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Why did the Hebrews make a golden calf?
The Golden Calf (Exodus ch.32) was a case of taking the initiative.
It was an egregious error which was quickly and decisively stamped out. And while it was a serious offense, it may be a bit less of a puzzle if we consider the following:
1) It seemed that Moses had died (Rashi commentary, Exodus 32:1); and they wanted something or someone to lead them (Exodus 32:1). They felt that this (seemingly) drastic circumstance justified quickly taking unusual measures.
2) They had a tradition that they would eventually build an edifice to God (Rashi, Exodus 26:15); and, not yet having been commanded as to the details (the Tabernacle), they thought that they might now improvise.
3) The actual intent was not to worship the Golden Calf itself, but to worship the Presence of God (Exodus 32:5) which (they hoped) would dwell upon it.
4) The entire event was instigated by Egyptians (Rashi, Exodus 32:4) who had recently joined among the mixed multitude (Exodus 12:38).
5) Those who sinned were, at most, in the thousands (Exodus 32:28). Not hundreds of thousands.
6) That generation was judged by an exacting standard, precisely because they were on a high level (Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi).
7) In each era, there are different spiritual tests. The (main) test in ancient times was whether people would succumb to the lure of idolatry and its preludes. This powerful lure has since been emasculated (Talmud, Yoma 69b), so it is hard for us now to fully comprehend.
It was an egregious error which was quickly and decisively stamped out. And while it was a serious offense, it may be a bit less of a puzzle if we consider the following:
1) It seemed that Moses had died (Rashi commentary, Exodus 32:1); and they wanted something or someone to lead them (Exodus 32:1). They felt that this (seemingly) drastic circumstance justified quickly taking unusual measures.
2) They had a tradition that they would eventually build an edifice to God (Rashi, Exodus 26:15); and, not yet having been commanded as to the details (the Tabernacle), they thought that they might now improvise.
3) The actual intent was not to worship the Golden Calf itself, but to worship the Presence of God (Exodus 32:5) which (they hoped) would dwell upon it.
4) The entire event was instigated by Egyptians (Rashi, Exodus 32:4) who had recently joined among the mixed multitude (Exodus 12:38).
5) Those who sinned were, at most, in the thousands (Exodus 32:28). Not hundreds of thousands.
6) That generation was judged by an exacting standard, precisely because they were on a high level (Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi).
7) In each era, there are different spiritual tests. The (main) test in ancient times was whether people would succumb to the lure of idolatry and its preludes. This powerful lure has since been emasculated (Talmud, Yoma 69b), so it is hard for us now to fully comprehend.
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Archaeologists have discovered that the golden calf (with crescent horns) was a symbol of the moon god, used throughout the ancient Near East. There are two important references in the Old Testament, first when Aaron made the golden calf during the legendary Exodus, second when the king of Israel, Jeroboam, had two golden calves set up, and declared a public holiday, and the people rejoiced.
It is clear, at least from the reference to Jeroboam, that the Israelites worshipped the moon god. Other references demonstrate that this worship was of long standing, not merely a whim of one Israelite king.
The golden calf in Exodus was made while Joshua and Moses were on the mountain for just forty days. There is strong biblical evidence that Joshua was worshipped as a sun god before his story evolved in Hebrew legend to that of a mortal hero. If so, the symbolism of the story is that when the sun god is away (night time) then the people worship the moon god.
It is clear, at least from the reference to Jeroboam, that the Israelites worshipped the moon god. Other references demonstrate that this worship was of long standing, not merely a whim of one Israelite king.
The golden calf in Exodus was made while Joshua and Moses were on the mountain for just forty days. There is strong biblical evidence that Joshua was worshipped as a sun god before his story evolved in Hebrew legend to that of a mortal hero. If so, the symbolism of the story is that when the sun god is away (night time) then the people worship the moon god.
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According to the Tanach (Jewish Bible) and Jewish teachings, the
Israelites began to worship the golden calf because they began to
lose faith in HaShem (The Creator) because Moshe (Moses) was gone
for so long.
It is very important to note that the Tanach is very clear that it was only men who worshiped the calf and not a single female participated nor did any male from the tribe of Levi.
It is very important to note that the Tanach is very clear that it was only men who worshiped the calf and not a single female participated nor did any male from the tribe of Levi.
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Who fashioned the golden calf?
The Israelites fashioned the golden calf when Moses spent too much time conversing with God. They got scared and created an idol to worship. Moses came down and broke the firs…t ten commandments in anger. See this link: http://judaism.answers.com/kosher/the-complaints-in-the-wilderness-and-the-golden-calf
What is the Hebrew word for golden?
Adjective: זהוב = Zahov (masculine) זהובה = Zehuva (feminine) זהובים = Zehuvim (masculine plural) זהובות = Zehuvot (feminine plural)
Did the Egyptians worship the golden calf back in the days of Moses?
Yes, the rebellious Israelites followed the idolatrous Golden Calf worship of the Egyptians. 2nd answer: The Egyptians worshipped RA, the sun god, among others. It was the tri…be of Benjamin who set up the golden calf during Moses' absence (after they left Egypt) and later incurred his righteous wrath.
Which ancient Semitic fertility god was represented by a golden calf?
