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the God of the Egyptians: Some derive the Word from Sara and Apis, as Julius Maternus: Its not likely it should come from the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Apis, i. e. Loculus Apis, as if it were the Tomb wherein the Ox Opis was embalmed after his Death: Wherefore 'tis very probable
the Word must be derived from Osirapis, by cut∣ting off the first Letter: For the Learned are almost agreed, that Osiris and Apis were but one and the same Deity; or else Serapis comes from Sor Apis; for Sor signifies an Ox; as if they should say, Joseph the Father of Egypt; which is symbolically signified by an Ox: Sor or Sar does also signifie a Prince: Sara is the same as Domi∣nari: Nothing agrees better with Joseph's Cha∣racter, than to be the Father, Nourisher, and Ruler of Egypt. Tacitus, L. 4. Hist. says, truly enough, that Ptolomy the Son of Lagus was he who sent to seek for the Statue of Serapis to Sy∣nope, a City in Pontus, in order to set it up in Alexandria; from which Scaliger concludes that Serapis was a Foreign Deity. Clemens Alexan∣drinus repeats what Tacitus says, with some Va∣riation of Circumstances; but he adds, that the Statue which was sent by the People of Synope, was placed by Ptolomy upon the Promontory of Racotis, where a Temple of Serapis stood before; from whence 'tis concluded against Vossius, that if there was a Temple of Serapis before in the said Place, it was not then the first Time that they began to worship him in Egypt; Tacitus him∣self agrees thereunto by giving the same Testi∣mony as Clemens Alexandrinus does, that there stood a Temple of Serapis and Isis in the same Place where they built one for the new-brought Statue.
Adrian in his Return from Alexandria brought to Rome the Worship of Serapis and Isis, who were celebrated Deities among the Egyptians, to whom doubtless he promised to erect Altars when he arrived at Rome; In a Medal we have of his, Se∣rapis holds out his Hand to him and promises him his Protection; and Isis swears by the Brazen Timbrel, that she would accomplish his De∣sires.
Macrobius says, the Egyptians ever excluded Saturn and Serapis from their Temples, because they offered no other to them than bloody Sacri∣fices, to which they had a strange Aversion in all their Religious Worship; but that after Alexan∣der's Death, their King Ptolomy forced them to receive those Two Deities in Imitation of the People of Alexandria; the Egyptians yielded to Necessity; but they still retained Marks of their old Aversion, since they would not allow of these new Temples and new Worship, within the Walls of their City: Pausanias says, it was King Pto∣lomy that perswaded the Athenians, to erect a Temple to Serapis, who had a very magnificent one at Alexandria, but the most ancient stood at Memphis, into which the Priests themselves never entred, unless it were when they buried the Ox Apis.
The God Serapis was usually represented by a kind of a Basket upon the Head, which Macro∣bius says, signified the Highth of the Sun. Sui∣das and Rufinus call it a Bathel or Corn-measure, because it was believed Serapis taught Men the Use of Measures, or because he afforded Men A∣bundance of Fruit by the Help of the Nile, whose Overflowings made Egypt fruitful. Some are of Opinion that the Bushel was attributed to this God, in Commemoration of Joseph, who saved Egypt from Famine, by the Stores of Corn he took care to lay up during the Seven Years Plenty, as the holy Scriptures inform us.