![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() In Egypt the snake was a chthonic animal (a creature representing any one of a number of gods of the earth and underworld) and the embodiment of life-giving powers. Serpent symbolism among the ancient Egyptians demonstrates the most glaring contrasts between worship on the one hand and abhorrence on the other. The use of the serpent as a dual, polar symbol emerged in the cradle of civilization during the earliest periods of history. This essay will survey the nonbiblical Mediterranean and Mesopotamian cultural evidence of serpent symbolism, review the scriptural usage of serpent symbolism (showing how it referred to both the Savior and Satan), and suggest something about the origin of this dual symbol. I propose that the ancient serpent myths of the Fertile Crescent and Mediterranean-based cultures are echoes of original divine truth-namely, that from the beginning of time the true Messiah was intended to be legitimately represented by the image of the serpent, but the symbol was usurped and perverted by the quintessential false messiah, Satan. Furthermore, from the scriptures we can even identify and attach proper name-titles to the two specific beings who are represented by the dual image of the serpent: Christ and Satan. The symbol of the healing serpent is still preserved on the physician’s caduceus (the emblem of a noble profession), while a person of disreputable actions-especially treachery-is sometimes referred to as “a snake.”Ī careful reading of Israel’s sacred writings reveals that the same duality regarding serpent symbolism that existed among the various peoples of the ancient Near East was also an integral part of the religious landscape of Jehovah’s covenant people. 1 In fact, this polarity is not only found in archaic cultures but remains with us today. Scholars tell us that it is “abundantly clear from a wide range of evidence” that the image of the snake or serpent in the ancient world was a dual symbol representing deity, creativity, and healing on the one hand, but evil, harm, and destruction on the other. Savior, Satan, and Serpent: The Duality of a Symbol in the Scriptures ![]()
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