The moon god, sometimes called Sin, was usually represented by a golden calf with crescent horns. That the golden calf was widely worshipped among the ancient Israelites is de…monstrated by Exodus chapter 32, which depicts the Israelites making and worshipping a golden calf, 1 Kings chapter 12, which depicts King Jeroboam making two golden calves and placing one for worship in Bethel and one in Dan, with a further reference in 2 Kings 17. In Exodus 17:1, the Israelites left the wilderness of Sin (night time) before they fought the mythical Amelek in the morning.
What Egyptian god did the golden Calf resemble?
The Golden Calf resembled the god Apis.
Make a sentence out of calf?
The cow gave birth to a small male calf. We called the calf Sunday.
What makes golden retrivers golden?
well theres a chemical that does it when they are boren and start to get their hair in.
Do they kill the calf to make cheese?
Around 25% of male calves are removed from their mother and slaughtered within 48 hours of their birth. Calves are used for TV dinners and kid leather. Others are sent to veal… and slaughtered at 3 months old or are farmed for beef and slaughtered when they are between 6 and 12 months old.
Does a calf get killed to make something with calf hair?
In most cases the calf is not killed just for its hair or hide, but also for its meat being veal.
Why was Aaron not punished for making the golden calf?
Moses interceded for Aaron. The instigators of the rebellion were punished since they had asked for the calf.
Where did Aaron get the gold to make the Golden Calf?
Aaron got the gold from the people. He told them to take off the rings of gold which are in the ears of your qives, your sons, and your daughters.
Answered
In Christianity
Who created the golden calf?
Actually who created the golden calf not moses brother ( Aaron ) but he is a man called samiri . and he is one of moses group . But the bible didnt mention for that . read the… real story from Qura'an then u will know clearly everything . Christian View: It depends which golden calf. At one point in the Bible, Moses went up to Mount Sinai, but he took quite a while coming back. The Israelites thought he was dead and started getting restless. ' Make us an idol!' they complained to Aaron. So Aaron made a golden calf for the people made up of their golden jewelry. (this did not go unpunished) Then at another time, the king of Israel was furious because all of his people went to Judah to worship there because the temple was there. So he made two golden calves for his people to worship at.
Answered
In Israel
Why did Israel make the golden calf?
Israel built the golden calf because they didn't think god was real so instead they made a new god
Answered
Why did the Hebrews make the golden calf?
The Hebrew people were polytheistic right down to the religious reforms of King Josiah, in the seventh century BCE, and some scholars say that these reforms were only partly …successful until at least the time of the Babylonian Exile. The notion of the Hebrews as monotheistic followers of God was written back into the history from the seventh century BCE onwards, but there are occasional glimpses of what the Israelites really believed. Of course, the story of the golden calf in the Exodus from Egypt should not be read as suggesting that the Israelites foolishly thought that if they made an idol and worshipped it, then good things would happen. Nor should it be read as suggesting that the Israelites suddenly decided to worship animals. The golden calf was a symbol of the moon god, whom the early Israelites worshipped. We see a further reference to the golden calf at 1 Kings chapter 12, the Israelite king Jeroboam made two calves of gold, setting one up in Bethel and one in Dan. He made priests and ordained a national feast day to the god symbolised by these calves, and the people came to worship. The story of the golden calf on the Exodus from Egypt is no doubt legendary, but it reflects the very real beliefs of the Hebrew people in the first millennium BCE, when the Bible was being written.
Answered
What is the name of the golden calf?
The Bible has several references to the Israelites worshipping the golden calf, which we now know represented the moon god. During the third dynasty of Ur (c 2060 - 1950…), the moon god, Sin, was represented in the the form of a golden calf with crescent-shaped horns and a long flowing beard of lapis lazuli. C L Woolley (Ur Excavations: The Royal Cemetery) shows several images found in his excavations of the royal graves at Ur. That these images are of the god Sin can be seen by the following description found in a Sumero-Akkadian hymn to that god: "Ferocious bull, whose horn is thick, whose legs are perfected, who is bearded in lapsis, and filled with luxury and abundance." The moon god went under different names at different times and in different regions. That the Hebrew people knew him by the name 'Sin' is attested in Exodus 17:1, "And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin ..." Theologians have long sought to identify the exact location of this wilderness, because they took a narrow and literalist view. The wilderness of Sin (ie the moon) is simply night time, and after several verses inserted late into the passage, the reason is clear. After leaving the widerness of Sin, Moses and Joshua fight the Amalek until going down of the sun. However, there is no certainty that the Israelites only used the name Sin for the moon god. Some scholars believe that the stories of the Hebrew patriarchs originally developed out of a story of the moon god. On this view, 'Jacob' may have been a commonly used name for the moon god, represented by the golden calf.
Answered
What is the archetype of the golden calf in the Bible?
The golden calf was long associated with the moon god. The worship of the moon god, Sin, goes back to at least the third dynasty of Ur (c 2060 - 1950), where the god was hono…ured the the form of a golden calf with crescent-shaped horns and a long flowing beard of lapis lazuli. C. L. Woolley (Ur Excavations: The Royal Cemetery) found several of the images in his excavations of the royal graves at Ur, a Mesopotamian city which had legendary links with Israel from the time of Abraham. A Sumero-Akkadian hymn to that god says, "Ferocious bull, whose horn is thick, whose legs are perfected, who is bearded in lapsis, and filled with luxury and abundance." The moon god symbolised fertility, both by the moon's influence on the menstrual cycle and the fertility of the bull. The calf's crescent horns also represented the moon. When the Books of Exodus and Kings talk of the Israelites worshipping a golden calf, they were references to the worship of the moon god.