Anguine Iconography

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ANGUINE ICONOGRAPHY

IN THE STUDIUM BIBLICUM FRANCISCANUM MUSEUMAND BIBLICAL EXEGESIS

J. H. Charlesworth

The Studium Biblicum Franciscanum Museum houses seven examples ofanguine iconography. The purpose of this paper is to publish an editio prin-ceps of the anguine collection, which once belonged to the Franciscan Fa-ther Godfrey Kloetzli (1916-1992),1and attempt to place them within the

sequence of anguine iconography found in ancient Palestine. Finally, I willselect some aside regarding the importance of these and similar realia forexegesis and hermeneutics. It is an honor to be asked to submit this studyin celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Studium Biblicum Fran-ciscanum that sits on the northern edge of the Via Dolorosa in the Old Cityof Jerusalem.2

Description

1. Composition, Size, and Color. The first anguine object found in the SBFMuseum is made of bronze (see illustration no. 1).3 It is 5 cm wide, 3.4 cmhigh, and 1.1 cm thick (including the raised serpent).4 The serpent itself is5 cm thick, except for the tail that is slightly thinner, and about 4.8 cm long.The upper right corner of the object is missing and broken off. The objectis now dark green in color.

Provenience and Date. There is no archaeological report that will helpus obtain the necessary data for dating. The object was purchased in Israel.

1. He also bequeathed to the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum Museum the items publishedin S. Amorai-Stark,Engraved Gems and Seals from Two Collections in Jerusalem, Jerusa-lem 1993, see esp. p. 11.

2. I am grateful to Dr. M. Piccirillo for allowing me to hold and study the anguine icono-graphy in the SBF Museum. I also wish to express appreciation to Dr. F. Manns for theinvitation to contribute to this special issue.

3. J.P. Charlesworth is largely responsible for the photographs. We took them together dur-ing the fall of 1998. I am grateful to her for her skills and assistance.

4. All my measurements are based on the greatest distance.

LA 49 (1999) 431-442; Pls. 5-6


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J. H. CHARLESWORTH432

Since it seems to be a bronze belt buckle, I would judge it to date from theRoman Period.

Anguine Features. The serpent is raised above the base. It is formed in

the shape of an 8 that lies flat. The tail is on the left side and the head onthe right. The head protrudes beyond the body, and both eyes are barelyvisible. There is no hole for a tongue. Horizontal and diagonal lines indi-cate the skin or scales. The head of the serpent is not raised; it rests on thebody.

Context for Interpretation. There is no reason to link this example ofanguine iconography with a cult or to claim that it is primarily a religioussymbol. The object seems to have been used for some utilitarian purpose perhaps it once served as a belt buckle. This suggestion is based upon the

raised piece of brass with a hole in it in the upper left and lower right cor-ners; the upper right corner is now lost but may once have also had a raisedpiece of brass with a hole for some pragmatic purpose.

2. Composition, Size, and Color. The second example of anguine iconogra-phy in the SBF Museum is made of glass (see illustration no. 2). The ser-pent is 7.4 cm long, 3.7 cm wide, and 4 cm thick. The glass is translucentand pale green, but black dots signify eyes and skin the dots are slightlylarger for the eyes.

Provenience and Date. I would judge the glass anguine object to datefrom the Roman Period; its high quality would suggest, perhaps that it datesfrom the Herodian Period. It is similar to the numerous glass objects andglassware that clearly date from ancient Palestine and before 70 CE. Oftenglass serpents are dated to the first centuries BCE or CE.5 One cannot becertain about the date, since the object was purchased in Israel.

Anguine Features. The eyes and skin are impressively marked, and thenose is pointed though not part of a triangular head. The artistically-shapedhead is raised 1.4 cm above the level of the body. The serpent s body isvirtually straight until midway where it is coiled into three concentriccircles.

Context for Interpretation. This anguine object is unique. I have notseen anything to compare with it. Its beauty and the skill of the craftsman-ship might suggest that the serpent served in some cultic capacity. Theraised head might symbolize divinity and power. It is thus reminiscent of

5. In Groses,Early Ancient Glass, all three examples of glass serpents are dated to the 1stcentury BCE or 1st century CE. See D.F. Grosse, EarlyAncient Glass (The Toledo Mu-seum of Art), New York 1989, 372, nos. 678, 679, 680.


