The Brazen Serpent
Summary
When the Israelites complained against God and Moses during their wandering in the wilderness, God sent fiery serpents that bit and killed many people. After the people repented, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole; anyone who was bitten could look at the bronze serpent and live.
In Christian typology, the brazen serpent is understood as a prefiguration of Christ's crucifixion, as referenced by Jesus himself in John 3:14: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up."
Biblical Reference
Book(s): Numbers, John
Chapters/Verses: Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:14-15
Artworks Depicting This Story
The Brazen Serpent
One of the last of Michelangelo's works on the ceiling, located in a corner spandrel. Shows more complex groupings of interlocking figures than earlier works. The Israelites writhe in agony from the serpent bites, while those who look upon the bronze serpent that Moses has raised are healed. This scene was traditionally understood as a prefiguration of Christ's crucifixion, as referenced in John 3:14: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up."
