Moses lifts up the brass snake, curing the Isrealites from Snake Bites. Hezekiah called the snake Nehushtan

The Nehushtan (or Nehustan, Hebrew: נחושתן or נחש הנחושת) is a sacred object in the form of a bronze snake upon a pole. It is most well known for its mention in the Bible where it was used by Moses to save the Israelites from snake bites. The Bible also records that it was worshipped for a period of time in the Kingdom of Judah and incense was offered to it. It was therefore destroyed by King Hezekiah as idolatrous. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1417x1516, 511 KB) Summary Taken at St Marks Church, Gillingham, by Mike Young Categories Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Serpent (symbolism) Nehushtan Metadata This file... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1417x1516, 511 KB) Summary Taken at St Marks Church, Gillingham, by Mike Young Categories Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Serpent (symbolism) Nehushtan Metadata This file... Hezekiah (or Ezekias) (Hebrew: חזקיה or חזקיהו, God has strengthened) was the 13th king of indepedent Judah and the son of King Ahaz and Abijah (2 Chronicles 29:1), who was a daughter of a man (who was not the prophet) named Zechariah. ... Hebrew language most commonly refers to Modern Hebrew; in historical contexts, it commonly refers to the Biblical Hebrew language. ... Assorted ancient Bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling. ... blue: sea snakes, black: land snakes Superfamilies and Families Henophidia Aniliidae Anomochilidae Boidae Bolyeriidae Cylindrophiidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Xenopeltidae Typhlopoidea Anomalepididae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenophidia Acrochordidae Atractaspididae Colubridae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Viperidae A snake is a scaly, limbless, elongate reptile from the order Squamata. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ... An Israelite is a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, descended from the twelve sons of the Biblical patriarch Jacob who was renamed Israel by God in the book of Genesis, 32:28 The Israelites were a group of Hebrews, as described in the Bible. ... Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malḫut YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ YÉ™hûḏāh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah... Incense is a preparation of aromatic organic materials, intended to release fragrant smoke when burned. ... Hezekiah (or Ezekias) (Hebrew: חזקיה or חזקיהו, God has strengthened) was the 13th king of indepedent Judah and the son of King Ahaz and Abijah (2 Chronicles 29:1), who was a daughter of a man (who was not the prophet) named Zechariah. ...

Origin

According to sources, in the Torah, the creation of a bronze snake (the Nehustan) is attributed to Moses. The story of the copper serpent Nehushtan, as described in Numbers xxi. 5-9, may safely be given the authorship from the writing which gives the sanction of Moses to this image.^[1] The story states that the Israelites were complaining about their problems in the desert somewhere near Punon. God, angered at their lack of faith and ungratefulness, sent poisonous snakes among them as punishment. It then goes on to describe Moses, who had prayed in order to intercede on their behalf, being told by God to make a brass snake so that the Israelites merely had to look upon it to be cured from the snake bites. (Numbers 21:4–9) The Book of Numbers provides an origin for an archaic bronze serpent associated with Moses, with the following account: “Tora” redirects here. ... Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ... “The Twelve Tribes” redirects here. ... Punon (Hebrew: פּוּנֹן) is an ancient city in the Arava, Jordan. ... Faith has two general implications which can be implied either exclusively or mutually; To Trust: Believing a certain variable will act a specific way despite the potential influence of known or unknown change. ... blue: sea snakes, black: land snakes Superfamilies and Families Henophidia Aniliidae Anomochilidae Boidae Bolyeriidae Cylindrophiidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Xenopeltidae Typhlopoidea Anomalepididae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenophidia Acrochordidae Atractaspididae Colubridae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Viperidae A snake is a scaly, limbless, elongate reptile from the order Squamata. ... The Book of Numbers is the fourth of the books of the Pentateuch, called in the Hebrew ba-midbar במדבר, i. ...

The documentary hypothesis attributes these passages to the Elohist source recounting a folk tradition concerning a northern cult object. A relational diagram describing the various versions postulated by the biblical documentary hypothesis. ... The Elohist (E) is one of the sources of the Torah postulated by the documentary hypothesis. ...

Destruction

in 1508 Michelangelo Buonarroti, commissioned by Pope Julius II, painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel an image of the plague of serpents sent upon the Israelites and their deliverance by the creation of the bronze serpent.

