In ancient Egyptian mythology and in myths derived from it, the

phoenix is a mythical sacred firebird.

Said to live for 500 or 1461 years (depending on the source), the phoenix is a male bird with beautiful gold and red plumage. At the end of its life-cycle the phoenix builds itself a nest of cinnamon twigs that it then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises. The new phoenix embalms the ashes of the old phoenix in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in Heliopolis ("the city of the sun" in Greek), located in Egypt. The bird was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible — a symbol of fire and divinity.

Although descriptions (and life-span) vary, the phoenix (Bennu bird) became popular in early Christian art, literature and Christian symbolism, as a symbol of Christ, and further, represented the resurrection, immortality, and the life-after-death of Jesus Christ.

Originally, the phoenix was identified by the Egyptians as a stork or heron-like bird called a benu, (see Bennu), known from the Book of the Dead and other Egyptian texts as one of the sacred symbols of worship at Heliopolis, closely associated with the rising sun and the Egyptian sun-god Ra.

Excerpt from Wikipedia.com

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전설의 불사조 특징은 부활이라한다.  이집트, 러시아, 그리스 등등 국가마다 다양한 명칭과 수명도 찾을수있지만  붉은 깃털로 장식한 불사조는 거룩함과 낡은것을 새것으로 한다는것을 상징한다.  나무가지에 기대어 머물며 집을진후 몸을비벼 불을 일으킨다고한다.  나무는 뜨겁게 불사조와 같이 타올라  재로 남는다.  그자리에 남은 재에서부터 새로운 불사조가 탄생하는것이다.  한 500년에 한번씩일어나는 기적이라고 전설에남아있다.

일신, 재개발, 부흥등등 다시 시작함을 상징하는 유일한 동물이다.