body, may it rest upon its spiritual body, and may its body neither perish nor suffer corruption forever!” Thus, the amulet of the soul was intended to enable the soul both to unite with the mummified body and to be with its spirit (khu) and spiritual body at will.

The Amulet of the Buckle

This amulet represents the buckle of the girdle of Isis and is usually made of carnelian, red jasper, red glass, and other red substances; it is sometimes made of gold or of substances covered with gold. It is always associated with the CLVIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead, which is frequently inscribed upon it, and which reads:– “The blood of Isis, and the strength of Isis, and the words of power of Isis shall be mighty to act as powers to protect this great and divine being, and to guard him from him that would do unto him anything that he holdeth in abomination.”

But before the buckle was attached to the neck of the deceased, where the rubric ordered it to be placed, it had to be dipped in water in which ankham flowers had been steeped; and when the words of the Chapter of the Buckle given above had been recited over it, the amulet brought to the deceased the protection of the blood of Isis, and of her words of power. It will be remembered that she raised the dead body of Osiris by means of her words of power, and there is a legend that she smote the Sun-god Ra with severe sickness by the magical power she possessed. Another object of the buckle was to give the deceased access to every place in the underworld, and to enable him to have “one hand towards heaven, and one hand towards earth.”

The amulet of the collar of gold

This amulet was intended to give the deceased power to free himself from his swathings; it is ordered by the rubric to the CLVIIIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead to be placed on his neck on the day of the funeral, and to be made of gold. The text of the Chapter reads:–“O my father, my brother, my mother Isis, I am unswathed, and I see. I am one of those who are unswathed and who see the god Seb.” This amulet is very rare and appears to have been the expression of beliefs that grew up during the XXVIth dynasty, about B.C. 550.

The Egyptian Amulet of the Heart

The Heart’s Symbolic Role in Ancient Egypt

In ancient Egyptian belief, the heart was not only seen as the center of life but also the origin of both virtuous and evil thoughts. It sometimes symbolized the conscience. After death, the heart was given special attention—it was mummified separately and stored with the lungs in a jar under the protection of the god Tuamutef.

Its preservation was so crucial that a specific passage was added early on in the Book of the Dead to ensure that the deceased would be provided with a heart, in case the original was removed during mummification.

Invocation from the Book of the Dead

The text reads:

“May my heart be with me in the House of Hearts! May my breast be with me in the House of Hearts! May my heart be with me, and may it rest there, or I shall not eat of the cakes of Osiris on the eastern side of the Lake of Flowers, neither shall I have a boat wherein to go down the Nile, nor another wherein to go up…”

This powerful declaration granted the deceased various abilities in the afterlife, such as walking, speaking, sailing, and rising into the heavens. Upon uttering it, the deceased was believed to gain mastery over their heart, double (ka), and soul, thus allowing them to move freely and act at will in the next world.

Priestly Origins and Symbolic Material

The mention of the gods Ptah and Sekhet suggests this chapter originated with the Memphite priesthood and dates back to very early Egyptian religious thought. According to the Papyrus of Nekhtu-Amen, the amulet of the heart referenced in this chapter was to be made of lapis-lazuli—a stone believed to hold protective powers.

One tradition claims that the LXIVth Chapter of the Book of the Dead was found written in lapis-lazuli letters during the reign of King Hesep-ti (ca. 4300 B.C.). This further emphasizes the sacred status of both the text and the stone.

Protecting the Heart from Evil

Even if a heart was spiritually returned via the chapter, the deceased needed protection from malevolent forces, particularly a hybrid monster that sought out hearts to steal. To prevent this, at least seven chapters (XXVII–XXXB) of the Book of the Dead were dedicated to the heart’s defense.

Chapter XXVII: The White Stone Amulet

This chapter was associated with a white, semi-transparent stone amulet. It includes a plea:

“Hail, ye who carry away hearts! … Take ye not this heart of Osiris into your grasp…”

The text implores divine beings to leave the heart unharmed, declaring that it belongs to Osiris and must remain with him as a symbol of righteousness and power.

Chapter XXIXB: The Carnelian Amulet

Linked with a carnelian heart amulet, the text reads:

“I am the Bennu, the soul of Ra, and the guide of the gods who are in the underworld…”

The Bennu bird, representing rebirth and the soul of both Ra and Osiris, endowed the amulet with protective energy from both major gods.

The Most Revered Chapter: XXXB

Among all heart-related chapters, Chapter XXXB was the most revered. Its religious significance cannot be overstated. As recorded in the Papyrus of Nu (XVIIIth Dynasty), this chapter dates back to King Hesep-ti and may serve as a companion to Chapter LXIV, which aims to summarize the essence of the Book of the Dead.

