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Did Moses have horns on his head?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Ben W, Sep 9, 2005.

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  1. Ben W

    Ben W Active Member
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    Wikepedia Article,

    The Horned Moses

    Moses with horns, by Michaelangelo
    Due to a statement towards the end of the book of Exodus (at 34:29-35), in which Moses is depicted as having been disfigured due to his direct encounter with God, various traditions grew up as to what the disfigurement was. Jonathan Kirsch, in his book Moses: A Life, thought that, since Moses subsequently had to wear a veil to hide it, the disfigurement was a sort of "divine radiation burn".
    There is one longstanding early tradition that Moses grew horns, derived from a mistranslation of the Hebrew phrase "karnu panav" ???? ????. The root ??? may be read as either "horn" or "ray", as in "ray of light". "Panav" ???? translates as "his face". If interpreted correctly those two words form an expression which means that he was enlightened, and many rabbinical studies explain that the knowledge that was revealed to him made his face metaphorically shine with enlightenment, and not that it suddenly sported a pair of horns. The Septuagint properly translates the Hebrew word ??? as ??????????, 'was glorified', but Jerome translated it as cornuta, 'horned', and it was the latter image that became the more popular. This tradition survived from the first centuries AD well into the Renaissance. Many artists, including Michelangelo in a famed sculpture, depicted Moses with horns.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses#The_Horned_Moses
     
    #1 Ben W, Sep 9, 2005
  2. Ed Edwards

    Ed Edwards <img src=/Ed.gif>

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    As always, Strong's has an opinion:

    H7160
    קרן
    qâran
    kaw-ran'
    A primitive root; to push or gore; used only as denominative from H7161, to shoot out horns; figuratively rays: - have horns, shine.
     
    #2 Ed Edwards, Sep 9, 2005
  3. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    I came across this thing about Moses & horns several weeks ago when doing research on halos.

     
    #3 Marcia, Sep 9, 2005
  4. Ed Edwards

    Ed Edwards <img src=/Ed.gif>

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    Uh, free encyclopedias seem to have cheap writers.
    I always thought the 'halo' in pictures of
    the saints was their 'glory'.

    Luk 2:9 (KJV1611 Edition):
    And loe, the Angel of the Lord came vpon them,
    and the glory of the Lord shone round about
    them    , and they were sore afraid.
     
    #4 Ed Edwards, Sep 9, 2005
  5. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    [​IMG]

    Ed, it seems that the history of halos in art is rather complex and various explanations abound.

    Halos are found in Buddhist art as well.
    The halo supposedly came from art in ancient Greece and Rome (from same link as above)
     
    #5 Marcia, Sep 9, 2005
  6. Artimaeus

    Artimaeus Active Member

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    [​IMG]I don't see any. [​IMG]
     
    #6 Artimaeus, Sep 9, 2005
  7. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    Every person has an "aura" - and in some cases, these energy fields are visible. These have been photographed and the chakras (centers of energy) may be noted.

    I would not discount such visible energy with Moses and CERTAINLY think it was so with Jesus, so that he "radiated" shekinah energy field.

    Hence his representations from earliest mosaics, etc, is with a "halo" or aura.
     
    #7 Dr. Bob, Sep 10, 2005
  8. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    Jerome made an obvious mistranslation in his Latin Vulgate.

    As noted in the OP, the Septuagint properly translated the Hebrew concept as glorified.

    Later Paul 2 Corinthians 3:7-13 gives his interpretation.
    Rob
     
    #8 Deacon, Sep 10, 2005
  9. FundamentalDan

    FundamentalDan New Member

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    I never see horns mentioned in the Bible in connection with Moses. However, there is a great story about a horn in connection with Ahab and Jehoshaphat's campaign that ended in Ahab's death...
     
    #9 FundamentalDan, Sep 10, 2005
  10. LadyEagle

    LadyEagle <b>Moderator</b> <img src =/israel.gif>

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    Wonderful explanation, Dr. Bob! [​IMG]
     
    #10 LadyEagle, Sep 12, 2005
  11. Humblesmith

    Humblesmith Member

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    Of course he had horns.....

    ....how else were they going to hold up the halo?

    Plus, he was the first graduate of the University of Texas Longhorns.

    (you can find this in Hezekiah 4:28)
     
    #11 Humblesmith, Sep 12, 2005
  12. rsr

    rsr <b> 7,000 posts club</b>
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    No way. He was a shepherd, which indicates he was an Aggie.
     
    #12 rsr, Sep 12, 2005
  13. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    :eek: I used to try see auras in psychic development classes.

    Chakras are part of Hindu belief that they are energy wheels which are awakened as the kundalini (serpent energy) coiled at the base of the spine rises. You raise this energy through meditation and other exercises in order to advance your spiritual awareness and realization of the "true Self" as God. You will actually feel an electrical energy as you meditate or do other things when trying to access or use this energy. I used to do this. Personally, I think it is evil.

    I do believe that the Shekinah was the glory of the Lord that manifested in various ways, such as the pillar of fire, and even as the "star" over the place where Jesus was when the Magi came.
     
    #13 Marcia, Sep 12, 2005
  14. Humblesmith

    Humblesmith Member

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    I personally would not use the term chakra, or the concepts behind it. It is widely used in eastern religions, and has some very non-christian connotations.

    They used to have "aura readings" down at the Unity Church in my city, which was built like a pyramid to help "focus energy." But then again, they teach very heretical doctrine, so I always discounted the whole thing. I see no biblical support for auras or chakras.

    The horns part sounds more like an aggie joke. Did you hear the one about the undiscerning Christian?
     
    #14 Humblesmith, Sep 13, 2005
  15. bapmom

    bapmom New Member

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    I always thought that passage about Moses' face was just that he had been in the presence of God so his face was shiney. Really wouldn't ever have gotten anything else out of it, especially not real horns!
     
    #15 bapmom, Sep 13, 2005
  16. TexasSky

    TexasSky Guest

    I am with Dr. Bob. I think it is talking about his Aura.
     
    #16 TexasSky, Sep 13, 2005
  17. Debby in Philly

    Debby in Philly Active Member

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    See Michelangelo's Moses - scroll down just a bit at this location:

    Statue of Moses
     
    #17 Debby in Philly, Sep 13, 2005
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