RELIGIONS AND FIGURATVE REPRESENTATION

It is during the First Temple^[1] period that policies censoring representation were evolved via the so-called aniconic prohibition^[2]. It marks the end of the complex process that lead from pagan polytheism to Jewish monotheism. This commandment, considered divine law, represents one of the foundations of the Israelite kings' policies. It was repeatedly enforced and can be read as an iconoclastic attitude, which showed no tolerance towards images. Along with the aniconic prohibition, came an oral one, for it was forbidden to pronounce the divine name consisting of four letters forming the tetragrammaton (יהוה), transcribed as YHWH, voiced as Yahweh or Yahuveh. In order not to transgress, the Jews would use “Adonai” when praying or “HaShem” ("The Name") in everyday life.

However, some archaeological discoveries have imposed a different way to understand this aniconic prohibition. Several clues point to the fact that the cult of YHWH did actually rely on statues, at least as far as the Kingdom of Israel^[3] was concerned. For instance when he pillaged Samaria, Sargon II^[4] accrued a significant booty, which he carefully itemised in an inscription. Now, it specifies that he took with him “the gods to which they [the Israelites] entrusted themselves”: these gods could only have been statues. This material source is consistent with the Book of Hosea where it is written that the people of the Kingdom of Israel honoured YHWH in the shape of a calf. Whilst the cult is patently iconic and polytheist in the Kingdom of Israel, the situation is less easily discernable in the kingdom of Judah^[5]. There, the scribes refer to the use of Massebot^[6] associated to the cult of YHWH followed by their banning. These prohibitions were implemented during the 7th century, notably by Ezechias^[7] and Josias^[8], kings of Judah. Nevertheless, there appears to be data in sufficient quantity to give credence to the idea that YHWH had a statue of his own that was not affected by the aniconic prohibition. The most compelling argument is to be found in the psalms where the oft-repeated formula “see the face of YHWH” does indicate that YHWH may be seen. His representation on a throne attended by Cherubim^[9] or Seraphim^[10] is mentioned in Samuel (1:4-4 and 2:6-2), much as, in the Book of Isaiah, the author reports that he saw YHWH in the Holy of Holies^[11], a place inaccessible to men though it be – with the exception, once a year, of the High-Priest^[12] .

These references suggest a reading of the commandment stated in Exodus, which was written at that time, as a set of several specific prohibitions. The first restricted the use of the temple to the cult of YHWH alone: it was forbidden there to introduce the statue of another god. (“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. [...] thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them.”) The second ensured the exclusivity of the statue of YHWH set in the Temple: it precludes the making of a new statue of YHWH for another sanctuary (“Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image...”) the last more broadly forbids the production of any image and advocates an aniconic approach (“...nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth”). After the looting of the temple in 587, the fate of the statue becomes unclear, as does that of the Ark.