Difference between revisions of "Category:Serpent of Bronze (subject)"

Latest revision as of 10:10, 9 October 2020

The Serpent of Bronze refers to an episode in the narrative of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt (Numbers 21:4-9).

Overview

According to ancient Jewish tradition (Numbers 21), in the desert of Exodus the people of Israel murmured against God. As a punishment many died of the poisonous bites of "fiery serpents". Moses erected the bronze image of a serpent, so that the sufferers could look at it as an act of repentance and be healed.

According to the Books of Kings, the image was put in the Jerusalem Temple and became an object of adoration until it was destroyed by King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4).

The Gospel of John reinterpreted the image as a symbol of the cross, while the Mishnah would remind its readers that it was God not the serpent who brought salvation.

Serpent of Bronze, in ancient sources

Numbers

Numbers 21:4-9 (NRSV) -- [4] From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food." 6 Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

Book of Kings

2 Kings 18:4 -- 4 Hezekiah removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole. He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it; it was called Nehushtan.

Gospel of John

John 3:14-15 -- 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

Mishnah

Mishnah R.H. 29a -- The people should look up to the God of heaven, for it is not the serpent that either brings to life or puts to death, but it is God

Serpent of Bronze, in literature & the arts

External links

Wikipedia

Pages in category "Serpent of Bronze (subject)"

The following 17 pages are in this category, out of 17 total.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 *[[:Category:Events|BACK TO THE EVENTS--INDEX]]
+*[[Moses|BACK to MOSES]] -- [[Hezekiah|KING HEZEKIAH]]
 The '''Serpent of Bronze''' refers to an episode in the narrative of the [[Exodus]] of the Israelites from Egypt (Numbers 21:4-9).
 ==Overview==
@@ Line 8: / Line 10: @@
 According to ancient Jewish tradition (Numbers 21), in the desert of [[Exodus]] the people of Israel murmured against God. As a punishment many died of the poisonous bites of "fiery serpents". Moses erected the bronze image of a serpent, so that  the sufferers could look at it as an act of repentance and be healed.
-According to the Books of Kings, the image was put in the Jerusalem Temple and became an object of adoration until it was destroyed by King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4).
+According to the Books of Kings, the image was put in the Jerusalem Temple and became an object of adoration until it was destroyed by King [[Hezekiah]] (2 Kings 18:4).
 The Gospel of John reinterpreted the image as a symbol of the cross, while the Mishnah would remind its readers that it was God not the serpent who brought salvation.
-==The Serpent of Bronze in ancient sources==
+==Serpent of Bronze, in ancient sources==
 ====Numbers====
@@ Line 20: / Line 22: @@
 ====Book of Kings====
-Kings 18:4 -- ''  4 [[King Hezekiah]] removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole. He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it; it was called Nehushtan. ''
+Kings 18:4 -- ''  4 [[Hezekiah]] removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole. He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it; it was called Nehushtan. ''
 ====Gospel of John====
@@ Line 30: / Line 32: @@
 Mishnah R.H. 29a -- ''The people should look up to the God of heaven, for it is not the serpent that either brings to life or puts to death, but it is God''
-==In Depth==
+==Serpent of Bronze, in literature & the arts==
-* [[Serpent of Bronze (arts)]]
+<gallery>
+File:Brazen Serpent Michelangelo.jpg|[[The Brazen Serpent (1511 Michelangelo), art]]
+File:Serpent Bronzino.jpg|[[Miracle of the Brazen Serpent (1542 Bronzino), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent Danti.jpg|[[Moses and the Brazen Serpent (1559 Danti), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent Tintoretto.jpg|[[The Brazen Serpent (1576 Tintoretto), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent Dyck.jpg|[[The Brazen Serpent (1620 Dyck), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent Rubens.jpg|[[The Brazen Serpent (1639 Rubens), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent Bourdon.jpg|[[Moses and the Brazen Serpent (1654 Bourdon), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent West.jpg|[[The Brazen Serpent (1790 West), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent Bruni.jpg|[[Moses and the Brazen Serpent (1840 Bruni), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent John.jpg|[[Moses and the Brazen Serpent (1898 John), art]]
+File:Brazen Serpent Fantoni.jpg|[[Brazen Serpent (2000 Fantoni), art]]
+</gallery>
 ==External links==