Parashat Chukat

Prof. Avigdor Shinan in a meeting with Shlomit Steinberg, senior curator of European Art.

This Shabbat we read Parashat Chukat, which describes the plague of fiery serpents that bit the people of Israel, and its end - which came with the copper serpent set on a staff by Moses.

In this encounter we will follow the serpent from the story of the garden of Eden, through the magical powers attributed to it in the Midrashim, to its surprising roles in culture and art - as representing the male, the female sex, and even Jesus. We will examine possible reactions to plagues, and the place of the serpent as the one that brought the plague to an end.

Venue: The European Art Hall in the Arts Wing