Fiery flying serpent
A winged serpent mentioned in the Book of Isaiah.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Book of Isaiah in the Tanakh mentions a creature called the fiery flying serpent, known in Hebrew as *sārāf mə‘ōfēf*, in Greek as *ὄφεις πετόμενοι*, and in Latin as *draco volans*. The Hebrew word translated as "fiery serpent," *saraph*, also appears elsewhere in Isaiah to refer to the seraphim, with *saraph* being the singular form of that term. Several other passages in the Hebrew Bible describe "fiery serpents" without specifying that they fly, including verses in Deuteronomy and Numbers.
- type
- Mythological creature
- mentioned_in
- Book of Isaiah, Tanakh
- hebrew_name
- שָׂרָף מְעוֹפֵף (sārāf mə‘ōfēf)
- greek_name
- ὄφεις πετόμενοι
- latin_name
- draco volans
- associated_with
- Seraphim, Nehushtan
Lore & Background
In the Book of Isaiah, the fiery flying serpent appears in two passages. Isaiah 14:29 warns the Philistines not to rejoice, for 'out of the serpent's roots will come a viper, and its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent.' Isaiah 30:6 describes a land of trouble and anguish from which come the lioness, the lion, the viper, and the fiery flying serpent, as people carry their riches on donkeys and camels to a people who shall not profit.
Reader's Guide
The fiery flying serpent is significant as a biblical creature whose name, saraph, is also used for the seraphim, suggesting a possible connection between these divine beings and the serpent imagery. The term appears in the Hebrew Bible both with and without the attribute of flight, as seen in Deuteronomy 8:15 and Numbers 21:6–8, where the Lord sent 'fiery serpents' among the Israelites. In Numbers, Moses was instructed to make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, known as the Nehushtan, which is similar to the ancient Greek Rod of Asklepios and is frequently cited as an instance of the same archetype. Ancient Israelite seals have been discovered showing a uraeus cobra with four wings, diverging from typical Egyptian two-winged iconography, and some scholars connect these to the fiery flying serpent or to the seraphim, though this identification is not universally accepted. Biological identifications have been proposed, including the Israeli saw-scale viper (Echis coloratus), based on clues such as habitat in the Arava Valley, rocky terrain, and deadly venom, as well as a Roman account from 22 AD about Arabia describing snakes of dark red color that spring up to a man's waist. Other candidates include the desert horned viper, the desert black snake, and the nematode Dracunculus medinensis.
Did You Know?
- The term 'fiery serpent' is translated from the Hebrew word 'saraph', which also signifies the seraphim in the Book of Isaiah.
- The Nehushtan, a bronze serpent set on a pole by Moses, is similar to the ancient Greek Rod of Asklepios.
- Ancient Israelite seals have been found depicting a uraeus cobra with four wings, which some connect to the fiery flying serpent.
- Ronald Millett and John Pratt identify the fiery flying serpent with the Israeli saw-scale viper (Echis coloratus).
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