Snakes & Healers
Molting, or ecdysis, serves a number of functions. Firstly, the old and worn skin is replaced; secondly, it helps get rid of parasites such as mites and ticks. Renewal of the skin by molting is supposed to allow growth in some animals such as insects; however, this has been disputed in the case of snakes.
Molting occurs periodically throughout the snake's life. Before a molt, the snake stops eating and often hides or moves to a safe place. Just before shedding, the skin becomes dull and dry looking and the eyes become cloudy or blue-colored. The inner surface of the old skin liquefies. This causes the old skin to separate from the new skin beneath it. After a few days, the eyes clear and the snake "crawls" out of its old skin. The old skin breaks near the mouth and the snake wriggles out, aided by rubbing against rough surfaces. In many cases, the cast skin peels backward over the body from head to tail in one piece, like pulling a sock off inside-out. A new, larger, brighter layer of skin has formed underneath.
An older snake may shed its skin only once or twice a year. But a younger snake, still growing, may shed up to four times a year. The discarded skin gives a perfect imprint of the scale pattern, and it is usually possible to identify the snake if the discarded skin is reasonably intact. This periodic renewal has led to the snake being a symbol of healing and medicine, as pictured in the Rod of Asclepius.
The Rod of Asclepius
However, the Cult of Asclepius involved the direct and indirect presence of snakes, treating the patients and prescribing in their dreams. Quoting from
Asclepeion on Wikipedia:
Asclepeions (Ancient Greek: Ἀσκληπιεῖον Asklepieion; Ἀσκλαπιεῖον in Doric dialect; Latin aesculapīum) were healing temples located in ancient Greece (and in the wider Hellenistic and Roman world), dedicated to Asclepius, the first doctor-demigod in Greek mythology.[1] Asclepius was said to have been such a skilled doctor that he could even raise people from the dead. So stemming from the myth of his great healing powers, pilgrims would flock to temples built in his honor in order to seek spiritual and physical healing.
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Asclepeions also became home to future physicians as well. Hippocrates is said to have received his medical training at an asclepeion on the isle of Kos. Prior to becoming the personal physician to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Galen treated and studied at the famed asclepeion at Pergamon.
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Over 300 asclepieia have been discovered throughout ancient Greece. Among the most famous of the temples were Trikka, Epidaurus, island of Kos, Athens, Corinth and Pergamon.[10] These temples were often located in secluded locations surrounded modern spas or mountain sanatoriums.
Also characteristic of these temples were the presence of dogs and nonvenomous snakes, known as Aesculapian snake, who would frequent the halls and dormitories and who played an important role in healing activities.
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Epidaurus, on the other hand, was the first place to worship Asclepius as a god, beginning sometime in the 5th century BC. The asclepeion at Epidaurus is both extensive and well preserved. There is also an asclepeion located on the south slopes of the Acropolis of Athens which dates to around 420 BC.
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Afterwards, comes incubation or dream therapy. Patients would sleep in the “Abaton” or “Enkoimeterion,” which was a dormitory located in the asclepeion. Here, they would be lulled into a hypnotic state, likely induced by hallucinogens, and begin their dream journey.[10]
It seems that, at least since the time of Adam, snakes have been misleading humans from the worship of the One True God with their medical advise. While the cult of Asclepius became famous and widespread around fifth century BC, there is evidence of snake worship throughout history. After the Exodus, probably thirteenth century BC or so, Moses was commanded to build a brazen serpent:
חוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה עֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ שָׂרָ֔ף וְשִׂ֥ים אֹת֖וֹ עַל־נֵ֑ס וְהָיָה֙ כָּל־הַנָּשׁ֔וּךְ וְרָאָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ וָחָֽי:
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
As Abraham explained it: Iblis & his hosts are the enemy!
Judaism, Christianity and Islam all trace their roots to Abraham. He was a hanif, a pure monotheist. He worshipped the One True God, and held no one as a partner with Him.
The Quran, Surah ash-Shua`ra recites a speech made by Abraham:
وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ أَصْنَامًا فَنَظَلُّ لَهَا عَاكِفِينَ
قَالَ هَلْ يَسْمَعُونَكُمْ إِذْ تَدْعُونَ
أَوْ يَنفَعُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَضُرُّونَ
قَالُوا بَلْ وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا كَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ
قَالَ أَفَرَأَيْتُم مَّا كُنتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ
أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمُ الْأَقْدَمُونَ
فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِّي إِلَّا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ
الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ
وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ
وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ
وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ
وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَن يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ
وَاجْعَل لِّي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ
وَاجْعَلْنِي مِن وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ النَّعِيمِ
وَاغْفِرْ لِأَبِي إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الضَّالِّينَ
وَلَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ
يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ
إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
وَأُزْلِفَتِ الْجَنَّةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
وَبُرِّزَتِ الْجَحِيمُ لِلْغَاوِينَ
وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْبُدُونَ
مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ هَلْ يَنصُرُونَكُمْ أَوْ يَنتَصِرُونَ
فَكُبْكِبُوا فِيهَا هُمْ وَالْغَاوُونَ
وَجُنُودُ إِبْلِيسَ أَجْمَعُونَ
قَالُوا وَهُمْ فِيهَا يَخْتَصِمُونَ
تَاللَّهِ إِن كُنَّا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
إِذْ نُسَوِّيكُم بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
وَمَا أَضَلَّنَا إِلَّا الْمُجْرِمُونَ
فَمَا لَنَا مِن شَافِعِينَ
وَلَا صَدِيقٍ حَمِيمٍ
فَلَوْ أَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ
And rehearse to them (something of) Abraham's story.
Behold, he said to his father and his people: "What worship ye?"
They said: "We worship idols, and we remain constantly in attendance on them."
He said: "Do they listen to you when ye call (on them)?"
"Or do you good or harm?"
They said: "Nay, but we found our fathers doing thus (what we do)."
He said: "Do ye then see whom ye have been worshipping,-
"Ye and your fathers before you?-
"For they are enemies to me; not so the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds;
"Who created me, and it is He Who guides me;
"Who gives me food and drink,
"And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me;
"Who will cause me to die, and then to life (again);
"And who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the day of Judgment.
"
O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous;
"Grant me honourable mention on the tongue of truth among the latest (generations);
"Make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss;
"Forgive my father, for that he is among those astray;
"
And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up;-
"The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail,
"
But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart;
"To the righteous, the Garden will be brought near,
"And to those straying in Evil, the Fire will be placed in full view;
"And it shall be said to them: 'Where are the (gods) ye worshipped-
"'Besides Allah? Can they help you or help themselves?'
"Then they will be thrown headlong into the (Fire),- they and those straying in Evil,
"
And the whole hosts of Iblis together.
"They will say there in their mutual bickerings:
"'By Allah, we were truly in an error manifest,
"'When we held you as equals with the Lord of the Worlds;
"'And our seducers were only those who were steeped in guilt.
"'Now, then, we have none to intercede (for us),
"'Nor a single friend to feel (for us).
"'Now if we only had a chance of return we shall truly be of those who believe!'"
Verily in this is a Sign but most of them do not believe.
And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful.
[
Al-Quran 26:69-104,
Translation: Yusuf Ali]
Last updated on: June 23, 2021