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ANGUINE ICONOGRAPHY 433

6. R. Dionisopoulos,Mass inthe Evil Eye (ed. C. Maloney), New York 1976, 49.

the meanings represented by the uraeus. The beautiful translucent glass ofthis ophidian object could evoke thoughts about health, happiness, and re-

juvenation. The coiled body might symbolize the unity of time and cosmos,

as in Ouroborus, the serpent that is circular and swallows its own tail.

3. Composition, Size, and Color. The third piece of anguine iconography iscomposed of bronze (see illustration no. 3). It is 7 cm wide and 9 cm high.It is brown in color.

Provenience and Date. The object was purchased and can be dated byanalogy with other anguine iconography dated by archaeologists who canrefer to the date of pottery and coins found along with the object in situ.The object seems to be from the Middle Bronze or Late Bronze Age, but it

could also date from the Iron Age. It is like a uraeus and reflects Egyptianinfluence. Since it is small and looks Egyptian, it may have been importedinto ancient Palestine from Egypt.

Anguine Features. The anguine object is similar to a uraeus. The headis raised and faces left. The body is shaped in the form of an S turned 90degrees counter clockwise. Thus, there are two equal curves. The serpentsits on a flat base. A circular protrusion with a hole is on top of the serpent.

Context for Interpretation. Like a uraeus the anguine symbolism wouldsignify power, divinity, kinship, and immortality. The small hole at the top

of the uraeus indicates that it was meant to be worn, and perhaps aroundthe neck. The object was most likely an amulet. It would thus have beenthought to possess apotropaic and prophylactic powers. R. Dionisopoulos-Mass reports that today in Greece the whole skin of a snake is consideredto be a strong prophylactic device and it is carried in the clothing, hungfrom the rafters of a house, or put over the door of an animal shed.6

4. Composition, Size, and Color. The fourth example of anguine iconogra-phy is a bronze serpent (see illustration no. 4). It is 9.2 cm long and nowdark green in color.

Provenience and Date. The object was purchased so I can date it onlyby analogy and a study of the object itself. Since it is composed of bronzewith elaborate glass in circular holes to indicate skin it was most likelycultic. I would date it to the Roman Period, primarily because of the glass.Because of the style I would think it dates from the early part of the Ro-man Period.


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7. The entry for Timnah is found under Tel Batash inNEAEHL and OEANE. See A. Mazar- G.L. Kelm, Batash, Tel (Timnah),NEAEHL 1.152-57; A. Mazar, Batash, Tel,OEANE1.281-83. Also see Negev, The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land, 379-80. An-other important succinct report is G.L. Kelm - A. Mazar, Timnah: A Biblical City in theSorekValley, Winona Lake, Indiana 1995. See the faience scarab with three upright uraei.

8. See the color photograph in Negev, The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land,49. A wonderful color photograph is found in J.M. Landay, Silent Cities, Sacred Stones: Ar-chaeology Discovery in the Land of the Bible, London - Jerusalem 1971, 88. Excellent colorphotographs are found in B. Rothenberg, Timna: Valley of the Biblical Copper Mines (NewAspects of Archaeology), London 1972, Plate 19 (full view) and 20 (close up of head).

Anguine Features. The small serpent is elongated and almost straight,although a curve appears just before the triangular head turns to the right.Eyes are indicated by clear circles cut into the bronze. Originally there was

a piece of glass in each of the eleven holes, but only one round piece ofglass (rather clear) remains in place. It is in the second hole from the left(that is, from the tail).

Context for Interpretation. No hole is present, so the serpent was notintended to be worn. It may have been a cultic object, because of its so-phisticated conception and intricate details. The elongation could denoteunity, and the triangular head a poisonous serpent that might denote goodand evil, as well as life and death.

5. Composition, Size, and Color. The fifth anguine object is possibly com-posed of silver and is the longest serpent in the collection (see illustrationno. 4). It is 26 cm long. It is copper colored and in places is dark.

Provenience and Date. Since the object was purchased we cannot relyon what a Bedouin or a dealer might claim, even if they were as honest astraining and experience might allow. The anguine object must be dated byanalogy. I would compare it with the serpent found at Timna.7 It is a ser-pent from the 13th century BCE.8The serpent is primarily copper, but itshead is gilded and the eyes are highlighted.

Both the serpent in the SBF and the Timna serpent are similarly con-structed; that is, they depict serpents moving and elongated. Thus, I woulddate this SBF ophidian object to the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 BCE) orperhaps to Iron I.