Nehushtan was possibly set up in Jerusalem by Ahaz.^[2] However, the Bible says that King Hezekiah instituted a religious iconoclastic reform, and destroyed the Nehustan. The destruction of the Nehustan was encouraged by the priests of the first temple who favoured a centralised monotheistic religion, and did not entertain other religious places. The name "Nehushtan" may indicate the Hezekiah meant to disparage the image as a brazen thing, a mere piece of brass (2 Kings 18:4). This, however, may be a subtle play on words: heb. נחש (nachash) means serpent while נחשת (nachoshet) means brass or bronze. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2536x2523, 522 KB) Description: Title: de: Deckenfresko zur Schöpfungsgeschichte in der Sixtinischen Kapelle, Szene in Lünette: Bronzo und die Schlange Technique: de: Fresko Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Italien Current location (city): de: Rom Current location (gallery): de: Vatikan... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2536x2523, 522 KB) Description: Title: de: Deckenfresko zur Schöpfungsgeschichte in der Sixtinischen Kapelle, Szene in Lünette: Bronzo und die Schlange Technique: de: Fresko Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Italien Current location (city): de: Rom Current location (gallery): de: Vatikan... Michelangelo (full name Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) was a Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and poet. ... The Sistine Chapel (Italian: ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope, in the Vatican City. ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... This entry incorporates text from Eastons Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation. ... Hezekiah (or Ezekias) (Hebrew: חזקיה or חזקיהו, God has strengthened) was the 13th king of indepedent Judah and the son of King Ahaz and Abijah (2 Chronicles 29:1), who was a daughter of a man (who was not the prophet) named Zechariah. ... Statues in the Cathedral of Saint Martin, Utrecht, attacked in Reformation iconoclasm in the 16th century. ...

When the young reforming king came to the throne of Judah in the late 8th century BC:

"He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan." 2 Kings 18:4.^[3]

The dual -an ending perhaps signifies that the idol was actually of two snakes upon the pole, leading some to see a similarity with the familiar entwined snakes on the staff that survived in Hermes' caduceus and the single snake on the Rod of Asclepius. Boaz and Jachin were the name of the two pillars that stood on the eastern porch of Solomons Temple, the first temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 7:21; 2 Kings 11:14; 23:3). ... It has been suggested that Asherah pole be merged into this article or section. ... Incense is a preparation of aromatic organic materials, intended to release fragrant smoke when burned. ... The Caduceus Two caduceuses without wings as decoration of door portal in Ztracená street in Olomouc (Czech Republic). ... The Rod of Asclepius is an ancient Greek symbol associated with medicine. ...

According to historical criticism, the destruction would have been a blow to those originally from the northern kingdom, where Moses was considered a hero. Many who greatly respected Moses' heroism and cherished Hebrew history and tradition regarded Hezekiah's destruction of the bronze serpent, through which their God Yahweh performed a saving miracle, as an attack on the unique history and heritage of the Hebrews.^{[citation needed]} They felt that idolatry and incense burning to the bronze serpent could have been deterred without destroying it. This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Phoenician silver drachm from ca. ... A miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by a God in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. ... Idolatry is a major sin in the Abrahamic religions regarding image. ...

The Aaronid priesthood reacted differently toward the bronze serpent's destruction. The Aaronid priests, seeing the bronze serpent as a constant reminder of Moses' ascendency over Aaron, were not unhappy at its destruction^{[citation needed]}. Archaeological excavations at Midianite sites such as Timna have unearthed copper statues of serpents. Whether these were cult objects similar to the Nehushtan is unknown. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek: αρχαίος, archae, ancient; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... The term archaeological excavation has a double meaning. ... According to the Bible, Midian (מִדְיָן Strife; judgment, Standard Hebrew Midyan, Tiberian Hebrew Miḏyān) was a son of Abraham and his concubine Keturah (Genesis 25:1-6). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

It has also been suggested that Hezekiah's destruction of the Nehushtan was a result of the balance of power moving towards Assyria, who permitted him to remain on the throne of Judah as a puppet ruler. Hezekiah demonstrated his loyalty to the new regime by the destruction of an important symbol with Egyptian associations.^[4]

Nehushtan in Milano

Some believe that Hezekiah did not destroy Nehushtan.^{[citation needed]} At one of the most ancient churches in Italy, there allegedly exists the relic of Moses. According to the parishioners, Nehustan sits today in the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio. In 1000 A.D., Archbishop Arnolfo is said to have brought it to Milan, Italy. The object is located on top of a column on the left side of the central nave. It has reportedly been attributed with healing powers and a role in Judgment Day.^{[citation needed]} The hut façade of SantAmbrogio with the entrance portico. ... This article is about the city in Italy. ...

