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Today I was in the museum and I came across an imaging referencing the serpent and its connection to wisdom. It reminded me that it was also connected to healing and life. Now when I was a Christian, I believed (as I was taught) that the symbolism of the serpent was everything evil and representative of satan the destroyer NOT the symbol of life. Yet throughout the ancient world it represented quite the opposite. An example of this would be the Caduceus (see below for image) which to this day still (in one form or another) is symbolic of medicine/recovery/life.
One of the more interesting and puzzling stories in the bible during my time as a Christian was the story of Moses making a snake (Nehushtan) of brass (at the instruction of god) and hanging it on a pole when vipers, sent by the same god, began to bite the Israelites while they were in the wilderness. When the people looked at the brass snake on the pole, they were miraculously cured of their snake bites and lived.
In the New Testament, we are told Jesus made an allusion to that moment by predicting that if he is lifted up like the serpent on the pole (a reference to him being jacked up on a cross?), he would draw all men to him, supposedly giving them eternal life effectively delivering them from the "bite" of the serpent (satan).
I never understood why the god of the universe resorted to something so primitive, even superstitious sounding. I never quite understood Jesus being likened to a brass serpent on a pole either. The story of Moses and this brass serpent sounds really fishy and seems like it was a borrowing from older traditions where the serpent represented life, not death. It reminds me of going to the viper to get the remedy for the bite it gives.
You may not be as anal as I am when it comes to these things, but if you are, what are your thoughts about this?
I had this chucked at me on another forum. The image of a snake on a pole was supposed to be a metaphor for Jesus on the cross. Of course, when looked at in detail and also in the wider context it tended to come apart at the seams and in the end was little more than a cherry -picked remark that loosely could be applied to Jesus imagery.
Having said that, it was a bit hard to understand what was actually going on with that brass sake on the pole. Of cpurse, it reminds us of the Caduceus of Aesculepius but it's hard to see how the Hebrews would get that from.
On the other hand, if the Exodus (assuming FSOA that there was any such event) it would have happened in the time of the later New kingdom or 2nd Interregnum - at any rate, before the Philistines setled in Caanan.
That was a bit early for the Greeks to have introduced Aesculepius to the Nile delta.
I had this chucked at me on another forum. The image of a snake on a pole was supposed to be a metaphor for Jesus on the cross. Of course, when looked at in detail and also in the wider context it tended to come apart at the seams and in the end was little more than a cherry -picked remark that loosely could be applied to Jesus imagery.
Having said that, it was a bit hard to understand what was actually going on with that brass sake on the pole. Of cpurse, it reminds us of the Caduceus of Aesculepius but it's hard to see how the Hebrews would get that from.
On the other hand, if the Exodus (assuming FSOA that there was any such event) it would have happened in the time of the later New kingdom or 2nd Interregnum - at any rate, before the Philistines setled in Caanan.
That was a bit early for the Greeks to have introduced Aesculepius to the Nile delta.
Well Said! Tried to rep ya, but....gotta spread around etc.
I had this chucked at me on another forum. The image of a snake on a pole was supposed to be a metaphor for Jesus on the cross. Of course, when looked at in detail and also in the wider context it tended to come apart at the seams and in the end was little more than a cherry -picked remark that loosely could be applied to Jesus imagery.
Having said that, it was a bit hard to understand what was actually going on with that brass sake on the pole. Of cpurse, it reminds us of the Caduceus of Aesculepius but it's hard to see how the Hebrews would get that from.
On the other hand, if the Exodus (assuming FSOA that there was any such event) it would have happened in the time of the later New kingdom or 2nd Interregnum - at any rate, before the Philistines setled in Caanan.
That was a bit early for the Greeks to have introduced Aesculepius to the Nile delta.
Actually Arequipa, Aesculepius and others like him in mythical history appears to have been based on the far more ancient Sumerian myth of Enki (Ea).
His symbol was that of snakes wrapped around a staff as we he was the god of life. The later myths, including the Greek and Hebrew myth pertaining to serpents around a staff and a healer/life giving god.
Today I was in the museum and I came across an imaging referencing the serpent and its connection to wisdom. It reminded me that it was also connected to healing and life. Now when I was a Christian, I believed (as I was taught) that the symbolism of the serpent was everything evil and representative of satan the destroyer NOT the symbol of life. Yet throughout the ancient world it represented quite the opposite. An example of this would be the Caduceus (see below for image) which to this day still (in one form or another) is symbolic of medicine/recovery/life.