Anguine Features. The serpent is long but has five curves that areusually gradual; perhaps they indicated that the serpent was moving. Theskin is elegantly denoted with fine markings. The eyes and mouth arebarely visible. The head is raised 6 cm above the horizontal position ofthe body.


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Context for Interpretation. The serpent may well have been a culticobject, because of its elegance and fine workmanship. It is similar to thecopper serpent with gilding found at Timna in a cultic context. The curves

would evoke thoughts about dynamism and speed. The gentle nature of theserpents curves may symbolize the elusive and mysterious quality of theserpent. Recall that the serpent in Genesis 3 appears mysteriously and with-out introduction.

6. Composition, Size, and Color. The sixth ophidian object is like a uraeus;it is composed of a white substance (I could not discern if it was bone orivory). It is 1.1 cm wide and 1.3 cm high (see illustration no. 4).

Provenience and Date. As with the other objects already discussed

there is no context to help us date and interpret this uraeus-like object. Itprobably dates somewhere from the Late Bronze Age to the Roman Period.Anguine Features. The serpent is curled back upon itself in something

like a tight S curve (rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise). It faces left.Context for Interpretation. The serpent object is reminiscent of Egyp-

tian uraei, and it may have been imported to ancient Palestine. It was prob-ably worn, since a hole is obvious in the top. It was probably worn forprophylactic and apotropaic reasons.

7. Composition, Size, and Color. The final example of anguine iconogra-phy is composed of stone (see illustration no. 4). It is 0.7 cm wide and 1.1cm high. It is green in color.

Provenience and Date. As all the ophidian objects in the Museum, theobject was purchased, so there is no context to help us discern its meaningand date. Like the previous object, this one could date from the Late BronzeAge to the Roman Period.

Anguine Features. The serpent faces right. It curves downward and thenupward again and finally downward with a tail that is thinner than the body.

Context for Interpretation. This object is small and was probably in-tended to be worn, but if there was a hole at the top it is now lost. It wasalso worn for prophylactic and apotropaic reasons.

Anguine Symbolisms and Their Possible Meaning

Uraeus. Numbers three, six, and seven are like uraei. Originating in Egypt,or at least first known there, the uraeus symbolized power, divinity, kin-ship, and immortality. The small holes often found at the top of the uraeus-


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9. C. Paul-Stengel, Schlangenspuren: Reptilien und ihre Bedeutung in der Kulturgeschichte,Knigstein - Taunus 1996, 121.

10. W.F. Albright, The Goddess of Life and Wisdom,AJSLL 36 (1919-1920) 227.

11. K.R. Joines,JBL 87 (1968) 250.

like serpents indicate that they were meant to be worn, and probably aroundthe neck. Most likely, they were devised as an amulet that was perceivedto be invested or endowed with apotropaic and prophylactic powers.

This second anguine object is unique. As far as I know, no exampleof anguine iconography found in the Land from Dan to Beer Sheba com-pares with it. The beauty of this object is remarkable. The craftsman wasskilled. Perhaps this serpent and the silver one (no. 5) served in somecultic capacity.

The raised head might suggest divinity and power. The beautiful trans-lucent glass could evoke thoughts about health, happiness, and rejuvena-tion. The coiled body might symbolize the unity of time and cosmos, aswith the serpentine god called Ouroborus. It also seems to denote the origi-

nal and fundamental unity of male and female; as C. Paul-Stengel writes,Weiter scheint die Schlange den Menschen eine geschlechtliche Einheitzu sein . 9

The fifth example of anguine iconograhy is so elegant and the work-manship so refined that I can imagine it may have been used in cultic wor-ship. It is similar to the copper serpent with gilding found at Timna andthat serpent was found in a cultic context.

If number two and five were connected with some cult, whetherCanaanite or Israelite, then we need to think about the ophidian iconogra-

phy found at Beth Shean and Hazor. In the former there definitely wasworship of serpents, and the objects recovered in the latter indicate thatserpent worship was most likely operative there also. What would the ser-pent symbolize?

K.R. Joines, following W.F. Albright,10 rightly stresses that serpentsymbolism does not necessarily denote or imply a phallic meaning. As shestates, ophidian symbolism sets out the intimate connection between theserpent goddess and the source of life.11The serpent, thus, would repre-sent not only divinity and power but also life and protection.

