Golden Bulls
“Golden bulls” in the Bible are golden statues
Calf or Bull?
Some translations render the Hebrew word for “bull” as “calf”. This is where the expression “the golden calf” comes from. However, it is more likely that it would have been a statue of a young bull.
Bull Statues in the Bible
The two main passages in the Bible that mention golden bulls are Exodus 32
- In Exodus 32
, Aaron makes a bull-calf out of gold for the Israelites in the desert. - In 1 Kings 12
, King Jeroboam I has two golden bull-calves made and places them in Bethel and Dan. He wants to prevent the inhabitants of his kingdom (the Northern Kingdom of Israel) from always going to Jerusalem to worship God (in the Southern Kingdom of Judah).
There are more Bible passages about the golden bull. For instance, the book of Hosea
Who or what Does the Golden Bull Represent?
It is not certain who or what the golden bull is meant to represent in the Bible passages. There are several options:
- A foreign god. This could be the Canaanite gods
El or Baal , or the moon goddess Sin, who were sometimes depicted as a bull. - God himself. The masculinity and power of the bull were also characteristics of God.
- A throne or footstool for God. In the ancient Near East, gods were frequently depicted on the back of a bull. The bull as throne of God could explain why Jeroboam I had two statues of bulls placed in temples in Bethel and Dan. They were intended as an alternative to the Ark of the Covenant (Covenant Box) in the Temple of Jerusalem, which was also seen as the throne of God.
Forbidden
All the Bible passages that mention the golden bull, condemn the making and worshipping of such a statue. It is strictly forbidden to make images and worship them. You should only worship the God of Israel himself.
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