Teraphim

A teraphim ( Hebrew תְּרָפִים trafím ) is a picture or an easily transportable figure of a family god of Semitic nomads . The term appears in various places in the Old Testament of the Bible (e.g. Gen 31.19 ELB , 1 Sam 19.13 ELB and Hos 3.4 ELB ).

Teraphim were set up in special niches or in hidden places and were used for divination . They were given prophetic power. At the same time, they were protective gods who guarded the household and business. According to a plaque found in Nuzi , possession of household gods could mark an adopted son as a rightful heir.

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^ Johann Georg Krünitz: Economic Encyclopedia or general system of the state, city, house and agriculture . Berlin 1773-1858. Vol. 182, p. 79
^ JB Pritchard (ed.): Ancient Near Eastern Texts . Princeton University Press, 1974, pp. 219, 220 and Footnote 51 .

Web links

Rüdiger Schmitt: House god / Terafim. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (eds.): The scientific biblical dictionary on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff., Accessed on February 4, 2012.

[1] Johann Georg Krünitz: Economic Encyclopedia or general system of the state, city, house and agriculture . Berlin 1773-1858. Vol. 182, p. 79

[2] JB Pritchard (ed.): Ancient Near Eastern Texts . Princeton University Press, 1974, pp. 219, 220 and Footnote 51 .