In Egyptian mythology, Khepri ("scarab") was a scarab-god. The scarab is a type of beetle noted for rolling dung into spherical balls and pushing it, as well as its habit of laying its eggs in animal dung and the bodies of various kinds of dead animals, including other scarabs. Thus, the ancient Egyptians associated the animal with rebirth, renewal and resurrection.

Khepri was a solar deity who pushed the sun (as the scarab pushes the dung) across the sky every day, as well as carrying it safely through the underworld every night.