golden calf

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golden calf

golden calf in the Bible, an idol erected by the Israelites on several occasions. Aaron made one while Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Jeroboam I made two, and Hosea denounced a calf in Samaria. A bull cult was widespread in Canaan at the time of the Israelite invasion.

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"golden calf." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 21 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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golden calf

A Dictionary of the Bible | 1997 | | Â© A Dictionary of the Bible 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

golden calf The idol devised by Aaron during the prolonged absence of Moses as he communed on the mountain with God (Exod. 32: 2–4) and by Jeroboam I, King of Israel (937–915 BCE) at Bethel and Dan (1 Kgs. 12: 28). It is possible that all these calves (Aaron's one and Jeroboam's two) were in fact symbols of Yahweh (Exod. 32: 5).

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W. R. F. BROWNING. "golden calf." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 21 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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golden calf

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | © The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009, originally published by Oxford University Press 2009. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

gold·en calf • n. (in the Bible) an image of gold in the shape of a calf, made by Aaron in response to the Israelites' plea for a god while they awaited Moses' return from Mount Sinai, where he was receiving the Ten Commandments (Exod. 32). ∎ a false god, esp. wealth as an object of worship.

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