Golden calf

For other uses, see Golden calf (disambiguation).

Adoration of the Golden Calf by Nicolas Poussin: imagery influenced by the Greco-Roman bacchanal

The golden calf (עגל הזהב Egel haZahav) was an idol (a cult image) made for the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai. According to the Hebrew Bible, the calf was made by Aaron to satisfy the Israelites, whereas the Quran indentifies the maker as Samiri.

In Hebrew, the incident is known as "Chet ha'Egel" (חטא העגל) or "The Sin of the Calf". It is first mentioned in Exodus 32:4 (Taha 20.83 in the Quran). In Egypt, whence the Hebrews had recently come, the Apis Bull was the comparable object of worship, which the Hebrews were reviving in the wilderness. Among the Egyptians' and Hebrews' neighbors in the Ancient Near East and in the Aegean, the Aurochs, the wild bull, was widely worshipped, often as the Lunar Bull and as the creature of El. Its Minoan manifestation survived as the Cretan Bull of Greek myth.

Summary of the Biblical narrative

The Worship of the Golden Calf by Filippino Lippi (1457–1504)

When Moses went up onto Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:20), he left the Israelites for forty days and forty nights (Exodus 24:18). The Israelites feared that he would not return and asked Aaron to make gods for them (Exodus 32:1). Aaron complied and gathered up the Israelites' golden earrings. He melted them and constructed the golden calf. Aaron also built an altar before the calf. and the next day, the Israelites made offerings and celebrated.

The Lord told Moses that his people had corrupted themselves, and he planned to eliminate them. However, Moses argued and pleaded that they should be spared (Exodus 32:11), and the Lord relented. Moses went down from the mountain, but upon seeing the calf, he too became angry. He threw down the tablets upon which God's law had been written, breaking them. Moses burnt the golden calf in a fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on water, and forced the Israelites to drink it. Aaron admitted collecting the gold, throwing it into the fire, and said it came out as a calf. Moses then gathered the sons of Levi and set them to slaying a large number of men (3000). A plague struck the Israelites. Nevertheless, the Lord stated that he would one day visit the Israelites' sin upon them.

As Moses had broken the tablets, the Lord instructed him to return to Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:2) and receive a replacement.

Interpretation

The Sin of Idolatry

Within the context of the narrative, God has just delivered the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, which included the Second Commandment regarding the prohibition against idolatry, that is, making of images (similitudes) to be used in the worship of G-d. Further interpretation suggests that the prohibition of the Second Commandment also included any adoption of the rites and traditions of the pagan nations, not simply making images.

Many scholars have suggested the Israelites were worshipping the Egyptian god Apis, falling back on what they had known for centuries in captivity. It is suggested the "idolatry" on display here was the worship of another god, though the account describes the calf as an image for the worship of Yahweh. Exodus 32 states: "When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, 'Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.'" Within the context of Exodus, it would be highly unlikely the Israelites, after witnessing the miracles of the Exodus first hand, would have fallen to worshiping another god immediately after Yahweh had spoken the Decalogue in their midst.

Complicating the matter, there are indications in the story that the Israelites intended a replacement of Moses rather than a replacement or even icon for God Himself. The rationale they gave Aaron for making it (Ex. 32:1) was "because this the man Moses, who took us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."

Aaron's statement

When Aaron finished the golden calf, he made the confusing statement: "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." There is a single calf, so why the reference to gods (plural)? The English translation does not reflect the intended meaning. However, the Hebrew word, "Elohim" is technically the plural form, but its meaning is actually singular, referring to "God". The calf is stated as bringing the people from Egypt because the Israelites wished to ascribe the miracles of their exodus to a different god than the one Moses claimed was responsible.

Later, in 1 Kings 12:28, Jeroboam tries to stop the Northern Israelites from visiting Jerusalem. He has two high places erected at Dan and Bethel as new offering places. At each of these he has constructed a golden calf and says: "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."

The creation of the golden calves may have been an attempt to identify the Lord with Baal. Among the Phoenicians, Baal was sometimes called the "calf", whereas the supreme god El (God) was called the "bull". Bovine whole-burnt offerings were an important part of Baal worship. The golden calf may have been a zoomorphic ark for Baal, just as winged lions (cherubim) were for the Lord. Making a calf pedestal, instead of a lion, would have been an attempt to identify the Lord with the Canaanite son of Dagon, Baal.

The construction of the golden calves would have been seen as a gross blasphemy by the Kings Book author, equivalent with the original Golden Calf episode. The Levite priests in the North would have regarded the golden calves an irritation, since they were looked after by non-Levite priests, and were probably seen as idolatrous. A reference to the original golden calf episode may have been seen fitting.

As adoration of wealth

A metaphoric interpretation emphasizes the "gold" part of "golden calf" to criticize the pursuit of wealth. This usage can be found in Spanish where Mammon, the Gospel personification of idolatry of wealth, is not so current.

Quranic Version

The Quranic Version of the episode is similar in most respects, except that the golden calf is constructed by a man named Samiri, rather than Aaron. Samiri claims that Moses has disappeared, and the Israelites have to find a new god. To this end, Samiri makes a golden calf from the gold jewelry brought out of Egypt.

Aaron, who is acting as leader in Moses' absence, attempts to prevent them from worshipping the statue, but is unsuccessful. When Moses does return, he is initially infuriated at the pagan ritual and Aaron's inability to stop it. Moses then exiles Samiri and orders the golden calf burnt and its ashes cast into the sea.

In popular culture

• The Golden Calf (award) is the award given at the Netherlands Film Festival, regarded as the Dutch counterpart to the Academy Awards.
• In 2008, Damien Hirst put his sculpture The Golden Calf up for auction at Sotheby's. The dead calf in formaldehyde, complete with gold-plated horns and hooves, sold for 10.3 million pounds.
• Prefab Sprout has a song on From Langley Park to Memphis called "The Golden Calf".

See also

• Torah parshiot or portions dealing with the Golden Calf: Ki Tissa and Eikev
• Red Heifer
• Moloch

External links

• The Golden calf from a Jewish perspective at Chabad.org
• Rabbi Fohrman's Lectures on the Golden Calf
• The Golden calf from Ein Hod perspective
• Islamic interpretation of the story of the Golden calf in the Qur'an
• Story of Muses and Aaron in the Qur'an

• Jewish Encyclopedia: Calf, Golden
• Online Quran Project 20.83