Ophiuchus is the image of Christ, the Good Shepherd, who came to conquer the power of the ancient serpent. On the star chart, the Man holds the Serpent with both hands, not allowing it to act freely, and His feet stand over Scorpius — the image of the devil; directly next to Him is Sagittarius — Christ who came to earth. The ancient Arabic tradition also preserves a pastoral image here: Tselbalrai means 'shepherd's dog', and Ras Alhag was part of the same heavenly shepherd composition. Thus Ophiuchus shows Christ as the Shepherd who came for His flock and simultaneously entered into battle with the ancient serpent, depriving him of his power over man.
Full interpretation
Verifiable historical, etymological and topographical statements are accompanied by sources. The theological conclusions are the project’s interpretation according to its published methodology.
The main picture of Ophiuchus is extremely expressive: the Man stands over Scorpius and holds a huge Serpent in His hands. The Serpent is so closely connected with Him that modern astronomy divides the constellation Serpens into two parts — the head and the tail, between which Ophiuchus stands. Already Aratus described the figure as a man standing with his feet on Scorpius.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
In the overall heavenly history, this continues the image of Sagittarius. Sagittarius is Christ, the Prince of the Earth, who came to strike Scorpius. Ophiuchus is the same Christ in direct combat with the serpent. Scorpius shows Satan as the one who stung mankind with sin and death; the Serpent shows his seducing and enslaving power. Christ came precisely to destroy the works of the devil and to free those under his power.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
It is especially important that Ophiuchus does not flee from the serpent nor is under its power — He Himself holds it with His hands. This is an image of superior authority. The serpent writhes around Him, but is under the control of the Man. At the same time, the Man's feet are above Scorpius. Therefore the whole composition speaks of one thing: the power of the ancient serpent is limited and will be finally crushed by Christ.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
The pastoral line here is also real, though the star names must be understood correctly. Ras Alhag comes from the Arabic raʾs al-ḥawwāʾ — 'head of Ophiuchus / snake charmer', not literally 'Shepherd'. But in the old Arabic celestial tradition, this star indeed belonged to a different sky pattern, where it represented a Shepherd, the neighbouring Tselbalrai — kalb al-rāʿī, i.e. 'shepherd's dog', and nearby stars depicted his flock. This beautifully unites two biblical images of Christ: He is the Shepherd of His flock and at the same time the One who protects the flock from the serpent.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
Also interesting is the star Sabik. Its name means 'preceding', 'going before'. The precise ancient reason for this name is lost, but the meaning itself fits well with the image of the One who goes before His people. The Good Shepherd, according to Christ, leads out His sheep and 'goes before them'.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
The ancient Mesopotamian layer also preserves images of supernatural beings and authority here. The region of modern Sagittarius, Ophiuchus, and part of Serpens overlapped with the huge figure of Pabilsag, one of the most ancient Mesopotamian divine images. In other Mesopotamian star lists, nearby are known the 'Standing Gods', revered as protectors and guardians. Pagan peoples distorted the original story, turning the heavenly prophetic images into their gods, but the composition itself preserved the central thought — the Man who has authority over the serpent and stands over Scorpius.[Hunger & Pingree · MUL.APIN][Rogers · Origins][Вавилонские звёздные каталоги][Stellarium · MUL.APIN][Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]
Therefore Ophiuchus does not show merely a 'healer' nor a man using serpentine wisdom. This is Christ — the Good Shepherd and Victor over the ancient serpent. He comes to where Scorpius brought the venom of sin and death, binds the power of the serpent, crushes the authority of the devil, and leads His flock out from his power.[Kunitzsch & Smart][IAU · имена звёзд]