\b0 During the long journey in the exodus from Egypt to the Promi
sed Land, God punished one of the countless acts of betrayal by his chosen people by sending poisonous snakes. These serpents killed a large number of Israelites. \b \cf4 \ATXht71303 Moses\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , however, prayed for and received mercy from God
who ordered the prophet to place a copper serpent on the end of a staff so that whoever should look at it might be cured of the venomous bites. In memory of this episode, a bronze serpent was kept in the temple, but because with the passage of time symb
olic memorials can become dangerous idols, in the seventh century before Christ the king \b \i \cf4 \ATXht1093 Hezekiah\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 had it removed and destroyed. \par