While it is unwise to interpret iconography from writings, even bythose who made the object, it is also unscientific to ignore the importanceof inscriptions or documents. It is clear that the serpent often symbolizednot only divinity and life, but also protection in antiquity. That is the pri-


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12. R. Koldewey, The Excavations of Babylon, p. 45 [italics mine]. Also, see Pritchard,ANEP no. 760. I am grateful to Joines for these references.

13. See S. Langdon, Building Inscriptions of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Part I:Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar, pp. 79, 85, 105, 131.

14. Over 40 unpublished ophidian objects are published for the first time in J.H.Charlesworth, The Serpent, in press.

mary meaning of Medussa and her serpents. Note, moreover, Nebuchad-nezzar IIs inscription placed on the high Ishtar Gate in honor of Marduk:

The gate of Nana (Ishtar I built) with (blue) enamelled bricks for Marduk my lord. Lusty bulls of bronze and mighty figures of serpentsI placed at their thresholds, , Marduk, exalted lord eternal life giveus a gift.12

Nebuchadnezzar frequently refers to his practice of erecting monu-ments with terrible bronze bulls and dreadful or terrible serpentsstanding erect.13 Obviously many meanings would be evoked by this prac-tice. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzars main purpose was to stress the power andprotection provided by a god. The serpents thus do not signify the embodi-ment of Marduk; they symbolized the presence of his power and protec-tion.

This interpretation helps us ground the symbolism of the anguine amu-lets preserved in the SBF Museum. It is now evident that they most likelydenoted protection for the wearer.

The curves of the fifth anguine object probably evoked thoughts aboutpower, speed, as well as the elusive and mysterious quality of the serpent.

Exegesis and Anguine Iconography

The evidence of anguine iconography in ancient Palestine is extensive.Some of it is unknown or hidden in obscure and poorly organized, andsometimes contradictory, ancient archaeological reports. And much of it isnot yet published.14The serpents and anguine iconography housed in theSBF Museum constitute one of the finest small collections in Israel. Onlya few comments on how these realia help us understand and enter into theancient biblical world must suffice for now. I have limited my comments

to only succinct five examples: Genesis 3, Numbers 21, 2 Kings, Matthew10, and John 3.


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Genesis 3. According to the story recorded in Genesis 3, the serpent(vjn) was more cunning or clever (Mwro) than any of the other animals. Hetells the woman that if she eats of the tree in the midst of the garden she

will not die, as God has stated, but that she will be like God knowing goodand evil (orw bwf yody). The serpent spoke the truth, since God confirms itwhen he tells Adam that he must have eaten of the tree in the midst of thegarden because he knows he is naked (3:11). This account in Genesisshould not be studied in terms of modern conceptions in Judaism, Islam,or Christianity in each the serpent tends to symbolize evil and signify theDevil. The text must be interpreted in terms of context. Ancient ophidiansymbolism clarifies that the serpent symbolizes wisdom and knowledge.

Early Jewish lore, as one might expect, is filled with speculations on

the serpent. Most of it derives from imaginative reflections on life beforethe woman (later named Eve) and Adam ate from the tree in the midst ofthe garden. In his The Legends of the Jews, L. Ginzberg obtained the fol-lowing summary from his examination of Jewish lore:

Among the animals the serpent was notable. Of all of them he had themost excellent qualities, in some of which he resembled man. Like man hestood upright upon two feet, and in height he was equal to the camel. ... Asa matter of fact, it was the very ability of the serpent that led to the ruin ofman and his own ruin. His superior mental gifts caused him to become an

infidel. It likewise explains his envy of man, especially of his conjugal re-lations.15

Jews believed that before the Fall the serpent was the wisest of all crea-tures, and that he was created by God as the king of all animals.16 Discus-sions around the fire at night gave rise to numerous legends. How did Godmake the clothes for Adam and Eve? God used the skins of snakes.17 Theserpent can represent evil or good; hence, Satan and Azazel can be seen asa serpent, and the archangel Gabriel can appear in the form of a serpent.18

Numbers 21. According to the narrative in Numbers 21, the Childrenof Israel turn against God and Moses and want to return to Egypt (21:5).God sends vipers or fiery serpents (Myprch Myvjnh) among them. Many ofthem die. The Hebrews cry for deliverance once again. God replies that

15. L. Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 7 vols., trans. H. Szold [for volumes 1 and 2],Philadelphia 1968, vol. 1, pp. 71-72. [vol. 7 is an index by B. Cohen].

