Parashat Chukat - Snakes on the Plain

What Is the Biblical Flying Serpent? by Dr. Richard Lederman (2017)

Here the flying saraph is parallel to the אֶפְעֶה (epha; “adder”). The parallel is similar in the above passage, in which it is parallel to the צֶפַע (tzepha; “asp”). Both of these are venomous snakes. The eminent Israeli archeologist Yohanan Aharoni (1919-1976) states,

In the Bible only poisonous snakes are mentioned, and all their names have an ‘f’ as an imitation of their blowing and puffing: ‘tzefa’, ‘tzif’oni’, ‘ef’eh’, ‘sh’fifon’, ‘fethen’.

The description of flying serpents in the desert is not unique to the 8^th century prophet, Isaiah. An account of the campaign against Egypt conducted by the 7^th century B.C.E. Assyrian king, Esarhaddon, mentions “snakes with deadly breath and yellow flying serpents.” Likewise, the Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5^th century B.C.E., writes of flying serpents that inhabited the Arabian desert and apparently frequently attacked Egypt.

Black Necked Spitting Cobra (Naja nigricollis)

Othmar Keel and Karl Uehlinger identify the uraeus cobra as “the black-necked cobra (Naja nigricollis), which applies its poison both by biting and spitting.” These cobras do not fly, but swing through trees and attack from the air. Such an attack could easily be imagined or depicted as flying. Moreover, these snakes are often yellowish-copper in color, which would fit with the image of a copper serpent depicted in Numbers 21.

Nevertheless, it is problematic to identify the flying serpents of the desert in Isaiah, Esarhaddon, and Herodotus with this species. Naja nigricollis is primarily a sub-Saharan species; they would not be in Egypt, let alone in the Sinai or Arabian peninsulas. Furthermore, they only “fly” when living in trees and attacking from above, but the desert does not have trees.

Four golden uraei cobra figures, bearing sun disks on their heads, on the reverse side of the throne of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (1346–1337 BC). Valley of the Kings, Thebes, New Kingdom (18th Dynasty)

As noted above, the pharaoh’s uraeus was a cobra, which we have identified as the saraph. This same uraeus was often depicted in Egyptian iconography as a (two- or four-)winged serpent called the winged uraeus, whose wings symbolize protection. This was a popular iconographic motif throughout not only Egypt, but also Syria/Palestine going back to the Late Bronze Age. This same Egyptian winged-uraeus image became popular in late 8^th century Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah and appears on numerous seals during this period.

It seems quite possible that travelers familiar both with the Egyptian imagery of flying serpents and knowledge that the desert is filled with venomous snakes, imagined flying serpents in the desert

The various depictions of the dangers of the desert found in Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Esarhaddon, and Herodotus, all convey the dread that travelers felt about encountering these darting, “burning,” venomous cobras while travelling in the desert regions of Egypt, the Sinai, or Arabia. In the form of a uraeus, the cobra was chosen to be the patron of the Pharaoh, communicating both his dangerous power as well as the idea that he was under the protection of the cobra goddess, Wadjet.

In the story in Numbers, the saraph has a similar dual function. The serpents themselves effect God’s wrath by biting and poisoning the Israelites. At the same time, the image of the copper serpent conveys God’s healing power. Thus, in Egyptian iconography as well as in the biblical account in Numbers, the cobra is both a giver and protector of life—an image of healing, but also a dangerous and destructive creature.

The Seraphim by Dr. Richard Lederman (2019)

Nehushtan: A Visual Cue?

It may even be that Isaiah was not only inspired by Egyptian imagery in general, but by a specific visual cue, the serpent statue purportedly built by Moses and which the Judahites called Nehushtan. Before Hezekiah destroyed the statue, it was venerated by the Judahites, and may very well have been in the Temple itself where Isaiah had his vision. The statue could have served as a visual cue, suggesting an image of such beings serving as YHWH’s attendants.

Dr. Esther Hamori, from John Hopkins Newsletter, by Victor Sun 2019

“As the biblical monster population comes into focus, one chilling feature stands out; most of the monsters from the Bible and the most dangerous and deadly of them, those that kill the most people, aren’t God’s opponents, they are his entourage,” she said. “The point I want to prioritize is the big picture — the overwhelming pattern of God’s violent deployment of each type of monster within his company of monsters even across sources, periods and genres.”

Hamori uses an Old Testament example where God sends down “fiery serpents,” or nehashim seraphim in Hebrew, to punish a group of irreverent Israelites. She stated that God then says he will save the group if Moses makes a bronze statue of a serpent and hangs it on a pole for people to pay homage to as a symbol of his power.

Hamori explained that these serpents are also tied to the Uraei, Egyptian cobras used in Ancient Egypt to signify royalty and divine authority, and that the Uraei appeared on Tutankhamun’s tomb as a representation of God’s protection and vengeance.

“God uses seraphim in this story in ways that reflect both aspects of the Uraeus,” she said. “First, to spit burning venom to kill his enemies, and then to offer protection to an assault he orchestrated.”

Hamori explained that numerous Biblical stories use seraphim as a weapon against those that do not respect God’s authority.

“In each case, God uses the seraphim to injure, threaten or kill people he deems to be insufficiently reverent. The seraphim serves classic monster function,” she said. “They are behavioral border guards sent out to kill or intimidate people into compliance.”

'From Gabriel to Lucifer - a Cultural History of Angels' by Valery Rees 2013