Connection to Hordjedef and the Scarab

According to the longer version in the same papyrus, this chapter is linked to Hordjedef, son of Khufu (Cheops), a wise man of renown. The rubric instructs that the words be recited over a hard green stone scarab, to be placed in the chest where the heart would have been. The scarab served not just as a symbol but also performed the powerful ritual of “opening the mouth,” allowing the deceased to speak and function in the afterlife.

Text of Chapter XXXB

“My heart, my mother; my heart, my mother! My heart whereby I came into being! May naught stand up to oppose me at [my] judgment…”

This invocation is addressed to the deceased’s own heart, emphasizing its divine role as both origin and judge. It was likely recited in the Hall of Judgment, while the heart was weighed against the feather of Ma’at (truth and justice). In some versions, the deceased is weighed against their heart directly—a unique interpretation of moral accountability.

Final Reflection: The Scribe Nebsent

Some papyri depict the deceased, such as the scribe Nebsent, being weighed against their heart in Osiris’s presence. This symbolic judgment reflected the deep importance of the heart—not only in maintaining life but in determining eternal destiny.

The amulet of the papyrus sceptre

This amulet was intended to give the deceased vigour and renewal of youth; it was made of mother-of-emerald, or of light green or blue porcelain, and, when the words of the CLIXth Chapter of the Book of the Dead had been recited over it, it was placed on his neck on the day of the funeral. In the XXVIth dynasty and later, it seems as if the amulet represented the power of Isis, who derived it from her father, the husband of Renenet, the goddess of abundant harvests and food. At an earlier period, judging from the text of the CLXth Chapter, the amulet is put by the godThoth into the hands of the deceased, who says, “It is in sound state, and I am in sound state; it is not injured, and I am not injured; it is not worn away, and I am not worn away.”

The amulet of the pillow

The amulet of the pillow This amulet is a model of the pillow which is found placed under the neck of the mummy in the coffin, and its object is to “lift up” and to protect the head of the deceased; it is usually made of hematite, and is inscribed with the text of the CLXVIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead, which reads: “Thou art lifted up, O sick one that liest prostrate. They lift up thy head to the horizon, thou art raised up, and dost triumph by reason of what hath been done for thee. Ptah hath overthrown thine enemies, which were ordered to be done for thee. Thou art Horus, the son of Hathor,… who givest back the head after the slaughter. Thy head shall not be carried away from thee after [the slaughter], thy head shall never, never be carried away from thee.”

The Egyptian Amulet of the Scarab

Origins and Symbolism of the Scarab Amulet

The scarab amulet, closely linked to the heart amulet, was shaped like a scarab beetle from a very early period in Egyptian history. References to the scarab can be traced back to the Pyramid-building era, and even then, the beliefs associated with it were already considered ancient.

Egyptians reasoned that since the physical heart was removed before mummification, a substitute was needed—one that could act as a new source of life in the afterlife. While stone hearts made of materials like lapis-lazuli or carnelian had protective properties through ritual prayer, they lacked innate vitality. The scarab, however, was believed to possess life-giving power.

Spiritual Power of the Scarab Beetle

The scarab beetle, particularly the dung beetle (Scarabaeus sacer), became a sacred symbol of renewal and life. Egyptians believed that if a scarab figure was crafted and inscribed with proper “words of power,” it could not only protect the deceased’s heart but also grant new life.

The scarab symbolized Khepera, the god of creation, who was associated with the morning sun and the force that rolled the sun across the sky—much like how dung beetles roll their spherical egg-laden balls. The connection between the beetle and the rising sun strengthened its association with rebirth, transformation, and resurrection.

Natural Behavior and Mythic Interpretation

The species used for inspiration belonged to the Lamellicorn beetles, often dark in color, though some had brilliant metallic hues. These beetles had unique hind leg structures that helped them roll dung balls, which served as both food and a nursery for their larvae. The Egyptians mythologized this behavior, seeing it as symbolic of cosmic creation and rebirth.

According to ancient writers such as Aelian, Porphyry, and Horapollo, scarabs were believed to be self-generating, with no female beetles. This led to the belief that they were “only begotten,” further cementing their divine status. The rolling of the dung ball was interpreted as symbolic of the sun’s journey across the sky.

The Scarab as a Resurrection Symbol

Khepera, and by extension the scarab, came to represent dormant but living matter—life awaiting resurrection. Similarly, the deceased body was thought to contain the spiritual germ of life, which could be awakened by prayers and funerary rites. Just as the beetle gave life to its offspring from within the ball, so too could the scarab amulet give spiritual life to the dead.

