Bible History
Bible History

Apis the Sacred Bull of Egypt

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Illustration Depicting Apis, the Sacred Bull of Memphis

The bull symbolized fearless vigor, strength, and enduring fury. Egypt chose this animal to represent God and bull worship became prevalent in the ancient world.

After the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, Moses came down from the mountain and found Aaron had set up a golden calf or young bull, that the people might worship God in this form. When the northern kingdom of Israel divided from their brothers in the south, Jeroboam introduced bull worship and set up two idols, one at Bethel and the other at Dan.

"God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a bull."
- Numbers 23:22

"And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."
- Exodus 32:3,4

"Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan."
- 1 Kings 12:28-29

Isaiah 51:20 - Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.

The Bible mentions a lot regarding "Bulls"

Psalms 68:30 - Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, [till every one] submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people [that] delight in war.

Jeremiah 52:20 - The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that [were] under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the LORD: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

Genesis 32:15 - Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

Jeremiah 50:11 - Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;

Hebrews 9:13 - For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

Isaiah 34:7 - And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

Psalms 50:13 - Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Hebrews 10:4 - For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Psalms 22:12 - Many bulls have compassed me: strong [bulls] of Bashan have beset me round.

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