GOLDEN CALF • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Golden calf

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/gˈoʊldən kæf/ Listen

Golden calf

noun

(Old Testament) an idol made by Aaron for the Israelites to worship; destroyed by Moses; it is now used to refer to anything worshipped undeservedly.

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Etymology of 'Golden calf'

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"Golden calf" Quotes from Famous Books

... of metrical action united in religious festivals. In the Hebrew writings we read that the triumphal ode composed by Moses on the defeat of the Egyptians, was sung to an accompaniment of dancing and timbrels. The Israelites danced and sung "at the inauguration of the golden calf. And as it is generally agreed that this representation of the Deity was borrowed from the mysteries of Apis, it is probable that the dancing was copied from that of the Egyptians on those occasions." ...

— Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative, Vol. I • Herbert Spencer

Words linked to "Golden calf" : god, idol, Old Testament, graven image