Little is known of the history of Christianity in the place, as only the names of two ancient bishops are given: Pachymius, a companion of Melece at the beginning of the fourth century, and Serapion or Aprion, a contemporary and friend of the monk St. Pachomius, whose diocese boasted the celebrated convent of Tabennisi.
Andreas Alphagus Bellnensis' translations include the works of Avicenna, Averroes, Serapion, al-Qifti, and Albe'thar.
It was Lunts who proposed the group's name after E. T. A. Hoffmann's story collection called The Serapion Brethren.
In July 1509, at the Sobor that considered the conflict between him and Joseph Volotsky (the latter was under Serapion's episcopal jurisdiction but had directly appealed to Simon, Metropolitan of Moscow - an act that Serapion deemed to be uncanonical), and his letter of complaint, in which he said Joseph had abandoned heavan (meaning he had abandoned his rightful bishop) and descended to earth.