Who or what was Nehushtan?
Answer: Nehushtan was the name given to the bronze serpent that Moses had made in Numbers 21. During the wilderness wanderings, the people of Israel had complained about the “worthless” bread God was feeding them with each day and as a result of their rebellion, God sent fiery serpents among them. When Moses interceded for the people, God directed him to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Whoever was bitten by a fiery serpent could look upon the bronze serpent that was lifted up in the wilderness and be saved from death. Generations later, that same symbol of salvation turned into a snare for the people of Israel. They named it “Nehushtan” and worshiped it as an idol. King Hezekiah of Judah finally destroyed it when he went on a mission of removing idolatry from the kingdom of Judah. (II Kings 18:4)