(March 8, 2014 at 11:29 pm)Bucky Ball Wrote:(March 8, 2014 at 9:12 pm)Wyrd of Gawd Wrote: I think you blew your leg off of that one.
The serpent represented the Egyptian Pharaoh, who wore a headdress with a Uraeus rising serpent (cobra, asp) that symbolized the Pharaoh's absolute power and authority. http://www.landofpyramids.org/uraeus.htm
Egypt was at war with Assyria and Babylonia and various times fell under their control. Most people regard serpents as sneaky and treacherous so it was a clever way to take a dig at the Egyptian ruler for lying by calling him a serpent (which was on his headdress).
The Babylonian Empire was known as the “Garden of Eden” and the Egyptians were a disruptive force. Adam was a metaphor for the king of Tyre, who got kicked out by the Emperor. The tree of knowledge of good and evil might symbolize the adoption of foreign culture and religious practices.
Believe it or not, all of that is in the Bible.
I would have to respectfully disagree with that as the origins of the serpent in Genesis. Most of the imported things came from the Babylonian myth system. There is a myth of Gilgamesh and the Serpent, which fits perfectly with the rest on the imported material.
(Sorry this is so long).
There was a precedent for a snake (and plant) that conferred immortality.
http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/forum/...ins?page=2
I'm sticking with the Egyptian Pharaoh as the talking snake because Egypt was always an adversary of the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. All three empires controlled Egypt at various times and the Israelites/Hebrews/Jews were always claiming that Egypt was the bad guy. Plus, as I pointed out, the Egyptian Pharaoh's headdress had a snake on it.
