Editing Serpent symbolism (section)

=====Jewish beliefs=====
[[File:Tissot The Brazen Serpent.jpg|thumb|''The Brazen Serpent'' (watercolor circa 1896–1902 by [[James Tissot]])]]
{{Main|Serpents in the Bible|Fiery flying serpent}}
In the [[Hebrew Bible]] the serpent in the [[Garden of Eden]] lured Eve with the promise of being like God, tempting her that despite God's warning, death would not be the result, that God was withholding knowledge from her.

The staff of [[Moses]] transformed into a snake and then back into a staff ([[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 4:2–4). The [[Book of Numbers]] 21:6–9 provides an origin for an [[Nehushtan|archaic copper serpent, ''Nehushtan'']], by associating it with Moses. This copper snake according to the Biblical text is put on a pole and used for healing. Book of Numbers 21:9 "And Moses made a snake of copper, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a snake had bitten any man, when he beheld the snake of brass, he lived."

When the reformer [[King Hezekiah]] came to the throne of Judah in the late 8th century&nbsp;BCE, "He removed the high places, broke the sacred pillars, smashed the idols, and broke into pieces the copper snake that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|18:4|KJV}})