Among the many sites in Pergamum devoted to idolatrous worship was the Red Hall. The Egyptian religion reached out into many areas in the Roman world. The complex in our photo below is the Red Hall, devoted to the worship of the Egyptian god Serapis.
Red Hall, Pergamum. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
It is known as the “Red Hall” because of its red brick walls. Here is a view of the temple of Serapis, looking east.
Red Hall, Pergamum. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Alexandria, Egypt has a nice museum, featuring a bust of Serapis.
Egyptian god Serapis, Alexandria. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary notes,
…this Egyptian-Greek sun deity was worshiped first at Memphis along with the bull-god, Apis. Serapis was introduced to Egypt by the Greeks and was worshiped originally as a god of the underworld. The temple to him at Alexandria was the largest and best known among several. Serapis came to be revered also as a god of healing and fertility, and his worship spread throughout the Roman Empire via the trade routes.
More to come.
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[…] Serapis was worshiped at Pergamum in biblical Asia Minor, where the ruins of his impressive temple can be seen. See our post here. […]
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