Serapis
A syncretic Graeco-Egyptian god unifying Greek and Egyptian subjects.
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Serapis is a Graeco-Egyptian god whose name derives from the syncretic worship of Osiris and the bull Apis.[1][2] The deity was popularized in the third century BC under Ptolemy I Soter to unify Greek and Egyptian subjects.[1] Serapis was depicted as a Greek god with Egyptian trappings, often identified with Pluto, Osiris, or Zeus.[2]
Quick Facts
- Cult center
- Serapeum of Alexandria
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
The earliest mention of "Sarapis" occurs in the disputed death scene of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, though this may refer to the Babylonian god Ea.[3] A temple of Serapis in Egypt is mentioned in 323 BCE by both Plutarch and Arrian.[4] According to Plutarch, Ptolemy stole the cult statue from Sinope after a dream instructed him to bring it to Alexandria.[2] The Greek name Sarapis was the most common form until Roman times, when Serapis became standard.[5]
Pausanias in the 2nd century CE noted Serapeia at Corinth and Copae in Boeotia.[6] According to Stambaugh (1972), Serapis was regarded as a deity of the underworld, a healer, and a protector of those in distress.[2] The iconography of Serapis, as described by Stambaugh (1972), included symbols of abundance and resurrection like the cornucopia and the Calathus basket.[2]
What the cited sources add
Tertullian in the early 3rd century AD believed Serapis was inspired by the Patriarch Joseph.[7] Tertullian wrote that Serapis was originally a saint called Joseph, named from the turban on his head.[8] Tertullian's view that Serapis originated from the biblical figure Joseph was also expressed in the Talmud.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Serapis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Youtie, H., "The kline of Serapis", The Harvard Theological Review, 1948, p. 9–29; "Sarapis", Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1992, p. 447 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Serapis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Stambaugh 1972, p. 1–4 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Serapis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Arrian, "Anabasis" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Serapis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Plutarch, "Life of Alexander"; Arrian, "Anabasis" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Serapis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Suda"; "Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss / Slaby (EDCS)", Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Serapis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pausanias, "Description of Greece" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Serapis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ad Nationem, book II, ch. 8; Tractate Avoda Zara, folio 43, p. A (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Ad Nationem, book II, ch. 8. facts only, no text reused. newadvent.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Serapis (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Supernatural beings identified with Christian saints
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Serapis (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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