E X T E N S I O N SACRED ANIMALS The scarab beetle in Ancient Egypt the scarab beetle is a common beetle. the ancient Egyptians thought that the young scarab beetle came out naturally from an underground hole1, because the female puts her egg underground. So they worshipped2 it as the scarab beetle Khepera. it means he comes out because they saw it as a symbol of the life cycle. Khepera is a form of the sun-god ra. Kephera has got a human body with a beetle on his head, or sometimes with the beetle as his head. Ancient Egyptians used scarab beetles Khepera. to make lots of amulets3, including winged4 scarabs. the colors were rich and beautiful. Blue symbolized the nile river. red symbolized ra. The cow many religions from india and nepal consider cattle5 sacred. the cow is considered a sacred animal in india and you can t kill it. it is treated as a god in the shape of an animal. in Hinduism7 it is a symbol of wealth, strength and abundance. 1. hole: (here) an underground space. 2. worshipped: showed respect for a god. 3. amulet: a piece of jewelry that some people wear because they think it protects them from bad luck, illness, etc. 4. winged: with wings. 5. cattle: cows and bulls that are kept for their milk and meat. 6. Hinduism: an ancient religion with Indian origins. 17