>>> Richard Landes <[log in to unmask]> 11/25/97 07:31am >>>
>as for the serpent as a symbol of xt's passion -- other than hanging on
>a pole, what's the connection?
>rlandes
You'll recall that the people who had been bitten by the poisonous vipers
were healed when they looked at the bronze serpent (Numbers 21).
Naturally, then, people who read the Hebrew Scriptures as an analog to
the gospel story would see the bronze serpent as a symbol of Christ
(one of the more interesting symbols, too--with Jesus "the serpent"
destroying the power of Satan "the serpent").
Bill Netherton
Amarillo, Texas USA
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|