mP said-
" We are not talking about a single event, i fail to see how we can apply this logic in determing stuff about snakes. The best i could do was show some scriptures and refer to some commentators."
BTW, I think we mostly agree, based on the prior comments.
My point is that humans find it hard to agree on current events from our recent past (look at all the conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11 and WTC which seemingly refuse to die, since people will believe what they WANT to believe). Hence the challenge is even greater when discussing not current events, but BELIEFS of those who lived 3,000 yrs ago! As I said, it's more than a bit like quibbling over angels on heads of pins when discussing beliefs, thinking claims can be proven without doubt.
I ran across this which is plausible conjecture of a possible inspiration for the flying serpent idea:
http://www.wondersandmarvels.com/2013/03/flying-snakes-in-ancient-egypt.html
It seems the "historian" Herodotus (in quotes, since it's applying a modern definition in an anachronistic manner, where the goal of ancient historicans wasn't to attempt to provide a factual account of the events they wrote about) had a fancy for the flying serpents in Arabian/Egyptian mythology. He may have even seen dinosaur fossils that had given rise to such mythology.
http://artesian.blogspot.com/2006/02/flying-snakes.html
And there's this:
http://www.genesispark.com/essays/fiery-serpent/
There are many examples in Genesis of how the authors took a muted attack on the religious beliefs and mythology of Babylonians and Egyptians (remember, the Torah was supposedly written by Moses, who was claimed to have been educated in the beliefs of the Egyptians, as he was adopted by the Pharoah's daughter), so this might be the same case of deprecating their beliefs by depicting the flying serpent as being a creation of YHWH (admittedly clever) who was put in it's place by God by taking away it's wings. That might explain the 'old flying serpent vs ibis' myth which is seemingly reflected in Numbers 21, as well as the current appearance of snakes. (Remember that Isaiah was likely written 300 yrs later).
Who knows, though: hence my point that any claims of certainty of KNOWING what ancients believed have long been lost in the sands of time.
Fortunately though, we're only discussing speculative details of a minor point that's likely NOT needed to convince anyone who's reasonably rational that the Adam and Eve account is a modified version of a pre-existing myth:
1) if the talking snake and wisdom-bestowing fruit doesn't convince them (which may be excused as miracles), there's always
2) the fundamental unfairness of God withholding wisdom from "perfect" mankind, teasing them with it by placing it in their reach, but then punishing them for acting like fools (those who lack wisdom) when that's exactly how God made them; that appears to be a clear-cut case of Divine entrapment (which isn't excused by miracles).
If THAT doesn't work to convince someone, then the difference between a walking vs flying serpent being forced to crawl as punishment is not likely to be the final straw that convinces someone it's only a myth.
Adamah
