Africa
In Africa around 3,000 BC early civilizations occurred along fertile valleys where southwest Asia (the Middle East) joins northeast Africa (Egypt)[1]. So the earliest civilization involving companion dogs appears to be in northeast Africa namely Egypt, where some of the hunting dogs were also worshipped and became idols.
Additionally, in Egypt burial sites dating back to around 2,500BC contain skeletons of dog and humans entombed together. Although the significance of this burial ritual varied from country to country, it is clear that the bond between the two species, human and canine, was by this time firmly established. These burial sites indicate companion dogs being involed with ritual killings as well as being worshipped.
The Dog as an Idol
The dog was worshipped in ancient Egypt as different types of idols in the millennium Before Christ. However, because the Jews had just escaped the tyranny of the Egyptians, idolatry was not established amongst the Jews[4]. Despite this, dogs were still used by the Jews to protect their flocks from wild beasts[2]. Because dogs also cleaned the streets from offal that was thrown away, in both the New and the Old Testament the dog was spoken of singularly with abhorrence and was ranked among unclean beasts[3].
But amongst the peoples of Northern Africa, the dog was worshipped as follows:
As a sacred animal appearing on the friezes of most Temples, a distinct type of dog was regarded as an emblem of the Divine Being. It protected villages of the Southern Mediterranean. Probably an early type of Gazehound, it is portrayed in some of Belzoni’s sketches with his long ears and broad muzzle, similar to the Talbot Hound pictured above.
As an expression of mourning Egyptian philosophers encouraged people of every family in which a dog died to shave themselves as their expression of mourning.[5]
Sirius, the dog star was worshipped and probably called the 'dog star' because dogs predicted its appearance. The prosperity of Lower Egypt and the subsistence agriculture of its inhabitants depended on the annual overflowing of the Nile. Its approach was announced by the appearance of this dog star – Sirius. As soon as Sirius appeared above the horizon, the flocks were moved to higher ground, and the lower pastures were abandoned to the fertilizing influence of the flooding. In later periods in other countries the appearance of the dog star was the symbol of insufferable heat or prevalent disease.
Anubis with the head of a dog and the body of a man was an Egyptian deity symbolizing sagacity (wisdom) and fidelity (faithfulness and loyalty).
Elected as their King by the inhabitants of Ethiopia. when the dog fawned upon (made up to) them, he was pleased with the proceedings, but when he growled he disapproved of the manner in which their government was conducted.
References and Further Reading
[1] Gascoigne, Bamber. “History of Civilization” HistoryWorld. From 2001, ongoing
[4]Bryants Mythology vol ii p.42 ‘No dog was suffered to come within the precincts of the Temple of Jerusalem’ and ‘beware of dogs and evil workers’ Phil iii. 2.(c. 100 AD) and ‘Without are dogs and sorcerers’ Rev xxii.15 (c 100 AD)
[2] ‘ now that they are younger than I have me derision, whose fathers I have distained to set with the dogs of my flock’ Job xxx.1. also Isiah lvi.10, 11 (740 - 680 BC)
[3] ‘The traffic in him and the price of him were considered as an abomination, and were forbidden to be offered in the sanctuary in the discharge of any vow’ Deut. xx iii 18. (Approx 1400 BC)
[5] Quoted in William Youatt 'The Dog" published 1848 London Charles Knight Fleet Street (under the Superintendence of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.) Chapter 1 Page 4 Herodotus, lib.ii.c.66