At BAS LIbrary – Why Did the Israelites Make a Golden Calf? by John Drummond, April 09, 2025
Extract – Another possible reason for choosing a calf to represent Israel’s God might not have anything to do with Egyptian religion at all. Across the ancient Near East, cultures represented deities standing atop bovines. Often the depicted god was the storm god par excellence, variously known as Adad/Hadad (Mesopotamia), Baal (Ugarit), Teshub (among the Hurrians), or Theispas (Urartu). Following the Canaanite tradition, in the Bible this deity is often simply called Baal (“Lord”) and has various local manifestations (i.e., Baal-Peor, Baal-Zebub, Baal-Berith, etc.). In all of these images, the bovine is meant to function as the seat or pedestal of the storm god. In some instances, the deity is even flanked by winged creatures that immediately call to mind the cherubim that sat atop the ark and decorated the Holy of Holies.
From ChatGPT 3/4/2025.
Prompt: List critical bible scholars who hypothesize that the golden calves the Northern Kingdom had were actually the cherubims the earlier Israelites had on the Ark that served as the seat for God. Cite all sources.
Several critical Bible scholars have explored the hypothesis that the golden calves established in the Northern Kingdom of Israel were intended as representations similar to the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant, serving as pedestals or thrones for Yahweh rather than idols of foreign deities. Notable scholars and their perspectives include:
- Thomas Römer: A prominent European scholar, Römer suggests that the golden calves were not idols of foreign gods but were intended as representations of Yahweh’s divine emissary. This interpretation aligns with the notion that the calves functioned similarly to the cherubim on the Ark, symbolizing the presence of Yahweh among the Israelites. citeturn0search4
- Mark S. Smith: In his work “The Early History of God,” Smith discusses the possibility that the golden calves were not idols but rather pedestals for the invisible presence of Yahweh, akin to the cherubim on the Ark. This perspective suggests that the calves were intended to represent the throne of Yahweh, emphasizing His sovereignty.
- Richard Elliott Friedman: Friedman proposes that the narrative of the golden calf in Exodus may have been influenced by the political and religious tensions between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. He suggests that the calves could have been intended as legitimate representations of Yahweh, similar to the cherubim, but were later condemned by southern authors to delegitimize northern worship practices. [Elliott suggests in his book Who Wrote the Bible? the condemnation was by the priests in Shilo that were rejected by Jeroboam and hence they rejected his chosen priests by saying the statues were the golden calf idols of the Canaanites.]
These scholars contribute to the understanding that the golden calves may have been intended as authorized representations of Yahweh’s presence, analogous to the cherubim on the Ark, rather than as idols of foreign deities.
The Hebrew Bible describes the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant primarily in the following passages:
1. Exodus 25:18–22 (ASV) – Instructions for the Ark’s Cherubim
“And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat. And make one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end: of one piece with the mercy-seat shall ye make the cherubim on the two ends thereof. And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
- Description: This passage provides the primary description of the cherubim as golden figures with wings spread out, forming the “seat” or throne where Yahweh’s presence would manifest.
- Source: Hebrew Bible, American Standard Version (ASV).
2. Exodus 37:7–9 (ASV) – Execution of the Cherubim Design
“And he made two cherubim of gold; of beaten work made he them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat; one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end: of one piece with the mercy-seat made he the cherubim at the two ends thereof. And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat were the faces of the cherubim.”
- Description: This passage records the actual crafting of the cherubim according to the divine instructions given earlier.
- Source: Hebrew Bible, ASV.
3. 1 Kings 6:23–28 (ASV) – The Larger Cherubim in Solomon’s Temple
“And in the oracle he made two cherubim of olive-wood, each ten cubits high. And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits. And the other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form. And he set the cherubim in the midst of the inner house: and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.”
- Description: Solomon’s temple contained additional, much larger cherubim inside the Holy of Holies, reinforcing the connection between the cherubim and Yahweh’s throne.
