What does the Book of Revelation mean by sorcery, or pharmacy? Let us look back at ancient medicine, first in the Bible. The Exodus story of the serpent on a pole, found in Numbers 21:4-9, features God instructing Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole during a plague of venomous snakes that was afflicting the Israelites. Those who were bitten by the snakes could look at the bronze serpent and be healed, symbolizing divine intervention and the power of faith in God's promise. This act likely drew on existing symbols of healing associated with snakes shedding their skin, a concept that represented regeneration and transformation in many ancient cultures. The symbol of the snake as a healing force probably already carried connotations of health, salvation, and protection, which it retains today in modern medical symbols like the Rod of Asclepius, a staff with a single serpent that originated with the Greeks, who may have inherited or adapted this imagery from earlier cultures such as the Minoans. This connection to healing was part of a broader Mediterranean and Near Eastern tradition where serpents were often linked to magical and restorative powers. The Greeks, in turn, may have absorbed elements of medical sorcery and magical healing from these earlier cultures, including Egyptian and Minoan influences. The later tradition of Hermeticism, which combined Greek philosophy with Egyptian religious ideas, also associated the figure of Hermes, the Greek god of wisdom and magic, with mystical knowledge, alchemy, and healing practices. While Hermes himself was not a Minoan god, some of his magical associations may have been influenced by older traditions. The Greeks famously tried to separate magic from medicine by distinguishing between different kinds of practitioners—physicians, who adhered to ethical principles like the Hippocratic Oath, focused on rational, non-magical methods of healing, while others engaged in more mystical practices, such as potion-making and spells, which contributed to the development of pharmacy. The use of magic in healing was often viewed with suspicion, and this negative view of magical practices is reflected in terms like sorcery in the Bible, particularly in Revelation. Physicians who swore the Hippocratic Oath pledged to avoid harmful practices, including the use of poison, except as a last resort. This distinction helped contribute to the negative reputation that some pharmacists and magical healers had in ancient times, especially as some remedies involved black magic or harmful substances. In contrast, the Greeks sought to distance themselves from such practices and rejected the use of black magic in medicine, emphasizing rational, ethical, and scientifically grounded approaches to healing.
