THE ANCIENT SERPENT

Most people picture the serpent in Eden as the Devil, but scholars say that image developed over centuries; originally the serpent was a potent cultural symbol tied to serpent-worship across the ancient Near East. This episode unpacks how Genesis may have inverted those traditions, how texts like the Book of Enoch and Revelation merged serpent, fallen angels, and Satan into one figure, and how “satan” itself began as a role rather than a being. It then pivots to Jesus, showing that his real concern wasn’t a cosmic devil but two inner foes—“I don’t want” and “I’m afraid”—that block love and faith. Hear how reframing evil as human unwillingness and fear changes responsibility, spirituality, and the call to say yes to love and no to fear.