He suggests we look beyond the literal.
Philo sees the serpent not just as a snake, but as an allegory – an emblem of desire itself. Think about it. The serpent "creeps upon his breast and upon his belly," Philo says, “being filled with meat and drink like cormorants, being inflamed by an insatiable cupidity.” It's a vivid picture of someone completely consumed by their appetites, isn’t it?
And what about the dust? Philo connects that to the earthly nature of these desires. “Whatever relates to food is in every article something earthly, on which account he is said to eat the dust.” It’s a grounding, even degrading, image. Desire, unrestrained, keeps us stuck in the muck of physical gratification.
Now, this is where it gets really interesting. Philo equates the woman, Eve, with the "outward sense." Our senses, our ability to experience the world around us. He argues that desire and our senses are naturally at odds.
But wait a minute, aren’t we supposed to enjoy the world? Philo isn't saying pleasure is inherently bad, but rather that unchecked desire, the "serpent" within us, can actually corrupt our senses. He goes on to say that "the passions appear to be as it were guardians and champions in behalf of the senses, nevertheless they are beyond all question still more clearly flatterers forming devices against them like so many enemies".
Think about it: How often do we indulge in something that ultimately leaves us feeling worse? Overeating, overspending, overdoing... It's like the serpent is whispering in our ear, promising pleasure, but ultimately leading us to a fall.
Philo paints a stark picture. “Forsooth they turn the eyes to the ruin of the sight, the ears to hearing what is unwelcome; and the rest of the outward senses to insensibility." In other words, our uncontrolled desires can blind us, deafen us, and deaden us to the true beauty and goodness of the world.
So, the curse of the serpent isn't just about a snake crawling on its belly. It's about the constant struggle within ourselves, the battle between our higher selves and our baser desires. It’s a reminder that true freedom comes not from indulging every whim, but from cultivating balance and moderation. It's a theme that echoes through Jewish thought and continues to resonate today. What do you think? Is Philo's interpretation spot-on, or is there more to the story?