Golden calf
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- For the Dutch film award of the same name, see Golden Calf (award)
In the Hebrew Bible, the golden calf was an idol made by Aaron for the Israelites during Moses's unexpectedly long absence. It is first mentioned in Exodus 32:4. In Hebrew the incident is known as "Chet ha'Egel" (חטא העגל) or "The Sin of the Calf".
Among the Hebrews' neighbors in the Ancient Near East and the Aegean, the Aurochs, the wild bull, was widely worshipped, often as the Lunar Bull and as El. Its Minoan manifestation survived as the Cretan Bull of Greek myth.
The story of the Golden Calf is mentioned in the Qur'an (see Musa) in many Suras (e.g. Al-Baqara, An-Nisa, Al-A'raf, Ta-Ha).
Summary of the Biblical tale
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). The Bible does not note Aaron's opinion of this request, merely that he 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 that he planned to eliminate them, but Moses argued and pleaded that they should be spared (Exodus 32:11); 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, and broke them. Moses then burnt the golden calf in the fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on water, and forced the Israelites to drink it. He questioned Aaron about the event, who admitted to collecting the gold, throwing it into the fire, and out came a calf. Then he gathered the sons of Levi, and set them to slaying a large fraction of adult males (3000). A plague then struck the Isralites. Nevertheless the Lord stated that he would one day visit the Israelites' sin upon them.
Since Moses had broken the tablets, the Lord instructed him to return to Mount Sinai yet again (Exodus 34:2) to receive a replacement.
Interpretation
The story raises a number of interesting questions. Such as why was Aaron, who went on to be the head priest, not punished for his action (or inaction). Aaron leads a somewhat charmed life missing out on the results of this action, and similarly in the Snow-white Miriam issue.
In the Documentary Hypothesis the story is not present in the Priestly source. It would certainly not fit in with their view of Aaron. The story occurs in the Elohist component, and the golden calf may be a reference to the cherubim which have some calf-like imagery, that are in the Most Holy Place in the Temple. The temple is part of Judah at this time, and not Israel where it is probable the Elohists live. As the Elohist priests of Shiloh in Israel in earlier times held the Ark of the Covenant, they would look disfavourably on the Temple and the Aaronites in general.
The grinding to powder action is also repeated in King Josiahs "He burned the high place and ground it to powder", which echos the "then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it" phrase.