Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017 – Horned Moses?!

Moses, a sculpture by the Italian High Renaissance artist Michelangelo 

The depiction of a horned Moses stems from the description of Moses' face as "cornuta" ("horned") in the Latin Vulgate translation of the passage found at Exodus chapter 34, specifically verses 29, 30 and 35, in which Moses returns to the people after receiving the commandments for the second time. The original Hebrew text uses the term, karan (based on the root, keren, which often means "horn"). In general, medieval theologians and scholars understood that Jerome had intended to express a glorification of Moses' face, by his use of the Latin word for "horned."

Keren refers to the 1) horns of goats/oxen, an animal's weapon, so it follows that it serves as 2) a metaphor for strength, and aggressiveness. 

But they are also symbols of the power and dignity of the divinity.  The various horned gods usually represent warriors and lords of animals and horns represent salvation and immortality as well.  The horn is extremely durable, and Keren also refers to 3) horns/corners associated with the altar/sanctuary/presence of God. The association of “horns” with the altar of God is especially important, for most miss this association of Moses’ face with the "four horned" altar of God.

A “ray” is, in a sense, a horn. We could be talking about rays or “horns” of light.” This has precedent in other Hebrew passages: “His brightness shall be as the light: horns are in his hands: There is his strength hid."  Michelangelo was good, but he wasn’t good enough to sculpt “rays of light” or “horns of light” out of carrara marble. How can you carve light?   He took artistic license to form non-animal horns that evoke the glory of God, power, divinity, and the tablets of the Ten Commandments.

In the dark, be careful whose "horns of light" you are following!

PRAYER THIS WEEK

• Those in need as a result of hurricane Harvey.
• Those in need because of loss.  Awareness of HOW to help.