ABSTRACT
The.prohibition.in. the.Bible.against.pictorial.representations.of.God.is.as.famous.as. it. is.poorly. understood..After.all,.why.is.it.forbidden.to.depict.God.in.pictures,.but.it.is.not.forbidden.to.depict. God.in.words.(cf..Halbertal.&.Margalit,.1992)?.God.has.been.richly.represented.in.written.or.oral. narratives.in.and.out.of.the.Bible..If.so,.why.is.it.permitted.to.write.about.God’s.hand.or.face,.while. it.is.strictly.forbidden.to.provide.a.drawing.of.the.hand.or.the.face?.In.a.similar.vein,.God.can.be. heard,.but.not.seen.“for.man.may.not.see.Me.and.live”.(Exodus,.33:20)..Again,.it.is.the.visual.image. that. is.banned..Portrayals.in.words.are.not.only.endorsed,.but.actively.sought..One.can.listen.to. (indeed,.should.follow).God’s.words.and.one.is.encouraged.to.sing/write.God’s.virtues..In.the.tradition.of.Islam,.the.prohibition.against.pictorial.representation.extends.beyond.God.to.such.a.major. prophet.as.Muhammad..The.ban.on.pictorial.depiction.also.is.common.in.the.political.realm..Kings. of.Persia.would.speak.to.their.subjects.from.behind.a.screen.and.were.never.seen..The.reverse.asymmetry. is.also.well.known.in.modern.politics:.Pictures.of. the.king/dictator.are.distributed.everywhere,.but.one.is.discouraged.to.write/talk.about.the.ruler.(beyond.the.simplest.banalities).(again,. see.Halbertal.&.Margalit,.1992,.for.a.discussion.of.the.biblical.prohibition).
