The Serpent Symbol in the Ancient Near East: Nahash and Asherah: Death, Life, and Healing

by Leslie S. Wilson

Overview

The serpent symbol has been a part of western culture since antiquity. Throughout time, it has been misunderstood and misrepresented. The Serpent Symbol in the Ancient Near East is the first comparative study of the origins of the serpent symbol from its first attestations in Dravidian South India through Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East including, Egypt, Classical Greece, and as far west as ancient Carthage. The role of the serpent as the agent of life, death, and healing is demonstrated in the various cultures both individually and in combination, in order to clearly understand the symbol.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761821243
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/12/2001
Series:	Studies in Judaism
Edition description:	English ed.
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Leslie S. Wilson is President, Ink Masters, Research Affiliate, Yale University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface
Chapter 2 Dedication
Chapter 3 Introduction
Chapter 4 In Search of the Serpent
Chapter 5 Death, Life, and Healing
Chapter 6 Extra-Biblical Nachash (Serpent)
Chapter 7 Biblical Nachash (Serpent)
Chapter 8 Extra-Biblical Asherah (Goddess - Serpent)
Chapter 9 Biblical Asherah (Goddess - Serpent)
Chapter 10 MLK and Human Sacrifice
Chapter 11 Human Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible
Chapter 12 Shaï, (Good Snake/ Good Spirit) and Agathos Daimôn
Chapter 13 The Origin and History of the Caduceus
Chapter 14 Politics and Piety
Chapter 15 The Garden of Eden Revisited
Chapter 16 Summary and Conclusions
Chapter 17 Abbreviations
Chapter 18 Bibliography
Chapter 19 Indices

Editorial Reviews

'The Serpent Symbol in the Ancient Near East' is a truly fascinating and seminal study, carefully researched and documented, revealing the true story behind the common symbolic figure many of us see everyday in ordinary life.

The Bookwatch

'The Serpent Symbol in the Ancient Near East' is a truly fascinating and seminal study, carefully researched and documented, revealing the true story behind the common symbolic figure many of us see everyday in ordinary life.--The Bookwatch

From the Publisher