Figure of an angel in front of the Karlskirche in Vienna's 4th district. The angel is depicted with a Nehushtan (bronze serpent) as a symbol of the Old Testament. The larger-than-life figure was made in 1721 by the sculptor Franz Caspar.
According to a story in the Old Testament, God sent serpents among the Israelites as punishment for their impatience and ingratitude after the exodus from Egypt during their wanderings through the desert. Those who were bitten by a fiery serpent and looked up to the bronze serpent erected on a staff were healed and allowed to continue living.
![](https://wien.noe-3d.at/SF/engel_karlskirche01.jpg)