Nahash

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Nahash - serpent. (1.) King of the Ammonites in the time of Saul. The inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead having been exposed to great danger from Nahash, sent messengers to Gibeah to inform Saul of their extremity. He promptly responded to the call, and gathering together an army he marched against Nahash. "And it came to pass that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them [the Ammonites] were not left together" (1 Sam. 11:1-11).

(2.) Another king of the Ammonites of the same name is mentioned, who showed kindness to David during his wanderings (2 Sam. 10:2). On his death David sent an embassy of sympathy to Hanun, his son and successor, at Rabbah Ammon, his capital. The grievous insult which was put upon these ambassadors led to a war against the Ammonites, who, with their allies the Syrians, were completely routed in a battle fought at "the entering in of the gate," probably of Medeba (2 Sam. 10:6-14). Again Hadarezer rallied the Syrian host, which was totally destroyed by the Israelite army under Joab in a decisive battle fought at Helam (2 Sam. 10:17), near to Hamath (1 Chr. 18:3). "So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more" (2 Sam. 10:19).

(3.) The father of Amasa, who was commander-in-chief of Abasolom's army (2 Sam. 17:25). Jesse's wife had apparently been first married to this man, to whom she bore Abigail and Zeruiah, who were thus David's sisters, but only on the mother's side (1 Chr. 2:16).

(4.) The Hebrew word for serpent is nahash. The root of the word are the Hebrew letters Nun, Het and Shin - "to decipher, to find out". Translators of the Old Testament have associated this term with "Satan" the tempter of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. The term is actually a representation of the older Sumerian/Babylonian deity Enki whom the Hebrews were influenced by during their [the Hebrews] biblical captivity. Various civilizations that worshipped Enki often represented the deity with the symbol of a serpent, e.g. Egyptions (as Ptah, Atum or Ra). Enki was the Sumerian [and later Babylonian] deity that represented Knowledge, Science, Medicine and Nature. It is from this representation that various modern symbols have been derived such as the Caduceus.

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