One of the more interesting and puzzling stories in the bible during my time as a Christian was the story of Moses making a snake (Nehushtan) of brass (at the instruction of god) and hanging it on a pole when vipers, sent by the same god, began to bite the Israelites while they were in the wilderness. When the people looked at the brass snake on the pole, they were miraculously cured of their snake bites and lived.
In the New Testament, we are told Jesus made an allusion to that moment by predicting that if he is lifted up like the serpent on the pole (a reference to him being jacked up on a cross?), he would draw all men to him, supposedly giving them eternal life effectively delivering them from the "bite" of the serpent (satan).
I never understood why the god of the universe resorted to something so primitive, even superstitious sounding. I never quite understood Jesus being likened to a brass serpent on a pole either. The story of Moses and this brass serpent sounds really fishy and seems like it was a borrowing from older traditions where the serpent represented life, not death. It reminds me of going to the viper to get the remedy for the bite it gives.
You may not be as anal as I am when it comes to these things, but if you are, what are your thoughts about this?
Much of the older cultures and religions were incorperated into Christianity as "evil". Satan developed horns and goats feet simply because Pan has them, for one example. While sex was celebrated as a nearly divine act and the nude human form appreciated for it's symetery and beauty, both were latter "criminalized" by the newcomer religion. These examples, plus others such as the intigration of older myths and legends deemed appropiate, merely shows an attempt to marginalize, and more importantly replace, older religions.
I've read interesting thesis (of which I cannot find the links since switching to a new computer dammit) in which a rather convincing argument was laid down that the snake in the Garden myth represented not the devil, but one of the Elder Gods showing Eve and hubby the real, outside world through the "Tree of Knowledge", ie the knowledge of the real world outside of Eden.
Today I was in the museum and I came across an imaging referencing the serpent and its connection to wisdom. It reminded me that it was also connected to healing and life. Now when I was a Christian, I believed (as I was taught) that the symbolism of the serpent was everything evil and representative of satan the destroyer NOT the symbol of life. Yet throughout the ancient world it represented quite the opposite. An example of this would be the Caduceus (see below for image) which to this day still (in one form or another) is symbolic of medicine/recovery/life.
One of the more interesting and puzzling stories in the bible during my time as a Christian was the story of Moses making a snake (Nehushtan) of brass (at the instruction of god) and hanging it on a pole when vipers, sent by the same god, began to bite the Israelites while they were in the wilderness. When the people looked at the brass snake on the pole, they were miraculously cured of their snake bites and lived.
In the New Testament, we are told Jesus made an allusion to that moment by predicting that if he is lifted up like the serpent on the pole (a reference to him being jacked up on a cross?), he would draw all men to him, supposedly giving them eternal life effectively delivering them from the "bite" of the serpent (satan).
I never understood why the god of the universe resorted to something so primitive, even superstitious sounding. I never quite understood Jesus being likened to a brass serpent on a pole either. The story of Moses and this brass serpent sounds really fishy and seems like it was a borrowing from older traditions where the serpent represented life, not death. It reminds me of going to the viper to get the remedy for the bite it gives.
You may not be as anal as I am when it comes to these things, but if you are, what are your thoughts about this?
Jesus was prophesy what death he should receive, namely dying upon a cross, just like the serpent upon the cross by Moses.
This symbol of the snake upon the stick that refers to it life giving remedy is seen on many ambulances.
Jesus also in your above referenced showed what would happen if we lifted him up. That he would draw all men unto him. Hence this lifting up of Jesus Christ has caused Christianity to become one of the largest if not the largest religion of the world.
Jesus was prophesy what death he should receive, namely dying upon a cross, just like the serpent upon the cross by Moses.
This symbol of the snake upon the stick that refers to it life giving remedy is seen on many ambulances.
Jesus also in your above referenced showed what would happen if we lifted him up. That he would draw all men unto him. Hence this lifting up of Jesus Christ has caused Christianity to become one of the largest if not the largest religion of the world.
Yes, according to adherants.com it is the largest religion @ 33%.
Actually Arequipa, Aesculepius and others like him in mythical history appears to have been based on the far more ancient Sumerian myth of Enki (Ea).
His symbol was that of snakes wrapped around a staff as we he was the god of life. The later myths, including the Greek and Hebrew myth pertaining to serpents around a staff and a healer/life giving god.
Thank you. I was familiar with Enki, but I'd never heard of snakes being involved. What with 'the lady of the rib' (Nin-Ti), all we need is an apple and we can trace another Bible legend back to Eridu.
Thank you. I was familiar with Enki, but I'd never heard of snakes being involved. What with 'the lady of the rib' (Nin-Ti), all we need is an apple and we can trace another Bible legend back to Eridu.
Correct!
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