Title
Document Type
Article
Department or Administrative Unit
Philosophy and Religious Studies
Publication Date
10-2017
Abstract
The golden calf episode in Exodus is both popular and perplexing. While it has a shared ancient Near Eastern heritage of understanding divine presence, it chooses to undermine that heritage to promote its particular agenda. This study clarifies the text by situating it more firmly in its ancient Near Eastern context and by addressing the biblical adaptations that emerge when we address each of the chapter’s distinct voices. I also consider the importance of perspective—what each character sees and how that vision affects the character’s viewpoint—and the importance of divine visibility both in Exodus 32 and in the larger non-Priestly narrative.
Recommended Citation
Hundley, Michael B. “What Is the Golden Calf?” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 79, no. 4 (2017): 559–79. https://doi.org/10.1353/cbq.2017.0078.
Journal
The Catholic Biblical Quarterly
Rights
Copyright Catholic Biblical Association of America
Comments
This article was originally published in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly. The full-text article from the publisher can be found here.