What does Aaron's Rod mean?

Question: What does Aaron's Rod mean?

The title of D.H. Lawrence's famous work seems to be important, but what does the title mean? What is the meaning of Aaron's rod?

Answer: Aaron's rod references the Biblical story of Moses and Aaron (the brother of Moses), which appears in the Old Testament. Both men were able to perform miraculous acts before and during the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. When the Pharaoh refused to let the people leave Egypt, plagues were cast upon the people and land:

• The rivers turned to blood.
• There was a plague of frogs.
• A plague of lice descended.
• There was a plague of flies.
• The livestock was diseased.
• Egypt was affected by boils.
• Fire and hail rained down.
• The land and crops were overcome by locusts.
• Darkness descended.
• The Angel of Death came and killed the first-born from every household.

The final act was when Aaron threw down his rod in front of the Pharaoh, and it became a serpent.

In Aaron's Rod, by D.H. Lawrence, the "rod" is a flute. The setting is a land devastated by World War I. And, the flue is eventually destroyed by an explosion.