what was with the golden calf worship?

[christianmomof3]

Was there a pagan religion that worshiped a golden calf that the Jews were imitating? Where did the golden calf to worship concept come from and why? I know that Aaron made one when Moses was on the mountain.
And they got in major trouble for that.
Then, many years later Jeroboam made not only one, but two golden calves to be worshipped.
Why would he do that when they got in so much trouble the first time?
And why a calf?
What is the deal with a golden calf?
Why not a golden lamb or a golden fish or a golden tree?
What is the precedent and purpose of a golden calf to worship?

[Lulav]

Was there a pagan religion that worshiped a golden calf that the Jews were imitating? Where did the golden calf to worship concept come from and why? I know that Aaron made one when Moses was on the mountain.
And they got in major trouble for that.
Then, many years later Jeroboam made not only one, but two golden calves to be worshipped.
Why would he do that when they got in so much trouble the first time?
And why a calf?
What is the deal with a golden calf?
Why not a golden lamb or a golden fish or a golden tree?
What is the precedent and purpose of a golden calf to worship? Remember we were 'coming out of Egypt' and one of the major gods worshipped was the bull called apis.

The Apis bull cult is probably the best known of the three most prominent and divine bull cults, and it is considered to be the most sacred. Herodotus wrote that the Apis was the "calf of a cow which is never afterwards able to have another. The Egyptian belief is that a flash of lightning descends upon the cow from heaven, and this causes her to receive Apis."
The Apis bull was originally considered to be the incarnation of the god Ptah, the creator of the universe and master of destiny

Egyptians celebrated the Festival of the Apis Bull, which lasted for seven days.

Or it could have been from a lesser known bull cult, called Mnevis

There is far less information about the Mnevis cult than the other two bull cults. Mnevis was the sacred bull of Heliopolis, and although it was associated with the sun god Re, it has been suggested that it was also identified with Min, the fertility god of Coptos. When Akhenaten (originally Amenhotep IV) raised the cult of the sun to new heights, he established a new city, now known as Tell el Amarna, and dedicated it to the worship of the god Aten. Akhenaten swore he would bury Mnevis bulls in this new city, but thus far archaeologists have not found any bull burials there. However, two Mnevis burials were found in Heliopolis, both belonging to the Ramesses dynasty. The bulls were found in individual tombs that were cut into the ground and sealed with a granite slab. As noted this cult was heavy in the area of Helliopolis, which in the Bible is called 'On' of which Josephs FIL was the priest of, some believe that Joseph took over upon his death and was the much acclaimed Imhotep. On was close to the area of Goshen so they would have been very familiar with this cult.

[Lulav]

Here is an interesting interpretation which validates the sexual nature of this abomination that was going on while Moshe met with HaShem
http://www.piney.com/MuSinai.html

[WailingWall]

This is truly only speculation on my part as i dont really know why they made a calf.

LEVITICUS 9 [2]And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord.

But do ya see where a young calf was used as a sin offering?

DEUT. 9 [16]And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the Lord your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the Lord had commanded you.

And as Moses went up the mount to receive the 10 commandments the people below made a graven image that resembled that sin offering. God was not happy with these people. I wonder if some of them claimed that it was not really a graven image, only a likeness of the sin offering. Now of course the crucified Christ is our offering for sin and you can find his likeness in molten metals, wood, or ivory in 99.44% of christian homes. They to will claim its not really a graven image and give their reasons why.

[visionary]

This has become debateable.

[Lulav]

:confused:

[WailingWall]

ISAIAH 44 [8]Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. [9] They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. [10] Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? [11] Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. [12] The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. [13] The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.

And today…Well you can read verse 13 and decide for yourself. As they did with the calf (the shadow of...) they have done to Yeshua

[Lulav]

Shame this subject got sqwelched

[WailingWall]

Did i do something wrong again? If im the one who got it squelched somehow i am sorry.

[visionary]

The subject is not sqwelched... just opened up for the more "controversial" delvings... within reason.

[kivi]

Was there a pagan religion that worshiped a golden calf that the Jews were imitating? Where did the golden calf to worship concept come from and why? I know that Aaron made one when Moses was on the mountain.
And they got in major trouble for that.
Then, many years later Jeroboam made not only one, but two golden calves to be worshipped.
Why would he do that when they got in so much trouble the first time?
And why a calf?
What is the deal with a golden calf?
Why not a golden lamb or a golden fish or a golden tree?
What is the precedent and purpose of a golden calf to worship?
The Golden Calf was demanded and worshipped by the 'mixed multitudes', the non-Jewish body of Egyptians that came out of Egypt with the Jews. At no time did any Jew worship the Golden Calf or bow down to it. It was a mistake on Aaron's part to give into the demands of the 'mixed multitudes', but being willing to seek peace under any circumstance is not always a good idea, something which Aaron had to find out the hard way. All that died as a result of the Golden Calf were the entire company of the 'mixed multitudes' of which there is no more mention in the Torah.

