Journey steeped in fog of myth
Dated to a time period between the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD, the sculpture, capturing the harrowing, hopeless moment when the serpents crush the three in their coils and kill them in a horrifying spectacle, vividly conveys the full impact of divine retribution.
Elsewhere, Heracles, the son of Zeus and the greatest of all Greek heroes, vanquished the Hydra, a multiheaded serpent — a feat frequently depicted on ancient Greek vases.
Given the snake's connection to the earth, it is unsurprising that these creatures are linked to Hades, the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. The symbolism is also embodied by Caduceus, the staff held by Hermes, who, in his many roles, also served as a herald to the underworld.
Another story linking the snake to a magical staff appears in the biblical narrative. In the Book of Exodus, when God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he provided miraculous signs to confirm his divine authority. One such sign involved Moses throwing his staff on the ground, where it became a serpent. When Moses picked it up by the tail, it turned back into a staff, demonstrating that God was with him.
Later, when the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, the great hardship facing them led many to speak against God and Moses. As a consequence of their ingratitude, God sent venomous serpents among the people, and many were bitten and died. The people, realizing their sin, repented and asked Moses to intercede on their behalf.
In response, God instructed Moses to make a serpent out of bronze and mount it on a pole. Anyone who had been bitten could look at the bronze serpent and would be healed. "The brazen serpent", with brazen historically used as a synonym for bronze, represented healing and salvation through faith in God's provision.
