What is the significance of the golden calf in the Bible?
Mentioned in Exodus 32 and I Kings 12 in the Old Testament, worship of the golden calf is seen as a supreme act of apostasy, the rejection of a faith once confessed. The figure is probably a representation of the Egyptian bull god Apis in the earlier period and of the Canaanite fertility god Baal in the latter.
What happened to the Israelites that worshiped the golden calf?
When Moses went up into Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:12–18), he left the Israelites for forty days and nights. Moses burnt the golden calf in a fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on water, and forced the Israelites to drink it.
What is Exodus chapter 38?
Bible Gateway Exodus 38 :: NIV. They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide. They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze.
Why did the Jews build the Golden Calf?
The Jews built the golden calf in an attempt to create the ultimate dwelling place for G‑d. They wanted to draw G‑dliness all the way down into the world. They knew that one day G‑d would tell Moses that the Jews should build Him a sanctuary, and that they should construct keruvim.
What is the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32?
Exodus 32 records the infamous account of the Israelites and the golden calf. Moses was on Mount Sinai meeting with God. “When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us.
Why did the Egyptians make gold take the form of a calf?
Applying their knowledge of magic, the Egyptian conspirators made the gold assume the form of a calf. When the children of Israel saw it, they believed that it was to be their representative before G‑d, and they wanted to pay homage to it.
Why was the Golden Calf chosen as a symbol of God?
Or perhaps the golden calf was chosen simply because bulls are viewed as powerful and thus a fitting image for a god. The people did claim this was the God who brought them out of Egypt and the feast was to be to Yahweh (the name by which God identified Himself to Moses; Exodus 3:15 ).