16. See Ginzberg, The Legends, vol. 1, p. 78 and n. 84.

17. See Ginzberg, The Legends, vol. 1, p. 80, note 93.

18. Ginzberg, The Legends, vol. 5, p. 423.


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now they must participate in their salvation. He tells Moses to make a fi-ery serpent (Prc) and place it upon a pole. All those who look up to theuplifted serpent will not perish but live. Moses made a copper or bronze

serpent (tvjn vjn) and placed it upon a pole. All who had been bitten andwho looked up to the upraised serpent did not perish but lived. This is atelling example that the serpent could signify health, healing, and rejuve-nation. The upraised serpent also possessed apotropaic powers. It broughtlife to the one who had been administered death by the viper.

2 Kings. King Hezekiah reforms the religion of Israel, and he broke inpieces the bronze serpent (tvjnh vjn) that Moses had made; for until thosedays the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it (Ntvjn [2 Kgs18:4]). Hezekiahs reform seems to explain why ophidian iconography,

which had increased in ancient Palestine beginning in the Middle BronzeAge, wanes after Iron II.19

Matthew 10. According to Matthew, Jesus tells his followers to beclever as serpents (fro/nimoi w oi ofei), and innocent as doves (Mt10:16). The serpent thus symbolizes not only cleverness but also wisdomfor Jesus. Jesus Jewishness is evident, since not only Genesis 3 but also aJewish document roughly contemporaneous with him portrays the serpentas the wisest creature (Apocalypse of Moses). It is with Judaism that Jesus,according to Matthew, is linked and not with Greek mythology, specifically

Hermes (Mercury), the messenger of the gods who is usually shown withtwo serpents (the caduceus). Hence, W.H. Fischles claim that Matthew10:16 should be seen in terms of Hermes (Mercury) is misleading.20

John 3. According to the author of the Fourth Gospel, Jesus tellsNicodemus that as Moses lifted up the serpent (to\n ofin) in the wilder-ness, so it will be necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up. Thence, allthose who believe in him will have life eternal (3:14-15). The poetic style,

parallelismus membrorum that is synonymous, indicates that the Son ofMan is synonymous with the serpent. It means that the Son of Man, who isJesus, and who is symbolized as a serpent represents life. This seems to benot only a marvellous example of Intertextuality, but also a brilliant exege-sis (midrash) of Numbers 21. John 3:14-15 indicate that the author of John and his Community knew that the serpent symbolized life, healing, re-

juvenation, and even resurrection. Perhaps this passage in John and its ex-egesis helps us comprehend how the author of John can have Jesus say, I

19. See the discussion in Charlesworth, The Serpent, in press.

20. W.H. Fischle, Das Geheimnis der Schlange: Deutung eines Symbols, Fellbach -Oeffingen 1989, 76-77.


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am the resurrection and the life (11:25). This exegesis rests upon the de-monstration that the serpent by the end of the 1st century CE did symbol-ize life and rejuvenation. This should be obvious to all those who have read

how the serpent obtained the secret of immortality or resurrection accord-ing to the Gilgamesh epic.21

Perhaps this text is too far removed from the 1st century C.E. to bepersuasive; hence, let us focus on the question: Did the serpent symbolizerejuvenation, new life, immortality, and perhaps resurrection when theFourth Gospel was composed? We obtain an insightful answer by turningto Philo of Byblos. He wrote at the end of the 1st century or the beginningof the 2nd century C.E., and claims to translate from a work by a certainSanchuniathon. This author, if he lived or is only a creation of Philo of

Byblos,22 has a long section that is devoted to snakes or serpents.23It is amajor source to study as we seek to comprehend the culture in which thesymbolism of the Fourth Gospel was fashioned.24 Reference is made to thedivine nature of the serpent and snakes; this animal is fiery and the mostfilled with breath of all crawling things. The creature has matchless swift-ness by means of its breath(sic).25Note how important for an understand-ing of serpent symbolism, especially in the Gospel of John, is the followingexcerpt from Philo of Byblos (814.23-815.13):

The nature there of the snake (touv drakonto) and of serpents (twn

ofewn), Taautos himself regarded as divine, and after him, again, the

21. The Mexican feathered serpent god, called Quetzalcoatl, is often shown upon a stool ofserpents, which seem to symbolize his journey to the world after death. See J.L. Henderson- M. Oakes, The Wisdom of the Serpent: The Myths of Death, Rebirth, and Resurrection,Princeton 1990, esp. see Fig. 13 on p. 167.

