Cockatrice

The present cover of the book The Covenants of the gods shows the Pied Piper but before that the earlier cover of that book included an image of a creature like unto the cockatrice, the Phoenix, which like the image of the Beast arises from the ashes.

The cockatrice's eggs are the point at which a terrible danger first becomes apparent. While a cockatrice is a hideous mythical hybrid, figuratively the expression cockatrice's egg is used to refer to the point at which a terrible threat or danger first becomes apparent.

What is the greatest danger to society?

What are we warned about over and over and over again in what we call sacred scriptures?

Proverbs 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder <06848>.

Isaiah 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice <06848>’ den.

Isaiah 14:29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice <06848>, and his fruit [shall be] a fiery flying serpent.

Isaiah 59:5 They hatch cockatrice <06848>’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

Jeremiah 8:17 For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices <06848>, among you, which [will] not [be] charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.