Hades or Serapis

I was convinced that this was a statue of Hades, the Greek god of the dead and the underworld which they inhabit, also called Hades. By his side sits Cerberus, Hades’ three-headed dog. He is the archetypal ‘hound of hell’, and was tasked with preventing the dead from departing from their murky abode. So, the guy to his left must be Hades, right? No, it is Serapis. This deity was invented by the Egyptian Ptolemaic pharaohs who wishes to combine the ancient gods of Egypt with the gods of Greece. Thus, he is both Hades and the Egyptian Apis, a neat combination of the two.

Idolatry is always helpful in this regard. It combines various characters, it accommodates all sensitivities, and it successfully crosses borders and cultures. But false gods are false, that is their chief drawback. The one true God is indifferent to cultural norms, ideologies and theologies. Your preferences and foibles are irrelevant, for He is still God whether you recognise Him or not. Oh, and He calls us all to repent and believe in Him. He will not change, dilute or morph to address our sensibilities. Hades, Serapis, Cerberus, et al: none are real, and none can help.

Understand therefore this day, and consider in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none other. Deuteronomy 4:38-40, 1599 Geneva Bible