The Hebrew Bible preserves a
strong tradition of aniconism. Worshipping icons is prohibited throughout its
books (Exod. 20.4-5); Deut. 5.8-9; Isa. 44; Jer. 10). Yahweh’s holy of holies
houses, not a cult image of the deity, but rather an ark and two cherubim
(Exod. 25.9, 22) which serve as Yahweh’s footstool and throne (Pss. 99.1;
132.7). Yahweh himself is represented aniconically in the empty space between
the cherubim and above the ark (Exod. 25.22). Moreover, according to
Deuteronomy Yahweh remained formless during his theophany at Horeb (ותמונה אינכם
ראים, 4.12). The aversion to iconism evident in the Bible is implied in Israel’s
archaeological record as well. Whereas a variety of anthropomorphic images have
been found at Israel’s neighboring West Semitic sites, representations of
Yahweh are ‘conspicuously absent in Israelite and Judean sites’.
And yet, many verses speak of or
imply Yahweh’s anthropoid form. To reference just a few, in Gen. 1.26., Yahweh
determines to make man ‘in our mage and our likeness’ (נעשׂה אדם בצלמנו),
which implies that he possesses an image and likeness that can be compared to
the human one. Yahweh blows life-giving breath into the first man’s body (2.7)
and he strolls in the garden (3.8) which implies that he has both a mouth and legs.
In the book of Exodus, Yahweh stretches out his arm to redeem his people (כי ביד
חזקה הוצאך יהוה ממצרים, 13.9) and Moses speaks to him ‘face to face’ (פנים אל־פנים,
33.11).
The Bible’s tendency toward
aniconism has, in the past, led scholars to claim that such references to
Yahweh’s body are purely metaphorical and symbolic of a more abstract concept.
And yet, while some passages are certainly meant to be taken metaphorically,
others appear to be more literal or concrete. For example, several prophets
experience visions in which they actually ‘see’ Yahweh’s form. Amos claims that
he saw Yahweh standing at the altar (ראיתי את־אדני נצב על־המזבח, 9.1).
Isaiah ascends to the heavenly temple and sees Yahweh dressed in a robe
and ‘sitting on a throne’ (ואראה את־אדני ישׁב על־כסא רם, 6.1). Ezekiel
describes Yahweh as ‘something that looks like human form’ (אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו,
1.26) and possesses ‘what appears like loins’ (ממראה מתניו, 1.26). While
some of these passages portray the deity as having a super-sized human form, on
other occasions Yahweh’s form is indistinguishable from the human body. For
example, in Genesis 18, Abraham is visited by ‘three men’, one of whom is
identified as ‘Yahweh’ (18.1-2). Nonetheless, Abraham mistakes them all for
regular men.
In light of such passages, some
scholars have begun to argue that evidence for an aniconic tradition does not
preclude the belief in an iconic and, for some biblical authors, even corporeal
deity. (Deena E. Grant, “Fire and the Body of Yahweh,” Journal for the Study
of the Old Testament 40 no. 2 [2015]: 139-41)
Further Reading
Lynn Wilder vs. Latter-day Saint (and Biblical) Theology on Divine Embodiment
