hey symbolize by this, an _only begotten_; because the scarabaeus
is a creature self-produced, being unconceived by a female; for the
propagation of it is unique and after this manner:--when the male is
desirous of procreating, he takes the dung of an ox, and shapes it
into a spherical form like the world; he then rolls it from him by the
hinder parts from East to West, looking himself towards the East, that
he may impart to it the figure of the world (for that is borne from
East to West, while the course of the stars is from West to East;)
then having dug a hole, the scarabaeus deposits this ball in the earth
for the space of twenty-eight days, (for in so many days the moon
passes through the twelve signs of the zodiac.) By thus remaining
under the moon, the race of scarabaei is endued with life; and upon
the nine and twentieth day after, having opened the ball, it casts it
into the water, for it is aware, that upon that day the conjunction of
the moon and sun takes place, as well as the generation of the world.
From the ball thus opened in the water, the animals, that is the
scarabaei, issue forth. The scarabaeus also symbolizes _generation_, for
the reason before mentioned;--and a _father_, because the scarabaeus is
engendered by a father only;--and the _world_ because in its
generation it is fashioned in the form of the world;--and a _man_,
because there is not any female race among them. Moreover there are
three species of scarabaei, the first like a cat,[11] and irradiated,
which species they have consecrated to the sun from this similarity;
for they say that the male cat changes the shape of the pupils of his
eyes according to the course of the sun; for in the morning at the
rising of the god, they are dilated, and in the middle of the day
become round, and about sunset, appear less brilliant; whence also,
the statue of the god in the city of the sun[12] is of the form of a
cat. Every scarabaeus also has thirty toes, corresponding to the thirty
days duration of the month, during which the rising sun performs his
course. The second species is the two-horned and bull-formed; which
are consecrated to the moon; whence the children of the Egyptians say,
that the bull in the heavens is the exaltation of this goddess. The
third species is, the one-horned and Ibis-formed, which they regard as
sacred to Hermes (i.e., Thoth.) in like manner as the bird."[13][14]

Horapollo also says: "To denote Hephaestos (Ptah,) they delin