Statuette of Anubis, god of the dead and medicine, Ancient Egypt, c. 500 BC. From "The Mystery and Art of the Apothecary" by Charles John Samuel Thompson, 1929. Anubis, also known as Anpu and Anepu, is the Egyptian god of the dead and is represented as a man with a jackal's head. He is especially involved with embalming and care of the dead.