What was the Serapeum used for?
The Serapeum, originally known as the Apis bull tombs, was where ancient civilizations would mummify and bury bulls in vaulted tombs and sarcophagi with jewels, to worship gods such as Osiris, Apis, Ptah and, later, the Greco-Egyptian Serapis, who was a combination of Osiris and Apis.
What does Serapis mean?
Definition of Serapis : an Egyptian god combining attributes of Osiris and Apis and having a widespread cult in Ptolemaic Egypt and ancient Greece.
Who destroyed Serapeum?
patriarch Theophilus
There Serapis was worshiped in a purely Greek ritual until ad 391, when the Serapeum was destroyed by the patriarch Theophilus and his followers.
What was Serapis the god of?
Gradually Serapis became revered not only as a Sun god (“Zeus Serapis”) but also as a lord of healing and of fertility. His worship was established in Rome and throughout the Mediterranean, following the trade routes and being particularly prominent in the great commercial cities.
Who built the Serapeum?
Ptolemy III Euergetes
The Serapeum was built during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–221 BCE), on a hill to the west of the city just outside the ancient Ptolemaic city boundary, in what is today Kom El Shogafa district.
When was the Serapeum destroyed?
391
The Serapeum in Alexandria was destroyed by a Christian mob or Roman soldiers in 391 (although the date is debated). Several conflicting accounts for the context of the destruction of the Serapeum exist.
How did Alexandria get destroyed?
In 48 BC, Caesar was pursuing Pompey into Egypt when he was suddenly cut off by an Egyptian fleet at Alexandria. The fire spread and destroyed the Egyptian fleet. Unfortunately, it also burned down part of the city – the area where the great Library stood.
Who were Serapis Worshippers?
The worshipers of Serapis (here) are called Christians, and those who are devoted to the god Serapis (I find), call themselves Bishops of Christ. ‘ In fact, it appears that some followers of Serapis were eventually expelled from Rome when, in 19 AD, Tiberius also expelled the Jews.