Apis

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Apis was depicted as a bull.

He was the Egyptian god of strength and fertility.

The spirit of Apis was said to be present in the body of a real bull which was kept by the Pharaoh and looked after by his priests.

At the end of the old year, the Apis bull was slaughtered and its flesh eaten by the Pharaoh. It was believed that the Pharaoh would then inherit the great power of Apis.

Each year the priests would search for a new Apis bull which would then live a life of luxury until the ritual was repeated.