Dan and the Serpent: Not the Antichrist

Somewhere along the way the tribe of Dan picked up a reputation as the tribe that produces the antichrist. Jacob calls Dan a serpent in the way, Jeremiah mentions serpents, and the conclusion followed.
Jewish interpretation never went there. Rabbinic reading of Jacob's blessing of Dan is overwhelmingly positive, and Jeremiah 8:17 played no part in their comment on Dan at all. If anything, the tradition connected Dan with Samson - closer to a Christ figure than an antichrist one.
The antichrist association is a later Christian development, and part of what fed it was geography: Dan settled in the region of the serpent, Bashan.
Scripture links:
- Genesis 49:17 - Dan shall be a serpent in the way.
- Jeremiah 8:17 - serpents sent among the people.
There is a shadow over Dan in Scripture - a tribe on the inside that turns. That is not the same as the antichrist, and the difference is worth keeping.