The destruction of the golden calf (Ex 32:20): A materials science perspective

• Main Authors: Tarcicio Gaitán Briceño, Emigdio Mendoza Fandiño, Piedad Gañán Rojo
• Format: Article
• Language: Afrikaans
• Published: AOSIS 2021-04-01
• Series: Verbum et Ecclesia
• Subjects: exodus; golden calf; grinding; materials science; top-down approach.
• Online Access: https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2175

One of the most fascinating and heavily debated episodes involving gold in the Old Testament is the destruction of the golden calf described in Exodus 32:20. This study considers, for the first time, this episode from a materials science perspective. Textual analysis and experimental results indicate that it is plausible to make a gold mixture fit for later human consumption by using the three steps described in the passage. The results thus suggest that Exodus 32:20 could be an ancient reference to the most commented-upon materials processes of our day: reduce the size of matter through a top-down approach. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article brings for the first time an approach between theological analysis and a support by materials sciences to evaluate the technical viability of the destruction of the golden calf described in Exodus 32:20. It impacts the obtained results and indicates the appropriate use of technical aspects of the writers of this text.