Cyril of Alexandria and the Apis Bull
In this article, I argue that the place of the Apis bull in Cyril of Alexandria’s thought and his depiction of it demonstrate the continual impression of local religion on Egyptian Christians despite the on-going process of Alexandria’s Christianization. To support this point, I compare Cyril’s refe...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Zeitschrift für antikes Christentum
Year: 2025, Volume: 29, Issue: 1, Pages: 108-125 |
| Further subjects: | B
Apiy
B Porphyry B Egypt B Alexandria B Jerome B Cyril of Alexandria |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In this article, I argue that the place of the Apis bull in Cyril of Alexandria’s thought and his depiction of it demonstrate the continual impression of local religion on Egyptian Christians despite the on-going process of Alexandria’s Christianization. To support this point, I compare Cyril’s references to Apis with that of Jerome and Porphyry. The juxtaposition between Cyril and Jerome demonstrates how Apis’ presence in Alexandria influences the former’s exegesis, while non-Egyptian views conflate local Egyptian deities. This analysis provides support for the idea that Jerome’s exegetical work was not a source for Cyril’s own writing. Then, a comparison with Porphyry regarding the details of Apis in material portrayals reveals Cyril’s lack of familiarity with the traditional understanding of the bull in Egyptian religion. This article, therefore, contributes to further understanding the influence of local interactions and cohabitation of Christian and non-Christian elements upon Egyptian theologians in Late Antiquity. |
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| ISSN: | 1612-961X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Zeitschrift für antikes Christentum
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1515/zac-2025-0006 |