The phoenix (Ancient Greek: ¦µ¦Ïῖ¦Í¦É¦Î, pho¨ªnix) is a mythical sacred firebird, in ancient mythologies starting with the Egyptian, Phoenician and later the Greek Mythology ,with a tail of beautiful gold and red plumage (or purple and blue, by some sources). It has a 600-800 year life-cycle, and near the end 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 or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (sun city in Greek). The bird was also said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible ¡ª it is also said that it can heal a person with a tear from its eyes and make them temporarily immune to death; a symbol of fire and divinity.