Apis was the most important and highly regarded bull deity of ancient Egypt. His original name in Egyptian was Api, Hapi, or Hep; Apis is the Greek name. He is not, however, associated with the god Hapi/Hep who was linked to the inundation and is depicted as the god of the river.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 6000 BCE - c. 3150 BCEThe sacred bull which is later known as Apis worshiped during the Predynastic Period in Egypt.
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c. 3150 BCE - c. 2890 BCEApis worshiped by name in the First Dynasty of Egypt.
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c. 3150 BCE - c. 495 CEApis worshiped in Egypt from the Early Dynastic Period through most of the Roman Period.
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c. 400 CE - c. 500 CEWorship of Apis banned as Christianity becomes the dominant belief structure in Egypt.
