The fiery flying serpent (Hebrew: שָׂרָף מְעוֹפֵףsārāf mə‘ōfēf; Greek : ἔκγονα αὐτῶν ἐξελεύσονται; Latin : Absorbens volucrem) is a creature mentioned in the Book of Isaiah in the Tanakh.
The term translated as "fiery serpent", saraph , appears elsewhere in the Book of Isaiah to signify the seraphim, the singular form of which is also saraph.
References to "fiery serpents" lacking a mention of flight can be found in several places in the Hebrew Bible.
Ancient Israelite seals often co-opted symbology from neighbouring ancient Egypt, and as such, archaeologists have discovered numerous seals which show a uraeus cobra with 4 wings. This, coupled with the fact that these cobras diverge from the typical Egyptian iconography which depicted them with only 2 wings, have been connected by some to the "fiery flying serpents" mentioned in Isaiah, or even to the more specific seraphim seen elsewhere in the text. [3] This identification, however, is not universally accepted.
Assuming the fiery flying serpent to have a biological identification, Ronald Millett and John Pratt identify it with the Israeli saw-scale viper or carpet viper ( Echis coloratus ) [4] [5] based on several clues from the written sources, such as that the serpents inhabit the Arava Valley, prefer rocky terrain, and are deadly venomous. [6] A Roman account dated 22 AD about the deserts of Arabia indicates the presence of the saw-scale viper, reporting that "there are snakes also of a dark red color, a span in length, which spring up as high as a man's waist, and whose bite is incurable." [7] Other candidates include desert horned viper (and close relatives), the desert black snake or black desert cobra, and the nematode dracunculus medinensis. [8] [9]
Cerastes cerastes, commonly known as the Saharan horned viper or the desert horned viper, is a venomous species of viper native to the deserts of Northern Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Levant. It is often easily recognized by the presence of a pair of supraocular "horns", although hornless individuals do occur. Three subspecies have been described.
Echis carinatus, known as the saw-scaled viper, Indian saw-scaled viper, little Indian viper, and by other common names, is a viper species found in parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, and especially the Indian subcontinent. It is the smallest member of the "big four" Indian snakes that are responsible for causing the most snakebite cases and deaths, due to various factors including their frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and their inconspicuous nature. Like all vipers, the species is venomous. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Echis coloratus, known as the painted saw-scaled viper, painted carpet viper, Burton's carpet viper, and by other common names, is a highly venomous viper species endemic to the Middle East and Egypt. No subspecies are currently recognized.
"Asp" is the modern anglicisation of the word "aspis", which in antiquity referred to any one of several venomous snake species found in the Nile region. The specific epithet, aspis, is a Greek word that means "viper". It is believed that aspis referred to what is now known as the Egyptian cobra.
The four venomous snake species responsible for causing the greatest number of medically significant human snake bite cases on the Indian subcontinent are sometimes collectively referred to as the Big Four. They are as follows:
Echis megalocephalus, also known commonly as the big-headed carpet viper and Cherlin's saw-scaled viper, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to one island in the Red Sea off the coast of Eritrea. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Field's horned viper is a species of snake in the family Viperidae. The species is native to the deserts of the Middle East. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Persian horned viper. The main differences between this species and the Persian horned viper are in scalation and venom composition.
Cerastes is a genus of small, venomous vipers found in the deserts and semi-deserts of northern North Africa eastward through Arabia and Iran. Three species are currently recognized by ITIS, and an additional recently described species is recognized by the Reptile Database. Common names for members the genus include horned vipers, North African desert vipers, and cerastes vipers.
Echis is a genus of vipers found in the dry regions of Africa, the Middle East, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They have a characteristic threat display, rubbing sections of their body together to produce a "sizzling" warning sound. The name Echis is the Latin transliteration of the Greek word for "viper" (ἔχις). Like all vipers, they are venomous. Their common name is "saw-scaled vipers" and they include some of the species responsible for causing the most snakebite cases and deaths in the world. Twelve species are currently recognized.
Cerastes gasperettii, also known commonly as the Arabian horned viper and Gasperetti's horned viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to the Arabian Peninsula and north to Palestine (region), Iraq, and Iran. It is very similar in appearance to C. cerastes, but the geographic ranges of these two species do not overlap. No subspecies of C. gasperettii are recognized.
Echis jogeri, also known commonly as Joger's carpet viper, the Mali carpet viper, and Joger's saw-scaled viper, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Mali. There are no subspecies which are recognized as being valid.
Echis leucogaster, also known as the white-bellied carpet viper or the Roman's saw-scaled viper, is a viper species endemic to West and Northwest Africa. Its scientific name derives from its white (leuco-), unmarked belly (gaster). like all other vipers, it is venomous. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Echis ocellatus, known by the common names West African carpet viper and ocellated carpet viper, is a highly venomous species of viper endemic to West Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Echis pyramidum, known as the Northeast African carpet viper, Egyptian saw-scaled viper, and by other common names, is a species of viper endemic to Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
The Persian horned viper, known as the Persian horned viper, false horned viper, and by other common names, is a species of vipers endemic to the Middle East and Asia. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
The wildlife of Mali, composed of its flora and fauna, is widely varying from the Saharan desert zone to the Sahelian east–west zone, to Mali, a landlocked francophone country in North Africa; large swathes of Mali remain unpopulated but has three sub-equal vegetation zones; the country has Sahara Desert in the north, the Niger River Basin at its center and the Senegal River on the south.
Serpents are referred to in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. The symbol of a serpent or snake played important roles in the religious traditions and cultural life of ancient Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Canaan. The serpent was a symbol of evil power and chaos from the underworld as well as a symbol of fertility, life, healing, and rebirth.
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