22. O. Gruppe thought this Sanchuniathon never existed, but W.F. Albright claimed that hedid exist, lived in Berytus, and was a refugee from Tyre. For us it is not relevant whetherSanchuniathon was a valuable source concerning Phoenician theology; for us it is moreimportant that Philo of Byblos, about the time of the Gospels, published these ideas con-cerning a serpent.

23. Our only source for Philo of Byblos is Eusebius Praeparatio Evangelica. Eusebius, asone might imagine, castigates the idea that snakes can be beneficial. He thus marks one ofthe turning points in the appreciation of the serpent.

24. Actually, Eusebius is citing Philo of Byblos who claims to be translating Sanchuniathon,who in turn is quoting a certain Taautos at this point. This phenomenon often confronts onewho is studying the 1st century; that is, we sometimes have only citations of otherwise lostworks, see J.H. Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2, pp. 775-76 and J.Strugnell, ibid., pp. 777-79.

25. For the Greek and translation see Attridge - Oden, Philo of Byblos, pp. 64-65. For an-other edition and translation, see A.I. Baumgarten, The Phoenician History of Philo ofByblos (EPRO 89), Leiden 1981.


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Phoenicians and Egyptians [did so]. For he presented the animal as that ofall the reptiles which contained most spirit and as being [of the nature] offire. Besides which he also attributes to it unsurpassable swiftness on ac-

count of the spirit, since it lacks feet and arms or any other limbs by meansof which the other animals move. And it is most long lived, for it notonly sheds its old skin and becomes young but also it is increased [by theprocess] and becomes bigger. And when it has filled out the establishedmeasure [of age] it consumes itself, just as Taautos himself described inthe sacred writings. Therefore, too, this animal is taken into the temples andmysteries. It has been discussed by us more fully in the treatise entitledEthothion, in which it is established that the snake is immortal (otiaqanaton eih) and that it is resolved into itself as was said above. For the

nature of this animal is such that it does not die unless it is struck by someviolent force. The Phoenicians call it Agathos Daimon.26

Philo of Byblos continues by quoting Epeeis, who claims that the firstand holiest being is the serpent (815.18).

Much more evidence that the serpent symbolizes life, healing, and re-juvenation can be found in Greek and Latin writings prior to or contempo-raneous with the Fourth Gospel, and most notably within the Asclepiancult. Asclepius, as the human who became a god, knew how to bring oneback from the dead, to extend life, and to rejuvenate all.27

Conclusion

Careful research on the meaning of ophidian iconography in antiquity goesagainst the grain of what passes for enlightened scholarship. For example,Baruch Rosen recently claimed that the snake in Christianity, especiallyin eastern Christianity, represents the incarnation of all evil. He continuesby claiming, in Judaism the role of the snake as the symbol of sin and evilis well known.28 It is not easy to judge these assessments as balanced andinformed opinions. Of course, one can find evidence in Christianity andJudaism that the serpent is the embodiment of evil. But, in early Christian-ity, especially in the Canonical Gospels, the serpent serves to symbolize

26. For the Greek and English, see Baumgarten, The Phoenician History, loc. cit.

27. For texts, discussions, and photographs, see Charlesworth, The Serpent, in press.

28. B. Rosen, Reidentified Animals in the Orpheus Mosaic from Jerusalem,IEJ 34(1984) 182-83; the quotations are on p. 183.


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wisdom and rejuvenation, even resurrection. And from Genesis 3, throughtheApocalypse of Moses, to Matthew 10 the serpent frequently symbolizescleverness, knowledge, and wisdom.

The Studium Biblicum Franciscanum Museum preserves some impor-tant examples of anguine iconography. They all antedate the Fourth Gospeland represent ideas and iconography prevalent in ancient Palestine. Theseobjects help transport the exegete back into the past. We must not interpretancient texts with a myopic focus on the present. Today in Judaism, Chris-tianity, and Islam the serpent is usually a symbol of evil and the Devil yet thoughtful reflection reveals that the serpent symbolizes medicine (cf.the medical caduceus). The devoted exegete, upon whom solid hermeneu-tics should be founded, must seek to dwell in the elusive world in which

our sacra scriptura were composed and copied. In that time, the serpentwas both a symbol of evil and good, of death and life, as well as falsehoodand wisdom. Ancient contexts often awakened by archaeological artifacts disclose the mysterious fecundity of our cherished texts.

J. H. CharlesworthW.F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research

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Anguine Iconography