There is nothing new under the sun – Mr. M
Some of you may not be familiar with the rod of Asclepius symbol. On the contrary, you see it almost every day: refer to below
Now that you are familiar let deep dive into overstanding its origin, symbolism, meaning, and relativity.
The origin of the rod of Asclepius
The Rod of Asclepius is believed to have originated from the earliest Egyptian medical manuscript called Papyrus Ebers, (1500 BCE), which is one of the oldest known medical works. The scroll contains 700 magical formulas and folk remedies meant to cure afflictions ranging from crocodile bites to toenail pain and to rid the house of such pests as flies, rats, and scorpions. It is believed that Imhotep, the Father of Medicine pre-dating Hippocrates, influenced the origin of the rod.
The rod was subsequently mythified by the Greeks carried by Asclepius, the son of the god Apollo and the nymph Coronis. It is said that when she was pregnant, Coronis took a second, mortal lover. Jealous of this relationship, Apollo killed Coronis, and as she lay on her funeral pyre, he took pity on the unborn child and rescued him. The baby was named Asclepius, and he was taught about medicine by Cheiron, a learned centaur. Asclepius learned so much that he was eventually able to bring one of his patients back from the dead.
This symbol has many stories and folklore and untold truth to an extent that one cannot pinpoint its true origin. However, we can prove that the symbol was known by many nations. e.g. in Ephesus Turkey.
The meaning and symbol
However, there is one story that the majority can relate to and that is the story of Moses in the book of Numbers 21:9 –
The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. Moses made Nehushtan to heal the Israelites.
Today many of us tend to Hospitals and other medical institutions when we are sick for healing and restoration. Could it be that we are continuously reliving the “Biblical” story of Moses in our modern days or it is just a coincidence that the rod of Asclepius and Moses’ brazen snake are forever shadowing each other?