Relief of a Honeybee

In ancient Egyptian mythology, honeybees were believed to be born from the tears of the Sun God, Ra. Bees are a hieroglyph that occurs as parts of titles of state, but most frequently as part of the title of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt, rendered nswt-bjtj (interpreted as “He of the Sedge and the Bee”). 

Detail of a carving in the Karnak Temple Complex.