In the hallowed chambers of Tutankhamun’s tomb, nestled within the heart of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, lies a sacred sanctuary dedicated to the revered goddess Selket. For centuries, this enigmatic figure has intrigued scholars and captivated the imagination with her unique blend of beauty, power, and mystery. Now, as the secrets of Tutankhamun’s domed temple are brought to light, new insights into the worship of Selket and her significance in ancient Egyptian culture are revealed.

Selket, also known as Serqet, is a deity associated with protection, healing, and the afterlife—a guardian of the pharaohs and a custodian of divine secrets. Often depicted as a woman with the body of a scorpion or as a scorpion itself, she symbolizes both the dangers of venom and the power to overcome them, making her a fitting guardian for the tombs of Egypt’s elite.

Spreading her arms in protection, a gilded wooden statue of the goddess Serket guards a shrine from King Tutankhamun’s tomb. On her head is a scorpion, her identifying feature. Inside the shrine stood a calcite chest containing the jars that held the king’s viscera.

Serket protecting chest of canopic shrine of Tutankhamun

Magic was also joined with medical practice: to make a treatment more effective, the doctor pronounced magic formulas identifying himself with a deity.

Among the divine creatures invoked, there is also the goddess Serket, often represented with a scorpion on her head, to heal the bites of poisonous creatures.