nehes
נהש
'nehes' is a type of metal, typically interpreted as “bronze” or possibly “brass”, a metal alloy of copper and tin. In Genesis 4, a character by the name of Tubal-Cain is credited as the first worker in bronze and iron. 'nehes' often appears in the texts alongside berezel, ostensibly meaning “iron”. This juxtaposition creates a fascinating phenomenon because of how it ties in with archaeological evidence, as is explored further on our metallurgy page.
Oddly in 14% of instances 'nehes' is traditionally translated “snake”. Notably, this is the case in the well-known story of Adam and Eve tempted by the snake in the garden of Eden.1) The puzzle becomes further muddled in the story of the “bronze snake” that Moses made in the desert of Sinai.2)
'nehes' is the root word of the nehesim.
LexID 5153, 5154, 5174-5180