Has Golden Calf ever been found?

by cameo-d 42 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • wha happened?
    wha happened?

    ok the fact that this thread generated 3 pages of answer is really funny. Well I'm off to the golden poopie thread

  • MAHERSHALALHASHBAZ
    MAHERSHALALHASHBAZ

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    it-1p.393Calf***

    Calf

    Worship. Calf worship was the first form of idolatry mentioned in the Bible to which the Israelites succumbed after the Exodus from Egypt. While Moses was in the mountain receiving God’s law, the people became impatient and approached Aaron with the request that he make a god for them. From the gold earrings contributed by the Israelites, Aaron formed a molten statue of a calf, undoubtedly a young bull. (Ps 106:19, 20) It was regarded as representing Jehovah, and the festival held the following day was designated "a festival to Jehovah." The Israelites sacrificed to the golden calf, bowed before it, ate, drank, and enjoyed themselves in song and dance.—Ex 32:1-8, 18, 19; Ne 9:18.

    The molten calf was not necessarily made of solid gold. This is indicated by the fact that Isaiah, when referring to the making of a molten image, mentions that the metalworker overlays it with gold. (Isa 40:19) Hence, the golden calf was perhaps formed of wood and then overlaid with gold. Therefore, when Moses subjected the image to a burning process, the wooden center was reduced to charcoal and the gold layer either entirely or partially melted. Whatever was left was crushed and ground to pieces until it was fine like dust, and this dust, composed of charcoal and gold, Moses scattered upon the surface of the water.—Ex 32:20; De 9:21

  • MAHERSHALALHASHBAZ
    MAHERSHALALHASHBAZ

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    g9012/8p.28WatchingtheWorld***

    GOLDEN

    CALFFOUND

    "A figurine backs the tale of Moses and the idolatrous Israelites," said Time magazine. Until now, no religious figures of calves had been found in Canaanite ruins from before the Israelite Exodus. But in June 1990, in the ruins of the ancient port city of Ashkelon, Israel, a team of archaeologists unearthed a 5-inch-long [12.5cm] calf made of bronze, copper, and possibly lead and silver. The bronze was apparently burnished to shine like gold. Lawrence Stager, the director of the team, feels that the calf dates back to 1550 B.C.E., before the Israelites conquered Canaan. Stager suggests that the calf may have been used in worship of the pagan god El or his son Baal and that it may have been a prototype for the golden calves mentioned in the Bible.

  • Nosferatu
    Nosferatu

    - "The molten calf was not necessarily made of solid gold. "

    There you have it, straight from the mouth of Jehovah himself.

  • MAHERSHALALHASHBAZ
    MAHERSHALALHASHBAZ

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    it-1p.10Aaron***

    Why

    wasAaronnotpunishedformakingthegoldencalf?

    Despite his privileged position, Aaron had his shortcomings. During Moses’ first 40-day stay on Mount Sinai, "the people congregated themselves about Aaron and said to him: ‘Get up, make for us a god who will go ahead of us, because as regards this Moses, the man who led us up out of the land of Egypt, we certainly do not know what has happened to him.’" (Ex 32:1) Aaron acceded and cooperated with these rebellious ones in making a golden calf statue. (Ex 32:2-6) When later confronted by Moses, he gave a weak excuse. (Ex 32:22-24) However, Jehovah did not single him out as the prime wrongdoer but told Moses: "So now let me be, that my anger may blaze against them and I may exterminate them." (Ex 32:10) Moses brought the matter to a showdown by crying: "Who is on Jehovah’s side? To me!" (Ex 32:26) All the sons of Levi responded, and this undoubtedly included Aaron. Three thousand idolaters, probably the prime movers of the rebellion, were slain by them. (Ex 32:28) Nevertheless, Moses later reminded the rest of the people that they, too, bore guilt. (Ex 32:30) Aaron, therefore, was not alone in receiving God’s mercy. His subsequent actions indicated that he was not in heart harmony with the idolatrous movement but simply gave in to the pressure of the rebels. (Ex 32:35) Jehovah showed that Aaron had received his forgiveness by maintaining as valid Aaron’s appointment to become high priest.—Ex 40:12, 13.

  • Devilsnok
    Devilsnok
    ok the fact that this thread generated 3 pages of answer is really funny.

    If it had been about a GAY calf you'd have doubled those numbers :)

  • MissingLink
    MissingLink

    The watchtower explaination failed to mention that imaginary gold is half as heavy as real gold, therefore easy to cary when going on an imaginary journey.

  • cameo-d
    cameo-d

    Marshalhasbaz

    Thank you very much for your research.

    Calf worship was the first form of idolatry mentioned in the Bible to which the Israelites succumbed after the Exodus from Egypt

    So they picked this up from the Egyptians, right? Kind of like being born-in. It was basically all they knew and Moses came along to try to convert them to the new god. But god didn't have a name yet at that time did he?

    So it was just natural that these people would fall back on what they knew...(the old deities)... when Moses went missing.

    Moses brought the matter to a showdown by crying: "Who is on Jehovah’s side? To me!" (Ex 32:26) All the sons of Levi responded, and this undoubtedly included Aaron. Three thousand idolaters, probably the prime movers of the rebellion, were slain by them.

    So this god rescues them from a life of slavery just to cause a civil war between them and kill each other?

    Does anything ever change? How many people have been killed for arguing over the better deity?

  • reniaa
    reniaa

    on the whole gold grinding erm info we do know God himself gave metalurgy knowledge to certain of moses's people so ark could be made to house the commandments

    secondly covering wood with a thin layer of gold was a common egyptian practise when making idols, but whatever was used it may always be a mystery, in other centuries chemists simply thought God had enabled Moses to beccomes a master alchemist able to add something to gold to help grind it down,

  • cameo-d
    cameo-d
    we do know God himself gave metalurgy knowledge to certain of moses's people

    when you say "we" do you mean that all Jehovah's witnesses believe this?

    God himself gave metalurgy knowledge to certain of moses's people

    I wasn't aware that "god" was conversational with moses friends. Can you show me scripture on that?

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