SERPENT WORSHIP

wur'-ship: Traces of this superstition are thought by certain critics to be discoverable in the religion of Israel. Stade mentions that W. R. Smith supposed the serpent to be the totem of the house of David (Geschichte, I, 465). H. P. Smith says: "We know of a Serpent's Stone near Jerusalem, which was the site of a sanctuary (1 Kings 1:9), and this sanctuary was dedicated to Yahweh" (Hist of Old Testament, 239, 240). Special reliance is placed on the narrative of the brazen serpent, which Hezekiah is recorded to have destroyed as leading to idolatry, (2 Kings 18:4). "In that case," says H. P. Smith, "we must treat the Nehushtan as a veritable idol of the house of Israel, which had been worshipped in the temple from the time of its erection. Serpent worship is so widespread that we should be surprised not to find traces of it in Israel" (ut supra). In the same line, see G. B. Gray, Numbers, 275-76. The fancifulness of these deductions is obvious.

See NEHUSHTAN.

James Orr

Snake-Worship.
... He told my parents that the boils had come in consequence of their neglect of
serpent-worship, and that the children would be cured if my parents would again ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hodson/old daniel/chapter three snake-worship.htm

Constantine's Letter to Eusebius and Other Bishops, Respecting the ...
... version speaks of the serpent as the "subtlest." For historical and symbolical use
of the words, compare Fergusson, Tree and Serpent Worship (Lond., 1874), and ...
/.../the life of constantine/chapter xlvi constantines letter to eusebius.htm

Allegorical Explanation of Genesis, Chap. I. , Concerning the ...
... I., Concerning the Origin of the Church and Its Worship. 13. ... The fox remained
a fox, the hawk a hawk, and the serpent a serpent. ...
/.../chapter xii allegorical explanation of genesis.htm

Appendix
... Faber) asserts that the Apostle John used the ideas and phraseology of the mysteries,
the basis of them being Serpent and SUN worship with the host of heaven. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bullinger/commentary on revelation/appendix.htm

The Serpent, the Author of Polytheism.
... Scripture also commands to be worshipped, saying, Thou shalt worship the Lord ... other
gods;' [652] doubtless remembering with what penalty the serpent was visited ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xliv the serpent the author.htm

The Brazen Serpent.
... He has been lifted up as the Brazen Serpent was, He has become conspicuous by ... seemed
to extinguish His usefulness has made Him the object of worship and trust ...
/.../the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol i/viii the brazen serpent.htm

The Worship of the Synagogue
... There can be no reasonable doubt that these were said at worship in the synagogues ...
while, in lifting himself up again, he did it like a serpent"beginning with ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 17 the worship of.htm

The Seed of the Woman, and the Seed of the Serpent
... know it was good for food, unless she had seen the serpent feed upon ... as usual?"
Christians, remember the Lord keeps an account when you fail coming to worship. ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the seed of the woman.htm

The Beginning of Things. Away Back in the Beginning of Things God ...
... the sin upon Eve, who gave it to him, and Eve said that the serpent had tempted ... They
had been taught to worship God by bringing the best of all they had to Him ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter i the beginning of.htm

Numbers
... Through the story in xxi.4-11 we can detect the practice of serpent-worship, which
we know persisted to the time of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4); and the trial by ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/numbers.htm