Across the river from Thebes, in the Valley of the Kings, frescoes
in the tomb of Sethos I (Seti) tell a strange story. Snakes
on the wall have been painted with legs and scaly feet. They
grin menacingly, and the accompanying hieroglyphs indicate an
ancient knowledge that snakes were not always without legs. According
to the Sethos I inscriptions, "the serpent's forebears possessed
feet." [...]
The Sethos I inscriptions connect the snake's ancestors with
an evil curse, which was cast upon them for one offense or another
when the world was still very young. The nature of the offense
is not described, but the punishment is clear: Their legs were
taken away, and henceforth they were obliged to crawl upon their
bellies.
Pellegrino, Charles, Return to Sodom and Gomorrah: Bible Stories from
Archaeologists, New York: Random House, 1994, pp. 51-53.
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