A poisonous snake mentioned in the Bible. Most biblical references to the asp seem to be to the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje), as in Deuteronomy 32:33. It hides in holes, walls, and rocks. It can expand its neck by raising its front ribs, making its breast flat and disc-shaped. Its potent poison can cause death in 30 minutes. It grows to about two meters (80 inches) long. The fangs are always raised, unlike vipers, which are common in North America. Only the coral snake in America has fangs that are always raised. Cobra poison attacks the nervous system, causing the muscles to become paralyzed.
The Egyptians considered the asp sacred. They viewed it as a protector since it fed on the rodents that ate their crops. The “venomous snakes” in Numbers 21:6 and Deuteronomy 8:15 may have been cobras. The flying serpent in Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6 may refer to the hood of the cobra.