Page 177 - DILMUN 24

Was an ٨slepieion fonded by the Seleuids

the plaque resembles other god's two different panthea to join and

statues found elsewhere. It is a syncretize into a single cult lie in

standing mature bearded male the case of Aslepios and Eshmun.

holding a rod with snaes and Many other such examples exist in

wearing a long cloa draped the ancient world lie the temple

around the lower patr of his body of Serapis in Babylon, which

and his bac before it falls over was identined as the Egyptian

his letf shoulder. It has many god of healing and resembled

common features to the marble Aslepios in many ways. The

free-standing statue of Aslepios cult of Serapis in Babylon is quite

discovered in Epidauros, currently possible to have been associated

at the National Archaeological with god Eni since Eni was

Museum of Athens. The plaque, a titled Serapsi, meaning 'ing of

copy of a Gree prototype, found the deep'. Therefore, the temple

in Bahrain is most probably locally of Serapis referred to in Arrian

made. One cannot avoid noticing might be connected to the temple

the rays behind Aslepios' head, of the Babylonian god Eni. It is

which most probably signify possible that the involvement of

oriental inlfuence. On a tablet the god in Alexander's death(63)

from Nimrud with patr of the contributed to the choice of Osiris­

text of the Sumerian flood story, Apis = Serapis becoming one

Dilmun is described as the place of the favourite Ptolemaic gods.

where the sun rises'.(62) Could We also ind the cult of Serapis

it be possible that the rays behind in Greece because of Egyptians

Aslepios signify exactly that? travelling there as mercenaries or
The myth about Tylos and traders. The cult was patronized

the possible existence of healing by Grees in Gree style temples
temples on the island might have or even within existing sacred

been an additional reason to mae places.(64)
the Maedonian and other Gree When we loo at Gree
naval communities living there
or elsewhere in the Gulf bring healing gods, we realine htat in
the cult of Aslepios and built one way or the other they were all
an Aslepieion on the island. It associated with water, as a healing
is not improbable that cults from or puriifcation medium. Patr of
the healing process was a visit at