‘The household snake’: Detection and eradication of pests in the home by means of snakes, as reflected in Talmudic sources

Abstract Literary sources of the classical era (first-fifth centuries), both Greco-Roman and Jewish, indicate that snakes were used for different purposes, such as medicine, raw materials manufacturing objects, pets. This article discusses use to deal with pests in ancient homes reflected Talmudic well literature. The Jerusalem Talmud (Yerushalmi) brings a story how house snake helped family locate wild entered left its venom food. impression is origin from non-Jewish environment, not necessarily Eretz Israel. It impossible one version stories about Aesculapian exterminate drive away pests, related by Pliny. narrative variation was absorbed sages their own who adapted religious-educational messages they sought convey. seems practice using domestic relatively limited less common than small predators, cats, mongooses or weasels.