In Daniel 3 of the Bible, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego are thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar's idol, but are miraculously saved from death by a mysterious supernatural figure.
"Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; their idols are on beasts and cattle.
This passage contrasts the Babylonian gods, depicted as powerless idols burdening those who carry them, with the God of Israel, who is portrayed as sovereign and living.
It underscores the futility of idol worship and highlights the transient nature of human-made deities in contrast to the eternal and active God of the Bible.
"The religion of the Veda knows no idols," says Max Müller; "the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of ideal gods."
The Atlanteans having domesticated cattle, and discovered their vast importance to humanity, associated the bull and cow with religious ideas, as revealed in the oldest hymns of the Aryans and the cow-headed idols of Troy, a representation of one of which is shown on the preceding page.
The first cut on page 429 represents an idol of the Moquis of New Mexico: the head is very bull-like.
It appears, as another confirmation of the theory of the Atlantis origin of these colonies, that their original religion was sun-worship; this, as was the case in other countries, became subsequently overlaid with idol-worship.
In the reign of King Tighernmas the worship of idols was introduced.
Cieça de Leon mentions it great edifices "that were in ruins at Tiahuanaca, "an artificial hill raised on a groundwork of stone," and "two stone idols, apparently made by skilful artificers," ten or twelve feet high, clothed in long robes.
They are variously wrought, and some of them, having the form of men, must have been idols.
Schliemann, in his excavations of the ruins of Troy, found a number of what he calls "owl-headed idols" and vases.
But whosoever, henceforth, hear''' my word and the decree of my commandment, and continue to make an idol of any name, save the Great Spirit, blaspheme against his Creator.
Nor do I judge them less idolatrous than though they worshipped stone idols or graven images.
Nor have I provided resurrection in this world, nor in my heavens above, save by good works done unto others; and this is serving Jehovih, the All Person; and not because of any worship or confessions done before any of the idols on earth or in heaven.
I take from all of them their idols, their Gods; but I give them a greater, even the Creator.
I say to them: I suffered my children to have idols; but now, that you**** are men, put away your idols, and accept Jehovih, Who is the Creator of all.
And you mayest call on your*** idol at the gates of my heavens, but the gates should not be opened unto you*.
But it hath been proved, and it should be proved again, that all brotherhoods on earth founded on any of the idols in heaven, should not stand.
Neither should you judge thyself by any God, or Lord, or Savior, or by any idol, or by any man or woman; for you standest thyself second to Jehovih in your* attributes.
Neither should you, henceforth, swear by any book under the sun; nor by any God, nor Lord, nor Savior, nor spirit, nor idol, nor image.
And I said unto my Lords: Behold, man hath erected an idol in heaven, go you**** to them that preach in my name, and take from them the signs and miracles which I gave.2
And, following in your* path, whithersoever you hadst gone, thousands and millions of drujas followed you; and your people went with weapons of destruction, slaughtering those Jehovih had created alive, in order to establish your*** idol-God.
or to sing anthems in praise of your*** idol-God.
And the same thing happened to the Christians; as soon as they made an idol of Christ, signs and miracles left them.
So, even whilst their tongues upheld their monstrous idol, Budha (the false), their own souls were equally perfidious.
For, in all ages of the world, there have been deceivers and hypocrites, with temples and churches to worship in, professing to serve the Creator, but, in fact, serving an idol.
Then will I reveal Myself; and they that deny Me should accept Me; of their own accord will they put away their Lords and their Gods and their Saviors; nor should they more have idols of Me, either on earth or in heaven, for I am sufficient unto all.
And this will become their idol; and he will be accredited with love, anger, jealousy and favoritism, war and destruction.
Three doctrines have been, now are, and ever should be on the earth; they are: First, the Faithists', who know the All Person, Ever Present; second, the idol worshipers', who make the Creator into a man in heaven, and not present but by proxy of certain laws; and, third, infidels', who believe in nothing they cannot take up in the hand, and weigh.
To have no images nor idols.
For they should in that day understand that the Great Spirit, the Ever Present, is not an idol in the figure of a man, sitting on a throne.
