I would invite my readers to check out two pieces that I have written for thetorah.com, a website with articles written by historical-critical Bible scholars for a general audience.
The first piece is titled "Nehushtan, the Copper Serpent: It's Origin and Fate"
The Torah describes Moses building a copper serpent to heal the Israelites. According to Kings, Hezekiah destroys it because it was being worshiped. Archaeology and history clarify the religious and political meaning of this image.
http://thetorah.com/nehushtan-the-copper-serpent-its-origins-and-fate/
The second piece is titled "What is a Biblical Flying Serpent?"
A number of biblical and non-biblical texts describe encounters with flying venomous snakes in the Sinai and Arabian deserts. Egyptian iconography may help clarify what is being pictured.
http://thetorah.com/what-is-the-biblical-flying-serpent/
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