Significance to Christianity

In the Bible Jesus compared His own person and the crucifixion to Nehushtan, probably to show how he would sacrifice Himself for the world. Referring to his forthcoming crucifixion, Jesus said "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). Amongst conservative Christians and Jews, the healing is not attributed to the snake itself. The snake is thought to have been a representation of the punishment and the repentance of the Children of Israel. The phrase son of man is a primarily Semitic idiom that originated in Ancient Mesopotamia, used to denote humanity or self. ... Immortality is the concept of existing for a potentially infinite or indeterminate length of time. ... This article is about the religous people known as Christians. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Children of Israel, or Bnei Yisrael (בני ישראל) in Hebrew (also Bnai Yisrael, Bnei Yisroel or Bene Israel) is a Biblical term for the Israelites. ...

Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent, calling it Nehushtan, or a lump of brass. From this it was argued that the rulers in Church and State have authority to prohibit, in the public worship of God, the use of things that have been abused to Idolatry.^[5] The separation of church and state is a concept in law whereby the structures of state or national government are kept separate from those of religious institutions. ...

Miscellaneous

Nehustan also played a role in one of Tim LaHaye's latest books, Babylon Rising, a story about a modern-day archaeologist who sets out to search for the three long-forgotten pieces of the snake. A panel from Tim LaHaye’s multi-million selling ‘’Left Behind’’ series, depicting the fate LaHaye anticipates for those who do not follow Jesus Christ. ...

See also

Lists

List of Biblical names

Religious

Ark of the Covenant, Idolatry, Ophites, Seraphim

Other

Caduceus, Rod of Asclepius, Serpent symbolism, Uraeus

This is a list of names from the Bible, mainly taken from the 19th century public domain resource: Hitchcocks New and Complete Analysis of the Holy Bible by Roswell D. Hitchcock, New York: A. J. Johnson, 1874, c1869. ... A late 19th-century artists conception of the Ark of the Covenant, employing a Renaissance cassone for the Ark and cherubim as latter-day Christian angels The Ark of the Covenant (ארון הברית in Hebrew: aron habrit) is described in the Hebrew Bible as a sacred container, wherein rested the stone... Idolatry is a major sin in the Abrahamic religions regarding image. ... The Ophites is a blanket term for numerous gnostic sects in Syria and Egypt about 100 A.D. The common trait was that these sects would give great importance to the serpent. ... 六翼天使 Seraphim(六翼天使) is a Taiwanese symphonic metal band similar to Nightwish and Therion. ... The Caduceus Two caduceuses without wings as decoration of door portal in Ztracená street in Olomouc (Czech Republic). ... The Rod of Asclepius is an ancient Greek symbol associated with medicine. ... Serpent is a word of Latin origin (serpens, serpentis) which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit term serp, that is normally substituted for snake in a specifically mythic or religious context, in order to distinguish such creatures from the field of biology. ... The Uraeus (plural Uraei or Uraeuses) is a stylised upright cobra (or snake / serpent), used as a symbol of sovereignty, royalty, deity and divine authority in ancient Egypt. ...

External references

Citations

1. ^ Sharpe, S. (1890). The history of the Hebrew nation and its literature: with an appendix on the Hebrew chronology. London: Williams and Norgate. Page 157.
2. ^ Sharpe, S. (1890). The history of the Hebrew nation and its literature: with an appendix on the Hebrew chronology. London: Williams and Norgate. Pages 170.
3. ^ Hastings, J., Selbie, J. A., Davidson, A. B., Driver, S. R., & Swete, H. B. (1898). A dictionary of the Bible: dealing with its language, literature, and contents, including the Biblical theology. New York: C. Scribner's sons. Page 510.
4. ^ "The Mystery of the Nechushtan", Hershel Shanks, Biblical Archaeology Review, p58-63, March/April 2007.
5. ^ Hunt, J. (1870). Religious thought in England from the reformation to the end of the last century.

Further reading

• B., L. (1908). What is truth? London: E. Stock. Pages 118 - 131.

Websites

• Naassian". The Mystica.
• Nehushtan: Despising The Grace of God by Gregory S. Neal