- Source: Hebrew Bible, ASV.
4. 1 Kings 8:6–7 (ASV) – Positioning of the Ark and Cherubim in the Temple
“And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above.”
- Description: This passage highlights how the Ark was placed beneath the wings of the cherubim in the Temple, further establishing the imagery of Yahweh’s throne.
- Source: Hebrew Bible, ASV.
5. 2 Samuel 6:2 (ASV) – Yahweh “Enthroned” on the Cherubim
“And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him, from Baale-judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the name of Jehovah of hosts that sitteth above the cherubim.”
- Description: This verse explicitly describes Yahweh as being enthroned above the cherubim, reinforcing the idea that they served as His divine throne or footstool.
- Source: Hebrew Bible, ASV.
6. Psalm 99:1 (ASV) – Yahweh as the King Who Sits Upon the Cherubim
“Jehovah reigneth; let the peoples tremble: He sitteth above the cherubim; let the earth be moved.”
- Description: This poetic verse affirms that Yahweh’s divine presence was associated with the cherubim, consistent with the throne imagery.
- Source: Hebrew Bible, ASV.
7. Ezekiel 10:1–22 (ASV) – The Cherubim as God’s Chariot
“Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne… And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight…”
- Description: Ezekiel’s vision expands the cherubic imagery, portraying them as part of a divine chariot-throne, which scholars compare to the Ark’s cherubim.
- Source: Hebrew Bible, ASV.
Conclusion
The Hebrew Bible presents the cherubim as integral to Yahweh’s presence, particularly in relation to the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies. These passages are critical in exploring the hypothesis that the golden calves of the Northern Kingdom may have been intended as similar divine pedestals rather than idols.
Scholars for and against the idea of the calves as divine pedestals from ChatGPT.
Several scholars have examined the relationship between the golden calves of the Northern Kingdom and the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant, proposing that the calves may have served as pedestals or representations associated with Yahweh’s presence, similar to the cherubim. Notable analyses include:
- Michael Coogan: Coogan suggests that the golden calves were not idols of foreign gods but rather intended as pedestals for Yahweh, analogous to the cherubim on the Ark. He posits that Jeroboam’s establishment of golden calves in Bethel and Dan was an attempt to provide alternative worship sites within the Northern Kingdom, reflecting traditional Israelite religion. en.wikipedia.org
- Haran: Haran remarks that if Jeroboam’s calves were considered pedestals, they were not meant to be exact replicas of the cherubim associated with the Ark of the Covenant. He notes that while the Ark and its cherubim were kept in the publicly inaccessible Holy of Holies, the calves were placed in the courts of the Temple, where the people could see and interact with them. jewishvirtuallibrary.org
- Dave Armstrong: Armstrong contrasts the golden calf with the cherubim, noting that while the calf was condemned as gross idolatry, the Ark’s cherubim were permitted non-idolatrous religious images, sanctioned by God with explicit instructions. He emphasizes that the cherubim were never conceived as representations of God or gods, nor were they worshiped as such, whereas the golden calf was clearly conceived and worshiped as an idol, replacing the true God. ncregister.com
- Jewish Theological Seminary: An analysis contrasts the nature of the events, suggesting that the making of the Golden Calf resulted from blind fear and panic, leading to hasty and clumsy actions, whereas the cherubim on the Ark were crafted with divine instruction and artistry. This perspective highlights the differing intentions and contexts between the two representations. jtsa.edu
- Hebrew College: An article discusses the critical difference between the Golden Calf and the Ark’s cherubim. While both were made from molten gold, the calf was a solid figure, whereas the cherubim and the mercy seat framed an empty space through which God would speak, symbolizing the divine presence without physical representation. hebrewcollege.edu
These analyses provide insights into the complex relationship between the golden calves and the cherubim, exploring themes of idolatry, legitimate worship, and the representation of the divine presence in ancient Israelite religion.
Artists’ Ideas about the Cherubim