In fact, to this day, in some regions of Sudan and Egypt, dried scarabs are still used in fertility remedies, believed to promote large families. Ancient Egyptians also used scarabs in protective magical rituals, including boiling the beetle and mixing it with serpent oil to ward off sorcery.

Material and Design Varieties

Scarab amulets were crafted in vast numbers using materials like green basalt, granite, limestone, marble, blue glass, colored paste, and glazed porcelain. The base often bore inscriptions of spells and sacred symbols. Some scarabs featured human heads, or backs adorned with the boat of Ra, the Bennu bird, or the Eye of Horus.

Green stone scarabs were commonly set in gold, often with a gold band across the wings or a gilded back. Occasionally, the base was shaped like a heart—highlighting the deep symbolic connection between heart and scarab amulets.

Funerary Use and Artistic Flourishing

By around 1200 B.C., large funeral scarabs were embedded in pectorals shaped like pylons. These were made of multicolored porcelain and depicted the Sun’s boat carrying the scarab. Flanking the boat were Isis and Nephthys. The oldest known green stone funerary scarab (British Museum No. 29,224) dates to the XIth Dynasty (ca. 2600 B.C.) and was found in Kurna, near Thebes.

As burial customs evolved, the scarab transitioned into a fashionable ornament for the living. Countless variations were created, limited only by the imagination of the artisans. The use of the scarab spread beyond Egypt into Western Asia and the Mediterranean.

The Scarab in Greek and Roman Magic

Even during the Greco-Roman period, the scarab retained its mystical importance. A magical papyrus translated by Goodwin describes a ritual called the “ceremony of the beetle,” where a carved emerald scarab was consecrated with incense, sacred ointments, and offerings.

The ceremony prescribed:

“Place the scarab on a table draped in pure linen, offer myrrh and kyphi in a censer, anoint it with a mixture of lilies, cinnamon, or myrrh… Then recite the spell beginning, ‘I am Thoth, the inventor and founder of medicines and letters…'”

The ritual emphasized purification, timing (specific days of the month), and orientation to the East—aligning the practitioner with divine forces and the rising sun.

The amulet of the Tet

This amulet probably represents the tree trunk in which the goddess Isis concealed the dead body of her husband, and the four cross-bars indicate the four cardinal points; it became a symbol of the highest religious importance to the Egyptians, and the setting up of the Tet at Busiris, which symbolized the reconstituting of the body of Osiris, was one of the most solemn of all the ceremonies performed in connexion with the worship of Osiris.

The Tet does not represent either the mason’s table or a Nilometer, as some have thought. It is always associated with the CLVth Chapter of the Book of the Dead, which reads: “Rise up thou, O Osiris! Thou hast thy backbone, O Still-Heart! Thou hast the fastenings of thy neck and back, O Still-Heart! Place thou thyself upon The mummy of Ani the scribe, lying on a bier, attended by Isis, Nephthys, Anubis, the four children of Horus, the ushabti figure, his soul, the TET, etc. “thy base, I put water beneath thee, and I bring unto thee a Tet of gold that thou mayest rejoice therein.”

Like the buckle, the Tet had to be dipped in the water in which ankham flowers had been steeped, and laid upon the neck of the deceased, to whom it gave the power to reconstitute the body and to become a perfect KHU (i.e., spirit) in the underworld. On coffins, the right hand of the deceased grasps the buckle, and the left the Tet; both are made of wood, notwithstanding the fact that the rubric to the Chapter of the Te orders the Tet to be made of gold.

The amulet of the vulture

This amulet was intended to cause the power of Isis as the “divine mother” to be a protection for the deceased, and was made of gold in the form of a vulture hovering in the air with outstretched wings and holding in each talon the symbol of “life” and was placed on the neck on the day of the funeral. With this amulet, the CLVIIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead was associated, and it was ordered by the rubric to be recited over it; this text reads:

“Isis cometh and hovereth over the city, and she goeth about seeking the secret habitations of Horus as he emergeth from his papyrus swamps, and she raiseth up his shoulder which is in evil case. He is made one of the company in the divine boat, and the sovereignty of the whole world is decreed for him. He hath warred mightily, and he maketh his deeds to be remembered; he hath made the fear of him to exist and awe of him to have its being. His mother, the mighty lady, protecteth him, and she hath transferred her power unto him.”

The first allusion is to the care that Isis shewed for Horus when she was bringing him up in the papyrus swamps, and the second is to his combat with Set, whom he vanquished through the might of Isis.