Commentary for Avodah Zarah 85:5
רבא אמר כולה במוצא ומציעתא רבי יהודה היא דתניא רבי יהודה מוסיף אף דמות מניקה וסר אפיס מניקה על שם חוה שמניקה כל העולם כולו סר אפיס על שם יוסף שסר ומפיס את כל העולם כולו והוא דנקיט גריוא וקא כייל והיא דנקטא בן וקא מניקה:
Rava said: They all deal with finding [such an image], and as for the middle clause it is the teaching of R. Judah. For it has been taught: “R. Judah adds the picture of a nursing woman suckling and Serapis. A nursing woman alludes to Eve who nursed the whole world; Serapis alludes to Joseph who became a prince [sar] and appeased [hefis] the whole world.” [The picture of Serapis is only prohibited when he is represented as] holding a dry measure and is measuring, and that [of the nursing woman] when she is holding a child and nursing it.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The baraita mentions two common mythological images. The nursing woman may be the Egyptian goddess Isis, although there were other goddesses pictured as nursing. Serapis is a Greco-Egyptian god. He is always pictured with a measuring bowl on his head. Note that the baraita gives Hebrew puns on the names or presentations of these Greek gods.