They are idols, which exist only in superstition and ignorance.
But you didst further exact of him the destroying of idol worship amongst mortals, and the destroying of the oracle-temples for consulting spirits, re-promising him, that when he had fulfilled these things, you wouldst give unto him the promised heavenly kingdom.
(See God and Ghad.) I'fome (Chine), an idol.
They have made an idol and called it Iss'faum, i.e., Land God or God of the Earth.
(Fonece.) Jehova said: Not having stone images they have made an idol of the wind and called it Lord (Land God or Ghad).
(Moses in Egypt.) Let my followers swear an oath against the Lord, for he is more hurtful than the stone idols, and they should profess the Great Spirit, E-O-Ih, only.
(Abraham.) See to it that the enemy fasten''' not an idol of the wind on the Faithists (Zarathustra).
Because you* have made idols of kings, calling them Gods, so call you* the All Light God (Abraham).
An idol in heaven said to be in the figure and form of man sitting on a throne.
And they made images and idols of Nu and set them by the roadsides, both in their cities and in the country.
An idol made the heathen to represent Om (Vede).
I am he that receive new signs and symbols; the old I cast away as a worn cloth, and the new is my house of idols.
Know you**** that words are but idols and graven images?
Behold, they grope in the ruins of the past for the idols of old.
By the tablets on the moldering walls I read that these people in ancient times long past were worshipers of idols and of Gods who professed to save the souls of men.
In all ages, it seems, the world at large would have an idol.
Yea, they have had idols of stone and wood and brass; and they have had spirits in heaven and hell, before whom they bowed down and worshiped, but I put their idols away and none can find them.
W.: What is an idol?
Man alone set up an idol on earth or imagine one in heaven, and worship''' it.
Here are represented, the spider's net, the ant-house, the broken implements of war, the sacred wheel of the ancients, the Sun at Morn and at High Noon, the representative idols of all nations and religions.
You should not bow down thyself before idols nor images, nor anything having the form of anything in heaven, or on the earth, or in the waters.
Thus they made the Great Spirit merely an idol; thus they began the overthrow of the holy doctrines of Moses.
The Israelites not only worshiped the imaginary idol, Lord God in heaven, but built representatives of Him in stone and wood, and worshiped them also.
2439 years before kosmon, Manasseth, son of Hezekiah, established idol worship, and, by law, abolished the worship of Jehovih.
Fravashi, pure spirits of the Faithist order, i.e., spirits who are not bound to idols, Gods, nor Saviors, but having faith in Ahura'Mazda, the Creator.
Mine have no idols nor images of Me.
Mine bow down not before idols.
They worshipped before idols of stone and wood.
Make Jehovih, the Creator, the idol of your*** soul; neither setting up this or that as impossible.
But I declare unto you, you should do a greater miracle than any of these; for you should preserve thyself from becoming an idol before men.
Nor should you worship any idol of anything, on the earth or in the heavens of the earth.
Whether they have an idol of stone, or of wood, or of gold, or of copper, they should be destroyed.
Neither should it save them to make an idol of the Unseen; for such is even more offensive in my sight than the others.
And he stopped all persecution against the Faithists; and he prohibited idol worship.
And man ceased to worship all idols and Gods and saviors; worshipping the Creator only.
Which were: Zarathustra from the races of Shone and This; and of Zarathustra, Haman; of Haman, Wonchakaka, who begat Zoar, who begat Theo, who begat Andassah, who begat Mur, who begat Romsat; these were tribes of the Zarathustrian order, who rejected idols, Lords, Gods, Saviors, kings, queens, and all other rulers on the earth or in the heavens above the earth, save Ormazd, the Creator.
And in the cycles of my times I have raised up many who have comprehended my words, but others constantly put away the I AM, and raise up idols instead.
Him should you have and no other God, nor Lord, nor idol, nor man, nor angel, to worship, forever!
And you should swear against all other Gods, and Lords, and idols, to serve them not forever!
By altars and temples, and by idols and images, and by painted signs and engraved words, God foresaw that the knowledge of one generation could be handed down to the next.
