Cerastes

CERASTES, that is to say, cornu, a kind of Serpent so called, because it has, as they say, four pair of horns upon its Head. It hides itself in the Sand, without suffering any thing to appear besides its horns, which the Birds take for Flesh, and when they offer to come near and eat it, the Cerastes makes a Prey of them. It is said farther to be of a sandy colour; it walks, or rather crawls slanting on its side, and seems to hiss, when it is in motion. This is what is said of the Cerastes. This word is to be found but once in Scripture, Dan shall be a serpent in Gen. xlix. 17.the way, a cerastes¹ in the path. The Hebrew term for Cerastes is Schephiphon, which some interpret Asp, others Basilisk. But Bochart, to whose Authority in matters of this nature we very readily pay great deference; Bochart, I say, is of opinion that we should keep to the Translation, which renders it Cerastes.

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