The ibis was so sacred in Egypt that four million were mummified at a single site — yet the bird is now extinct in the country that worshipped it.
A long-legged wading bird with a long curved bill, found in warm regions worldwide and revered in ancient Egypt.
From Latin ibis, from Greek ἶβις (ibis), borrowed from Egyptian hb or hib, the native name for the sacred ibis. The bird was closely associated with the god Thoth in Egyptian religion. Key roots: hb/hib (Ancient Egyptian: "ibis").
The ibis was so sacred in ancient Egypt that millions were mummified as offerings to the god Thoth, who was depicted with an ibis head. Archaeologists have discovered mass ibis catacombs containing an estimated four million mummified birds at Saqqara alone. The demand for sacrificial ibises was so great that ancient Egyptians