Anubis was an ancient Egyptian god of the dead, represented as a jackal or a man with the head of a jackal. Anubis is sometimes also called Anpu.

Anubis

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

For Students

Al-Jizah. Giza Necropolis, Giza Plateau, Cairo, Egypt. Side view of Sphinx with the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) rising in the background. The sides of all three of the Giza pyramids are astronomically oriented to be north-south, east-west (see notes)

Pop Quiz: 18 Things to Know About Ancient Egypt

Anubis

Q: What was the role of Anubis?

In the Early Dynastic period and the Old Kingdom, Anubis had a preeminent position as lord of the dead. He was associated with the funerary cult and the care of the dead, and his later role was as the “conductor of souls.” He was also reputed to be the inventor of embalming, an art he first employed on the corpse of Osiris .

Q: Which ancient Greek god is Anubis associated with?

In his later role as the “conductor of souls,” the Greco-Roman world sometimes identified Anubis with Hermes in the composite deity Hermanubis.

Egyptian god

Also known as: Anpu

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Nov 4, 2024 • Article History

Also called:: Anpu

See all related content

Who is Anubis?

What was the role of Anubis?

Which ancient Greek god is Anubis associated with?

News •

This unusual fox keeps being spotted in Yellowknife • Oct. 30, 2024, 6:52 AM ET (CBC)

Anubis, ancient Egyptian god of funerary practices and care of the dead, represented by a jackal or the figure of a man with the head of a jackal. In the Early Dynastic period and the Old Kingdom, he enjoyed a preeminent (though not exclusive) position as lord of the dead, but he was later overshadowed by Osiris. His role is reflected in such epithets as “He Who Is upon His Mountain” (i.e., the necropolis), “Lord of the Sacred Land,” “Foremost of the Westerners,” and “He Who Is in the Place of Embalming.”

His particular concern was with the funerary cult and the care of the dead; hence, he was reputed to be the inventor of embalming, an art he first employed on the corpse of Osiris. In his later role as the “conductor of souls,” he was sometimes identified by the Greco-Roman world with the Greek Hermes in the composite deity Hermanubis.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.