Associating the biblical snake with death

Could someone indicate me the specific verses that indicate that eating from the Tree of Life and Death literally unleashed death into the world?

Because the story, at least within Genesis, seems to indicate God simply shortened human life (as humans didn't didn't died from eating the fruit itself, it was a punishment). How is it possible that the snake/Satan/whatever has anything to do with death's release directly?

I don't think I've ever heard of the snake associated with death specifically, just sin and the loss of innocence in general.

You are seeing symbolism where there is a fairytail. Go and read some epic litterature instead or watch Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Human death may or may not have existed, the prototypes hadn't broken down yet.

@del diablo: Unfortunately, neither of those win any religious debates.

edited 26th Feb '11 5:04:39 AM by GayJesus

No one's sure. To quote The Other Wiki (emphasis original):

The question thus remains as to whether God's statements to the woman and man are prescriptive, and therefore a curse, or are instead descriptive; that is, prophecies of the natural consequences of their actions. -Fall of Man

Specifically, although he says that he, personally, will "greatly increase your pains in childbearing" etc. to the woman, but he isn't really clear on wether he's personally responsible for all that "you will return to dust" business, or if that's just a natural result of listening to your wife's voice eating of the tree. In the last case, it would be kind of the snake's fault.

edited 26th Feb '11 5:43:06 AM by kurushio

I don't know much about the Bible, but, as far as I can remember, in Paradise Lost Satan takes over the snake's body and it's him that does all the you-will-become-as-gods stuff. If that's how it is in the Bible as well, is it really fair to blame the snake?

@cityofmist I don't believe very many people are blaming the snake at this point, seeing as most people assume that the snake was Satan in disguise.

I don't know if very many people do. I was specifically responding to @kurushio 'it would be kind of the snake's fault.'

Well, I didn't say it's fair to blame the serpent. (I certainly don't.) Just that you could. God thought so and punished it for the whole mess, but it isn't like the serpent forced the fruit down Eve's and Adam's throat. Blaming it would be a little like blaming god for not putting up a fence around the tree.

Genesis itself doesn't mention any spiritual possession of the poor aninmal - that's Word of Dante -, only that it "was more subtle than any beast of the field".

edited 26th Feb '11 7:17:22 AM by kurushio

Because the story, at least within Genesis, seems to indicate God simply shortened human life

? People keep having nine-hundred-year lifespans for quite a while after.