And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
THE GOLDEN CALF.
Israel Sins Grievously and Is Severely Punished.
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together about Aaron, and said to him, "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him."
And Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me."
And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received the gold at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf: and they said, "These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."
And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, "To-morrow shall be a feast to the Lord."
And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
HILL OF THE GOLDEN CALF (JEBEL AARON) AND ITS MOSLEM TOWER BELOW THE RIDGE OF SINAI
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.