Overview:
Apis is an ancient Egyptian deity associated with fertility and strength, often depicted as a bull. In the context of the Bible, Apis is relevant due to its connection with idolatry and the cultural backdrop of the Israelites during their time in Egypt and subsequent interactions with neighboring cultures.

Biblical Context:
The worship of Apis is not directly mentioned in the Bible, but the cultural influence of Egyptian deities, including Apis, is evident in the narrative of the Israelites. The most notable incident reflecting this influence is the creation of the golden calf in Exodus 32. While the text does not explicitly name Apis, the golden calf is reminiscent of Egyptian bull worship, suggesting that the Israelites may have been influenced by Egyptian religious practices during their captivity.

Exodus 32:1-4 :
"When the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, 'Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!' So Aaron told them, 'Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.' Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, 'These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"

Cultural and Religious Significance:
Apis was one of the most important and enduring symbols of Egyptian religion, representing strength, fertility, and the king's power. The bull was considered a living manifestation of the god Ptah and later associated with Osiris, the god of the afterlife. The worship of Apis involved elaborate rituals and ceremonies, and the bull was often housed in a temple where it was venerated.

The Israelites' creation of the golden calf can be seen as a syncretistic act, blending their knowledge of Yahweh with the idolatrous practices they observed in Egypt. This incident highlights the tension between the worship of the one true God and the temptation to adopt the idolatrous customs of surrounding nations.

Theological Implications:
The episode of the golden calf serves as a stark warning against idolatry and the dangers of cultural assimilation. It underscores the importance of faithfulness to God's commandments and the rejection of foreign gods. The incident also illustrates the human tendency to revert to familiar practices in times of uncertainty or fear, rather than trusting in God's provision and timing.

Deuteronomy 9:16 :
"And I saw how you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made for yourselves a molten calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you."

Historical Influence:
The worship of Apis and similar deities continued to be a challenge for the Israelites as they settled in Canaan and encountered various pagan cultures. The prophets frequently admonished the people for their idolatry, calling them back to exclusive worship of Yahweh. The struggle against idolatry is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, reflecting the ongoing battle to maintain spiritual purity and allegiance to God.

1 Kings 12:28-30 :
"After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.' One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves."

Conclusion:
The narrative of Apis, while not directly named in the Bible, serves as a backdrop for understanding the Israelites' struggles with idolatry and the cultural influences they faced. The golden calf incident is a powerful reminder of the need for steadfast devotion to God and the rejection of all forms of idolatry.(n.) A genus of insects of the order Hymenoptera, including the common honeybee (Apis mellifica) and other related species. See Honeybee.

Of Apis King of Argos, whom the Egyptians Called Serapis, and ...
... Book XVIII. Chapter 5."Of Apis King of Argos, Whom the Egyptians Called
Serapis, and Worshipped with Divine Honors. In these times ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 5 of apis king of.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... And Apis the king of Argos built Memphis, as Aristippus says in the first
book of the Arcadica. ... And Apis is third after Inachus. ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

Under Ban of the Ritual
... CHAPTER II UNDER BAN OF THE RITUAL. Holy Memphis, city of Apis, habitat
of Ptah! Not idly was she called Menefer, the Good Place. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter ii under ban of.htm

The Vain Machinations of the Arians and Melitians against St. ...
... Apis [1181] and Macarius, presbyters of the Church of Athanasius, who then happened
to be at court, clearly proved the persistent accusation to be false. ...
/.../chapter xxii the vain machinations of.htm

The Absurdity and Shamefulness of the Images by which the Gods are ...
... whence the darkish hue of the image; and having mixed the whole with the colouring
matter that was left over from the funeral of Osiris and Apis, moulded the ...
/.../exhortation to the heathen/chapter iv the absurdity and shamefulness.htm

The Swift Decay of Love
... puts it all in two words,"'the calf and the dancing.' There in the midst, perhaps
on some pedestal, was the shameful copy of the Egyptian Apis; and whirling ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the swift decay of love.htm

Of the Advent of Jesus; of the Fortunes of the Jews, and their ...
... Moses, their leader, had ascended into the mountain, and there tarried forty days,
they made the head [566] of an ox in gold, which they call Apis, [567] that ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap x of the advent of.htm

Jeroboam
... In Egypt he had become accustomed to the ritual of Apis and Mnevis, which was by
no means so gross and demoralising as the idolatry of the Canaanites, and he ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/jeroboam.htm

Cambyses.
... His explanation of them."Cambyses relents."His treatment of the body of
Amasis."Cambyses's desecrations."The sacred bull Apis."Cambyses stabs the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/darius the great/chapter i cambyses.htm

Arguments of the Psychics, Drawn from the Law, the Gospel, the ...
... they consider) the novel name of a studied duty, and very much akin to heathenish
superstition, like the abstemious rigours which purify an Apis, an Isis, and ...
/.../chapter ii arguments of the psychics.htm

Apis (1 Occurrence)
... (n.) A genus of insects of the order Hymenoptera, including the common honeybee
(Apis mellifica) and other related species. See Honeybee. ...Apis (1 Occurrence). ...
/a/apis.htm - 6k

Golden (86 Occurrences)
... the essential historicity of the account, generally followed Philo and the early
Fathers in supposing this calf of gold was an image of the Apis or Mnevis ...
/g/golden.htm - 66k

Calf (39 Occurrences)
... The golden calf which Aaron made (Exodus 32:4) was probably a copy of the god Moloch
rather than of the god Apis, the sacred ox or calf of Egypt. ...
/c/calf.htm - 49k

Memphis (8 Occurrences)
... 3. The Founders and the City: The oldest center of settlement was probably the shrine
of the sacred bull, Apis or Hapy, which was in the South of the city. ...
/m/memphis.htm - 14k

Alexandria (4 Occurrences)
... religion in which the greatest Greek god was worshipped as Osiris, Egyptian god
of the underworld, whose soul appeared visibly in the form of the Apis bull. ...
/a/alexandria.htm - 31k

Apiece (12 Occurrences)

/a/apiece.htm - 10k

Apocalypse

/a/apocalypse.htm - 8k

Forcing (25 Occurrences)
... (BBE). Jeremiah 46:15 Why has Apis, your strong one, gone in flight? he was not
able to keep his place, because the Lord was forcing him down with strength. ...
/f/forcing.htm - 15k

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