from oxford languages, iconoclasm is defined as “the action of attacking or assertively rejecting cherished beliefs and institutions or established values and practices; or, the rejection or destruction of religious images as heretical.”
in the ten commandments, exodus 20:4, indicates that “you shall not make for yourself a graven image or any likeness which is in the heavens above, which is on the earth below, or which is in the water beneath the earth. …”
in ancient egypt, iconoclasm was practiced. monuments were literally being defaced by opponents by the statues’ noses hacked off. removing the nose symbolically cut off the breath of life.
this practice is relevant to the exodus as the egyptian pharoah akhenaten both practiced iconoclasm and fell victim of it. akhenaten is credited for instituting to egypt a form of monotheism. in the process, he had names and images of the premium state god tampered. when the population rejected akhenaten and his innovative religious practice, he, in turn, had the noses on his statues defaced as well as in images.
it is likely that the formation of the ten commandments came after akhenaten. to prevent this practice from occurring, the decision was made that there would be no images of the god of the children of israel. he would be immune from iconoclasm.
despite this, culture and nations are steeped with symbolism. children of israel historically struggled with imagery. for example, the ark of the covenant at one point was captured by the philistines. 1 samuel 5. the thought of this momentary loss of this central item must have been disconcerting. this episode served as a permanent reminder of the vulnerability of their relationship with god. this episode would be followed by the destruction of two temples.
with this history, only the words of the torah remains as the one true intact symbol. the ten commandments highlights the power and weakness of images. in contrast, our society is challenged with the presentation of ever increasing false images. what will be made of this bogus symbolism?
The Ten Commandments Project 