The Old Testament Devil and the Identity of the Serpent: Beginning the Discussion

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  This is a pretty freewheeling discussion beginning a series of related discussions which will look at the figure of our supernatural enemy in the Old Testament. I will contend that he is not only present in the Tanach, but is present to the same extent that he is present in the New Testament. We have become accustomed to using certain titles and nicknames found in the New Testament for this figure, leading to the implicit assumption that these titles are something like personal names whose relation to this figure is more intimate than his other titles. In reality, our supernatural enemy has a variety of names depending on contextual imagery. In a liturgical and idolatrous setting, he is Baal. In the heavenly courtroom, he is the "Accuser" (Satan), a corrupt criminal lawyer seeking to persuade the Judge to sentence those he hates to death. In the language of cosmic geography, he is "Azazel", the embodiment of destruction and death. In prophetic and visionary language, he is Leviathan, the dragon cut down by the divine Sword in the messianic era.   One could go on. The point is that he is a central antagonist in both Testaments.