The scarab beetle god representing the rising sun is Khepri.
In ancient Egyptian religion, Khepri embodied the morning sun and the daily renewal of life. He was commonly shown as a scarab, a scarab-headed man, or a scarab lifting the solar disk. The imagery connected the beetle’s movement with the sun’s journey across the sky.
Khepri’s name comes from the Egyptian verb kheper, meaning “to come into being,” “develop,” or “create.” This made him more than a solar figure: he also represented creation, transformation, and rebirth. Egyptian tradition often understood the sun’s cycle through different divine forms, with Khepri associated with dawn, Ra with the sun’s daytime power, and Atum with the evening sun.
Khepri is sometimes confused with Ra because both are solar deities, but they are not interchangeable in this context. The scarab specifically signals Khepri’s role in the sun’s rising and renewal.