KHEPRI

Khepri (also spelled Khepera or Kheper) is the god of the rising sun and the symbol of divine transformation. His name is derived from the Egyptian verb ḫpr.

Ancient Egyptian Name	𓎡𓐍𓂋𓊪𓂋 (Ḫpr)
Phonetic Pronunciation	Khep-ree
Literal Meaning	“He Who Comes Into Being” / “The One Who Becomes”
Cosmic Role	Dawn, Renewal, Self-Creation

His name encapsulates the very act of creation itself—not just in the past, but the active process of being renewed every single morning.

Khepri is not merely a solar god; he is the specific aspect of Ra that represents hope and new beginnings. While Ra represents the established power of the sun at noon, Khepri is the force that pushes the sun above the horizon, breaking the darkness of the underworld.

The Egyptians viewed the sun's journey as a lifespan that repeated daily. Khepri is the youthful phase of this cycle.

Time of Day	Solar Form	Symbolic Meaning
Morning	Khepri	Birth, Youth, Resurrection
Midday	Ra	Adulthood, Power, Governance
Evening	Atum	Old Age, Wisdom, Completion

Khepri is inextricably linked to the Scarab Beetle (Dung Beetle). Ancient Egyptians observed these beetles rolling balls of dung across the desert sands, which mirrored the movement of the sun across the sky.

Spontaneous Generation

They also noticed that young beetles emerged from these balls (where eggs had been laid). This led to the belief that the beetle—and by extension, the sun—was self-created, born from its own substance without the need for a partner.

Khepri is visually unique in the Egyptian pantheon:

• The Beetle: Often shown simply as a large scarab beetle.
• Beetle-Headed Man: A human body with a full scarab beetle in place of a head.
• Solar Pusher: Depicted pushing the solar disk upwards from the underworld into the sky.

Like Atum, Khepri is a creator god. In many texts, he states: "I am he who came into being as Khepri." He represents the spark of life within the primeval waters of Nun that decided to exist. He is the "catalyst" of creation.

Khepri embodies the optimistic belief that death is not the end. Just as the sun "dies" every evening and is reborn as Khepri every morning, the human soul can achieve eternal renewal. He represents the concept of "becoming"—constant evolution and change.

While he had few large temples compared to Amun or Ra, Khepri was intimately worshipped by the people through amulets. Millions of scarab amulets (seals, jewelry, rings) have been found, worn by kings and commoners alike to attract the power of renewal and protection.

Primary Role	God of Rising Sun & Rebirth
Sacred Animal	Scarab Beetle
Key Concept	Self-Creation (Coming into Being)
Funerary Role	Heart Scarab (Spell 30B)
Solar Phase	Dawn / Morning