One of his main roles was ''The Guardian of the Scales''. He was independent, sometimes helpful, but sometimes punished humans as well.

Mummifying Millions: Operation of the Animal Cult Industry of Ancient EgyptĪnubis was one of the deities that could also work against humans.

Cynocephaly and the mythological dog-headed human.

Mummifying Millions: The Canine Catacombs and the Animal Cult Industry of Ancient Egypt.

This changed during the Middle Kingdom period, but Anubis continued to be one of the most important deities. It seems that during the reign of the first dynasties he was even more significant than Osiris. For example, a shrine and a cemetery of mummified dogs and jackals was discovered at Anubeion, a place located to the east of Saqqara. His name appears in the oldest known mastabas (mud-brick tombs) of the First Dynasty and several shrines to the god have been found. The major centers of his cult were located in Asyut (Lycopolis) and Hardai (Cynopolis). To date, archaeologists have not unearthed any monumental temple dedicated to this god. Anubis was also known as “Imy-ut” ('He Who is in the Place of Embalming') and 'nub-tA-djser' ('lord of the sacred land').Īnubis attending the mummy of the deceased. This name has the same root as a word which means ‘a royal child.’ Moreover, it is also related to the word “inp”, meaning “to decay”. In the ancient Egyptian language, he was called Anpu or Inpu.

It is interesting to note however, that the name “Anubis” was unknown before the Greeks arrived in Egypt.

This god was first mentioned during the First Dynasty period, but it is possible that future research may show that he was present even before then. He was known since the earliest periods in the history of the civilization that was based near the Nile River. As god of embalming and the dead, the afterlife and lost souls, Anubis is one of the most prominent and mystical gods of ancient Egypt.

Jackal egypt