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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] The Golden Calf & the Hathor Cult of Sinai ?

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: Michael Banyai <Banyai AT t-online.de>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The Golden Calf & the Hathor Cult of Sinai ?
  • Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 11:34:22 +0100

On 23/09/2004 11:13, Michael Banyai wrote:

Hallo Peter,

I don´t know what ephods exactly were either, but what should they have been
for example in the case of Dan. Saying ephod is a way of shamefully conceding
the antiquity of the calf tradition. That is probably also the role of
Jerobeam as perpetrating the tradition. Should this statues have represented
Jahweh this would have been a violation of the deuteronomic law forbidding
representation of Jahweh. I don´t beleave there ever existed such violations
since we never hear of any protesting prophets against such a phaenomenon. ...


The HB is full of prophetic condemnations of idolatry. Here are some of the most specifically relevant to calves: 1 Kings 14:9, Isaiah 30:22, 42:17, Hosea 8:4-6, 10:5. If they are not said to be representations of Yahweh, perhaps that is because it is modern speculation rather than the ancient worldview that this is how they were understood.

... However were Dan and Beth-El Jahweh cultplaces. So it was some associate
lesser god. Calf fits good.


I accept that the "ephod"s may actually have been calf images. But that is still speculation.


The biblical story is Rachel riding a camel. Any link with Europa riding a bull is entirely speculative. The only similarity between the two stories is a woman riding an animal.


Not exactly. Jacob plays in the story of Penuel the role of the bull, and
this is a central image - since explaining the name of Israel. And Jacob is
the raptor of the consenting Rachel. The ephod(s?) is represented as a figure
one can ride upon, since Rachel puts a saddle on them. I don´t beleave the
story is based on a factual happening that some Rachel hid indeed some
teraphim realy under a (camel´s) saddle. Than why this fixation on a saddle,
what of an image did the writer have in mind? Any other object from carpet
till pillow would have otherwise done it probably better.


The very good reason why the teraphim (not ephods, no suggestion that they were calves, no one knows) were hidden under a saddle is that there was already a saddle on the camel and that is what Rachel would be expected to sit on.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/






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