Serapis

Serapis or Sarapis was a Graeco-Egyptian god. This god came from mixing the worship of the Egyptian gods Osiris and Apis. He was made very popular around the third century BC by the Greek Pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter. He wanted to bring together the Greek and Egyptian people who lived in the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

The worship of Serapis grew because the Ptolemaic kings wanted it to. During the time of the Roman Empire, Serapis became even more loved. He often took the place of Osiris as the partner of Isis in temples outside of Egypt. Serapis also gained powers and qualities from other gods, like the powers of the earth from the Greek gods Hades and Demeter, and kindness from Dionysus.

Etymology

Originally, this god was called wsjr-ḥp, meaning "Osiris-Apis" in an ancient Egyptian language. The name comes from combining the worship of two Egyptian gods, Osiris and the bull Apis, into one. Later, people called him Userhapi in another language called Coptic. Sometimes, Greeks used a name like Sorapis, which sounded a bit like the Egyptian name.

One of the earliest stories about a god named "Sarapis" comes from tales about Alexander the Great and his death in 323 BCE. However, this might be confusing because it actually refers to a different Babylonian god named Ea. Still, this story helped make the name important to people in ancient times. Because of this, later rulers chose a god named Osiris-Apis to be a major god, possibly because of the similarity in names.

The name Sarapis was most commonly used in ancient Greek at first, but later the name Serapis became more popular. A place called a serapeum was a temple or special area for worshipping Serapis. The most famous of these was in the city of Alexandria.

Iconography

Serapis was shown as a Greek-style god but with Egyptian symbols. People sometimes thought he looked like other gods such as Pluto, Hades, Osiris, or Dionysus. His images often included symbols of plenty and renewal, like the cornucopia and Calathus basket. He was seen as a god who helped people in trouble and offered safety in his temples.

The famous statue of Serapis made by Ptolemy I in Alexandria mixed Egyptian and Greek styles. It showed him looking like Hades or Pluto, rulers of the Greek underworld. He wore a special basket called a modius on his head, a Greek sign for the land of the dead. He held a sceptre to show his power, and at his feet was Cerberus, the guard of the underworld. There was also a serpent at the base, a symbol of power from Egypt known as the uraeus.

Serapis cult history

There is evidence that people worshipped Serapis before the Ptolemaic rulers came to power in Alexandria. A temple for Serapis in Egypt was mentioned in the year 323 BCE by writers like Plutarch and Arrian.

Ptolemy I Soter tried to bring together the religions of his Egyptian subjects and his Greek rulers. He wanted a god that both groups could respect. Ptolemy is often said to have “created” Serapis, but this idea comes from stories about him placing a statue of Serapis in Alexandria. According to Plutarch, Ptolemy took a special statue from a place called Sinope after dreaming about a god who told him to bring it to Alexandria. There, religious leaders declared the statue represented Serapis. These leaders included a member of an ancient family, the Eumolpidae, and an Egyptian priest named Manetho, making the decision important for both Egyptians and Greeks.

Serapis, along with Isis and Horus, became well-known in the Greek world. Later, Serapis was also worshipped across the Roman Empire. The worship of Serapis and Isis grew more popular in Rome, especially after the emperor Vespasian felt their help during his time in Alexandria.

As Christianity grew, the worship of Serapis declined. The main temple of Serapis in Alexandria was destroyed in around 391 CE by a group of Christians led by Pope Theophilus of Alexandria.

Jewish and Christian views

People long ago, including Jewish and Christian thinkers, wondered about the origins of the god Serapis. One early Christian writer, Tertullian, thought that the belief in Serapis came from the Bible story of Joseph, who was a leader in Egypt. This same idea was also mentioned in Jewish writings called the Talmud.