The Sin of the Calf The Rise of the Bible's Negative Attitude Toward the Golden Calf

by Chung, Youn Ho

• ISBN13: 9780567425904
• ISBN10: 0567425908
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-05-06
• Publisher: Bloomsbury T&T Clark

Summary

This book illustrates when the prohibition of images in the Israelite religion was crystallized, and how it worked out the formulation of monotheism of YHWH.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Abbreviations	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
The Aim of the Study	p. 1
Survey of the Research	p. 2
The Calf as Idol	p. 3
Egyptian Gods	p. 3
Mesopotamian Gods	p. 4
Canaanite Gods	p. 4
External Circumstances	p. 4
Power Struggle Between Priesthoods	p. 5
Jeroboam's Religious Policies	p. 5
Jeroboam's Government System	p. 6
The Need for Reassessment	p. 6
Aniconism in the Israelite Religion and the Nature of the Calf Image	p. 7
Relevant Questions	p. 14
The Motives Behind the Negative Attitude Toward the Calf Image-Methodological Considerations	p. 20
The Sins of Jeroboam and the Calves	p. 22
The Sins of Jeroboam and the Calves	p. 22
The Sin of the Calf as Jeroboam's Primary Sin	p. 22
Motives for the Condemnation of Jeroboam's Calves	p. 23
The Deuteronomist and the Ulterior Motive Behind the Polemic on the Calf Image	p. 24
The Analysis of the Texts	p. 30
Exodus 32	p. 30
Literary Analysis	p. 30
Traditio-Historical Analysis	p. 47
Affirmative Tradition Regarding the Calf Cult	p. 47
Aaron, Bethel, and the Calf Image	p. 50
The Analysis of Deuteronomy 9:1-10:11	p. 58
The Compositional Analysis	p. 58
The Observation of the Theological Position of L-2 through a Comparison of Exodus 32 and Deuteronomy 9:9ff.	p. 70
General Survey of the Differences between Exodus 32 and Deuteronomy 9:9ff.	p. 71
Differences in Theological Tendencies and Emphases	p. 78
The Meaning of "Become Corrupt" and "Turn Aside"	p. 78
The Destruction of the Tablets	p. 80
The Destruction of the Calf Image	p. 82
The Ark of Wood in Deuteronomy 10:1-5	p. 85
Summary: The Theological Proposition of the Author of L-2	p. 87
The Authors of L-1 and L-2 and the Editor of Deuteronomy 9:1-10:11	p. 87
The Polemical Points	p. 97
The Polemic of the Elohist	p. 97
The Polemic Against the Calf Image Itself	p. 97
The Polemic Against the Calf-Image Cult	p. 97
The Polemic of the Deuteronomist	p. 106
Hosea and the Calf Image	p. 108
The Essential Considerations for Arguments in the Chapter	p. 111
The Authenticity of the Book of Hosea	p. 111
Hosea and the Elohist	p. 117
Baalism and the Calf Image	p. 121
Baalism and Yahwism Affected by Baalism	p. 121
Texts Concerning the Calf Image	p. 125
Hosea 8:4-6	p. 125
(8:4), (8:5)	p. 126
(v. 6)	p. 128
(v. 6)	p. 129
Hosea 10:1-8	p. 130
(v. 5)	p. 131
(v. 7)	p. 131
(v. 8)	p. 132
Hosea 13:1-3	p. 133
(v. 1)	p. 133
(v. 2)	p. 134
(v. 2)	p. 134
Negative Impacts of Baalism on the Calf Image	p. 135
The Bull of Baal and the Calf Image of Yhwh	p. 135
The Cult of Yhwh Identified with Baal	p. 140
in Hosea 1-3	p. 141
The Reality of the Perverted Yhwh Cult in Hosea 4	p. 145
Verse 12	p. 148
(v. 12a)	p. 148
(v. 12b)	p. 149
Verse 13	p. 150
	p. 150
	p. 153
(v. 13b)	p. 154
Verse 14	p. 156
(v. 14aß)	p. 156
Observations on the Term	p. 158
Verse 10 and the Fertility Cult	p. 161
Conclusion	p. 163
The Cultic Reality Described in Exodus 32	p. 163
Hosea and the Exclusive Worship of Yhwh	p. 166
Baal, Baalim, and Other Gods	p. 168
Hosea 14:9 (Yhwh and Asherah)	p. 170
Know Yhwh	p. 177
The Motives Behind the Deuteronomistic Polemic Against the Calf Image and the Prohibition of the Image	p. 181
Deuteronomy 4 and the Prohibition of the Image	p. 181
The Central Issue of Deuteronomy 4:1-40	p. 181
The Objective of the Prohibition of the Image	p. 185
The Time of Crystallization of the Prohibition of the Image and Its Motive	p. 187
The Time of Crystallization of the Prohibition of the Image	p. 187
The Motive Behind the Crystallization of the Prohibition of the Image	p. 191
The Deuteronomist's Polemic Against the Golden Calf	p. 202
Summary and Conclusion	p. 204
Bibliography	p. 209
Index of References	p. 225
Index of Authors	p. 239
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