Thoughts on Graven Images?

[windyrdg]

I posted this in the Christian forum, but it occurred to me that some of our Jewish friends might be able to offer some insight.

In an nutshell: There's a Biblical ban on graven images. I've always assumed that it referred to an object or representation that was worshipped or given mystical power...golden calves, clay goddesses, etc.

How would a first century Jew feel about this. Would they, for instance, carve a bird. Would they buy one if someone else carved it?

[Smiling Ted]

The Hasmonean Revolt against the Seleucids occured because Antiochus IV placed an idol in his own image in the Great Temple of Jerusalem. (It is possible that Caligula considered doing the same thing until one of his smarter generals convinced him not to.)

That being said, synagogues from the Roman period and onward were frequently decorated with mosaics that included images of the natural world - animals, plants, etc. The Temple of Solomon itself was filled with ritual objects in the shapes of animals, plants, and angels. The real question is whether the image could be considered an object of pagan worship.

For an essay on the subject, check out this link (http://www.umass.edu/judaic/anniversaryvolume/articles/18-D1-CEhrlich.pdf).