Page - 24 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 02/01

24 | Johanna Stiebert www.jrfm.eu 2016, 2/1, 23–33 the case of the first term, “image” (tselem) – a physical form, not least because in the Hebrew Bible tselem most often pertains to concrete hewn images, including idols. This association is very clear at 1 Samuel 6:11, where the people are instructed to make (from ‘śh, a verb pertaining to crafting and shaping) models of mice and tumours2, as well as at Numbers 33:52, with its reference to molten images (cf. 2 Kings 11:18; 2 Chron. 23:17), and also in the Aramaic account of Daniel 3:1, where a cognate (tselēm) refers to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol. In two occurrences at least, however, the physicality of tselem is undermined: in Psalms 39:73 and 73:204 the noun pertains to elusiveness, possibly to a semblance or phantom. If tselem refers more widely to ei- ther a seeming form (i.e. a phantom) or to a more inclusive, not-only-physical form or image, this could indeed complicate matters for interpreting Genesis 1:26–27. At Genesis 5:3 “likeness” (demût) and “image” (tselem) again occur together: here Adam fathers a son, Seth, in his likeness (bidmûtô) and according to his image (ketsalmô). The most straightforward interpretation again pertains to resemblance,5 including (though perhaps not exclusively) physical resemblance. Ambivalence is also in evidence elsewhere. In Exodus 33:11 God speaks to Moses “face to face” (pānîm ’el-pānîm), as would a man with his associate or friend. Descend- ing like a pillar of cloud (33:9), God also agrees to reveal to Moses “[my] goodness” (tûbî; 33:19), concealing God’s face, which no human can see and live (33:20), while permitting “[my] glory” (kebōdî) to pass by Moses, while covering him with “the palm of his [lit. my] hand” (kappî; 22:22), to reveal “his [lit. my] back” (’achōrāy; 33:23). So, here God is described in terms of power, in abstract terms (God’s goodness, God’s glory), and in non-anthropomorphic terms (as a pillar of cloud), but also in terms of having body parts, namely a face, a hand, and a back, the last of which is visually ap- prehended by Moses.6 In the light of this singling out of Moses for special treatment and divine protec- tion, lest he see more than is humanly manageable, rather astonishing is the state- ment some chapters earlier, in succinct and direct terms, that Moses and Aaron, Na- 2 The verb ‘śh occurs elsewhere, too, with tselem: Ezek. 7:20 (of making abominable images), Ezek. 16:17 (of making male images) and Amos 5:26 (of making images of astral deities). In all cases the images appear to be concrete and three-dimensional. It is not clear whether all are anthropomorphic. 3 In English bibles the reference is Ps. 39:6. The expression here is ’ak-betselem yithallek –‘îš, which might be translated along the lines of “surely a man goes about in apparent form” (NRSV translates betse- lem “like a shadow” – “in shadow” would be closer). The idea that tselem refers here to something shadowy and non-solid is strengthened by its being in parallel with the abstract noun hebel (“nothing- ness”). 4 The Hebrew is kachalôm mēhāqîts ’adōnāy bā‘îr tsalmām tibzeh, “like a dream on awaking, O Lord, in the city their phantoms you despise.” The Hebrew is not straightforward but the clear reference to a dream indicates that tselem probably refers here to something illusory (cf. NRSV, “They are like a dream when one awakes; on awaking you despise their phantoms”). 5 At Ezek. 23:14 the whoring Oholibah is described as looking upon men carved into a wall, which is quali- fied with “depictions of Chaldeans” (tsalmê kaśdîm). Again, tselem refers here to something concrete and visible. 6 A comprehensive investigation of God’s body and body parts is to be found in a recent monograph by Andreas Wagner (2010).