[Lulav]

HUH?

32:4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

this makes it even more plain that our ancestors took part in this

32:20And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

[kivi]

HUH?



this makes it even more plain that our ancestors took part in this





This is a serious question, who were the worshippers of the Golden Calf. The Torah text as well as the commentaries are quite clear on the matter, the instigators of the Golden Calf affair were the 'mixed multitude'. The prime fault of B'nai Israel was complicity. That is why B'nai Israel was included in the averiah. B'nai Israel did not actively resist the 'mixed multitude'. When Aaron called to the 'The Children of Israel' in Shemos 32:4, he was trying to remind them of their duties to G-d to actively resist idolatry. They did not respond to Aaron's call and so, they were included in the averiah and had to drink the mixture as noted in Shemos 32:20. However, the 3000 people that the Levites executed, Shemos 32:26-29, where most definitely the 'mixed multitudes'. It took all of Moses' prayer and supplication and the spiritual effort of all of B'nai Israel for the Jewish people to return to the good graces of G-d.

[christianmomof3]

The Golden Calf was demanded and worshipped by the 'mixed multitudes', the non-Jewish body of Egyptians that came out of Egypt with the Jews. At no time did any Jew worship the Golden Calf or bow down to it. It was a mistake on Aaron's part to give into the demands of the 'mixed multitudes', but being willing to seek peace under any circumstance is not always a good idea, something which Aaron had to find out the hard way. All that died as a result of the Golden Calf were the entire company of the 'mixed multitudes' of which there is no more mention in the Torah.
Interesting. I never heard of these mixed multitudes. How do you know about them if they are not in the Torah?:confused: Where is record of that?
And, that does not explain the two golden calves that Jeraboam set up to worship. What is the explanation for that?

[kivi]

Interesting. I never heard of these mixed multitudes. How do you know about them if they are not in the Torah?:confused: Where is record of that?
And, that does not explain the two golden calves that Jeraboam set up to worship. What is the explanation for that?
Exodus [Shemos] 12:38 Judaica Press English translation:

"37. The children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot, the men, besides the young children.

38. And also, a great mixed multitude went up with them, and flocks and cattle, very much livestock."

How do we know what happened to the 'mixed multitudes'? It is, after all, our scriptures. We have a 3300 year history of how to interpted it and how each part fits with every other part. I am merely giving you acess to the Tradition. It is what we believe.

As for Jeraboam:

Kings I, chapter 12, Judaica Press English translation:

"26. Jeroboam then said to himself, "Now, the kingdom may return to the House of David.27. When this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the Temple of the Lord, in Jerusalem, the hearts of this people will turn to their master to Rehoboam the king of Judah, and they shall kill me and return to Rehoboam, the king of Judah."

28. The king took counsel and made two golden calves, and he said to them, saying, "It is far for you to go up to Jerusalem; here are your gods, O Israel, that have brought you up from the land of Egypt."

29. And he placed one in Beth El and the other he placed in Dan."

I think the text is pretty self explanitory. To keep his subjects from continuing their alliance to the House of David and the Temple in Jerusalem, and that includes not only emotional and spiritual loyalty, but the moneys and resources that would go to the Southern Kingdom if his subjects still used the Temeple in Jerusalem, he had to find an alternative. In effect, he tried to build a different religion, something like Torah, but not Torah. Of course, all of the Levites rejected his attempts as did members of all of the 10 Tribes that were in his control. They were all expelled from the Northern Kingdom so that, in the Southern kingdom, all 12 Tribles had representatives.

[stone]

Was there a pagan religion that worshiped a golden calf that the Jews were imitating? Where did the golden calf to worship concept come from and why? I know that Aaron made one when Moses was on the mountain.
And they got in major trouble for that.
Then, many years later Jeroboam made not only one, but two golden calves to be worshipped.
Why would he do that when they got in so much trouble the first time?
And why a calf?
What is the deal with a golden calf?
Why not a golden lamb or a golden fish or a golden tree?
What is the precedent and purpose of a golden calf to worship?


The weakness of men is that they worship that which they create, be it by hammer or pen.

[EricLBess]

the story of the golden calf is a cipher found in the elohist literary stratum (likely written by shilonite priests) to discredit both jeroboam's golden calf institutions (1kgs xii.28) and the aaronid priesthood dominating the religious, sacerdotal activities of judah in the south. while the golden calf (really 'young bull', not a baby cow) could be associated with an egyptian deity, i believe the most likely association is with baal, who was known as 'bull el'. baal worship was notorious in the northern kingdom of israel (jeroboam's domain).


~eric

[stone]

I've found profound parallels between the torah and the book of the dead.

[Lulav]

Torah is a book of LIFE, choose LIFE!

[kivi]

Torah is a book of LIFE, choose LIFE!
Exactly!