Aven is the mythical Hebrew for an undefinable place or idol.
And You storest here an idol to unfit him for cruel deeds.
Will they turn away from the idols of Apollo, and set up on their own account?
Wherefore, they worshipped blindly before the idols, not being sufficiently wise to understand how Jehovih was laying down the foundation for the coming race.
They should repudiate idols, but worship the Great Spirit, Jehovih.
And in the time of worship, the angels of the Lord came and possessed the idols and spake therefrom, with audible voices spake before mortals.
He speak in idol that you**** may know he abid with his people.
And the I'hins covered the roadways of the earth over with idols of stone and wood and clay, and the angels of heaven descended to the idols and established thereabout heavenly kingdoms.
During the journey, they carried their idol or sacred object in a coffer (arc-like structure) supported by priests.
By destroying local high places and idols, Hezekiah reduced local cult leaders' influence and reinforced his central authority as king and representative of Yahweh.
Manasseh reintroduced idol worship and allowed high places to be rebuilt, leading to a return to polytheistic practices.
He asserted that it was his right given him by his idols.
Thyr was the name of one of their idols, and it was upon his feast-day that they had landed there; and in return they offered to recognise Teunis as their perpetual king.
The first item is a declaration: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt." This is followed by the prohibition against worshipping other gods and making idols, which are combined into a single item.
Compare the veneration of human achievements with the idol worshipped by the people of Nuh
Idol Worship: In Islamic sources, Wadd is described as an idol worshipped by the people of Dumat al-Jandal, a key trading center in northern Arabia.
After the Flood, idol worship re-emerged in various regions, sometimes with preserved names or attributes.
Mesopotamian Artifacts: Fertility idols like Tammuz and Ishtar are commonly found in Mesopotamian archaeological sites, depicted with motifs of love and prosperity.
These names refer to idols worshipped by the people of Nuh (Noah).
Islamic traditions and historical accounts provide further details about these idols:
Historical Context: This idol was worshipped by the tribe of Madhhij in Yemen.
Symbolism: This idol might have represented speed or agility.
The Quran and Islamic teachings use these idols as an example of how excessive veneration and deviation from monotheism lead to misguidance.
Their mention highlights the importance of maintaining pure worship of Allah without intermediaries or idols.
In summary, Wadd, Suwa’, Yaghuth, Ya’uq, and Nasr were once righteous individuals whose legacy was distorted into idol worship, serving as a key example of the dangers of associating partners with Allah in worship.
Here is an expanded look at these idols, focusing on supplementary details from Islamic sources, pre-Islamic history, and regional mythology:
According to early Islamic scholars like Ibn Abbas, Ibn Kathir, and Mujahid, these five idols represent highly righteous, pious, and influential individuals in the community of Prophet Nuh (Noah).
This manipulation eventually led to outright idol worship.
In pre-Islamic Arab culture, traces of these idols persisted, suggesting their influence extended well beyond Nuh’s time.
According to Islamic tradition, idol worship persisted after the Flood of Nuh through descendants of the survivors.
These idols or their equivalents re-emerged in regions like Arabia, Mesopotamia, and the Levant, often with modified names or forms.
While no specific ages are mentioned, the righteous individuals who became these idols likely lived during the early stages of human civilization, given Nuh’s long prophetic mission.
The Quranic reference to these idols emphasizes:
The long-term consequences of idol worship, leading to societal punishment through the Flood.
Early Islamic historians, such as Ibn Al-Kalbi, documented detailed accounts of pre-Islamic deities that may have evolved from these idols.
They cling to their idols, such as Wadd, Suwa’, Yaghuth, Ya’uq, and Nasr, insisting on following their forefathers' practices.
Sardinia’s sard idols, metal figures with animal heads and tails, are compared to Haitian idols.
Artifacts and Ruins: Detailed descriptions of sculptural finds in Copán and Palenque, such as the Pusa and Diana of Ephesus figures, which are compared to Asiatic idols and European deities.
Stone Carvings: Human figures surrounded by detailed carvings, interpreted as mythological or divine representations, are compared to Asian idols and European gods.