Christian answering questions too!

[abaris]

Generally, the "serpent" is taken by most Christians as a slur against Satan, in describing him by his nature instead of his physical appearance, not as a literal snake. Of course, the snake is a common theme in pre-Judaic religions of the region, so it's hardly surprising to us to find it in the Genesis tale, since so much else in Genesis appears to have been borrowed from the Sumerian myths.

Very similar theme in the Gilgamesh epic, by the way. The snake, the garden, the temptress. Hmm, wonder where the Israelites got that from. Same as the flood and the boat, which is almost the same to the letter in Gilgamesh.