The Apis Bull
Apis was the most important and highly regarded bull deity of ancient Egypt. It was
considered sacred and worshiped as a symbol of strength, vital energy, and power.
Worship of the Apis bull is recorded as early as the First Dynasty (3150 to 2890 BC)
in ceremonies known as The Running of Apis. The reason the worship of the Apis bull
never significantly changed in over 3,000 years is because it embodied the deepest
Egyptian values concerning life, time, and eternity.
In the region where the god Ptah was worshiped, cattle exhibited white
patterning on their mainly black bodies, and so a belief grew up that the Apis calf had
to have a certain set of markings suitable to its role. It was required to have: 1) A white
triangular marking upon its forehead 2) A white Egyptian vulture wing outline on its
back 3) A scarab mark under its tongue 4) A white crescent moon shape on its right
flank 5) Double hairs on his tail. The calf that matched these markings was selected
from the herds, brought to a temple, given a harem of cows, and worshiped as an aspect
of Ptah.
The Festival of the Apis Bull was celebrated by the Egyptian that lasted for
seven days. Throngs of people gathered in Memphis to watch the solemn procession
where the priests lead the sacred bull through the welcoming crowds, when it was
bedecked with jewelry and flowers.
On the death of the Apis Bull, the people went into mourning. its body was
embalmed and buried with full honors in the manner as if Osiris himself has died,
befitting royalty. The animal was carefully mummified, and his funeral rites were
much more ostentatious placing a heavy burden on the Pharaoh in power at the time.
This is evident from the facts that before being interred in the “Serapeum” in a stone
sarcophagus which could weigh over 60 tons. The people grieved until the successor
Apis was found then rejoicing commenced with as much joy. This animal was chosen
because it symbolized the courageous heart, great strength, and fighting spirit of the
king. Apis came to being considered a manifestation of the king, as bulls were symbols
of strength and fertility, qualities that are closely linked with kingship.
The Serapeum at Saqqara
It is a necropolis that is located northwest of the Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara It was
a burial place of the Apis bulls, sacred bulls that were incarnations of the Egyptian
god, Ptah. The main tunnel in the Serapeum, with side openings for the tombs of the
Apis Bulls. These hallways are home to 24 sarcophagi that date from various periods
between the 26th Dynasty to the Greco-Roman period, hence the diversity in their
designs. Other bulls were buried but not in a sarcophagus.
Excavation of the Serapeum of Saqqara revealed the tombs of more than 60
animals, ranging from the time of Amenhotep III to that of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Originally, each animal was buried in a separate tomb with a chapel built above it.
When Auguste Mariette first discovered the Serapeum, all the sarcophagi had been
broken into and their contents removed, except for one. He blew it open with dynamite;
the bull mummy is said to be at the Agriculture Museum in Cairo, and the jewels are
in various museums around the world.
