Editing Crozier (section)

== History ==
The origin of the crozier as a staff of authority is uncertain, but there were many secular and religious precedents in the ancient world. One example is the [[lituus]], the traditional staff of the ancient Roman [[augurs]],<ref>{{Cite Catholic Encyclopedia |last=Morrisroe |first=Patrick |wstitle=Crosier |volume=4 }}</ref> as well as the [[Staff of Moses]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]]. Many other types of the [[staff of office]] were found in later periods, some continuing to the modern day in ceremonial contexts.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

In the [[Western Church]], the usual form has been a [[shepherd's crook]]. This relates to the many metaphorical references to bishops as the shepherds of their "flock" of Christians, following the metaphor of Christ as the [[Good Shepherd]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

The Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic crozier is commonly [[tau]]-shaped, with curved arms and surmounted by a small cross, or with a pair of sculptured serpents or dragons on top, curled back to face each other, and a small cross between them. The symbolism in the latter case is of the bronze serpent, [[Nehushtan]], made by [[Moses]] as related in {{bibleverse||Numbers|21:8–9|HE}}. It is also reminiscent of the rod of the ancient Greek god [[Asclepius]], whose worship was centered around the Aegean, including Asia Minor, indicating the role of the bishop as healer of spiritual diseases.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}

===Staff of Moses===
The [[Staff of Moses]] is first mentioned in the [[Book of Exodus]] (chapter 4, verse 2), when God appears to [[Moses]] in the [[burning bush]]. God asks what Moses has in his hand, and Moses answers "a staff" ("a rod" in the [[King James Version]]). The staff is miraculously transformed into a snake and then back into a staff. The staff is thereafter referred to as the "rod of God" or "staff of God" (depending on the translation).

{{blockquote|"And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs." And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father in law, and said unto him, "Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt and see whether they be yet alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." The LORD said unto Moses in Midian, "Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life." And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them upon an ass; and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.|{{bibleverse|Exodus|4|KJV}} ([[King James Version|KJV]])}}

Moses and [[Aaron]] appear before the [[Pharaohs in the Bible#In the Book of Exodus|Pharaoh of the Exodus]], when [[Aaron's rod]] is transformed into a serpent. The Pharaoh's sorcerers are also able to transform their own rods into serpents, but Aaron's swallows them. Aaron's rod is again used to turn the [[Nile]] blood-red. It is used several times on God's command to initiate the [[Plagues of Egypt]].

During [[the Exodus]], Moses stretches out his hand with the staff to [[Crossing the Red Sea|part the Red Sea]]. While in the wilderness after leaving Egypt, Moses does not follow God's command to "speak ye unto the rock before their eyes", instead he strikes the rock with the rod to create a spring for the Israelites from which to drink. Because Moses did not sanctify God before them but said "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" Thus, Moses failed by honoring himself and not God.  For not doing what God commanded, God punished Moses by not letting him enter into the [[Promised Land]] ([[Book of Numbers]] 20:10–12).

Finally, Moses uses the staff in the battle at [[Rephidim]] between the Israelites and the [[Amalekites]]. When he holds up the "rod of God", the Israelites "prevail". When he drops it, their enemies gain the upper hand. Aaron and [[Hur (Bible)|Hur]] help him to keep the staff raised until victory is achieved.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}