The second commandment of the Mosaic Decalogue, beginning, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image" (Ex. 20:4), was disobeyed by the Israelites, even before it was graven upon stone, thus proving the great need of such a regulation.
Toward the close of Moses' long communing with the Almighty on the summit of Mount Sinai, the Israelites, waiting impatiently on the plain below, appear to have concluded that their leader, and presumably the God whom he worshiped, had deserted them. Turning to Moses' brother, Aaron, they cried, "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 wot not what is become of him" (Ex. 32:1).
All too quickly influenced by their plan, Aaron contributed to it by melting down the golden earrings provided by the people; and when the molten metal cooled, he carved it to represent a calf, assuring the people that here was one of the gods they desired. Before leaving Egypt, the people may well have seen similar images of Apis, the sacred bull, often worshiped in that country as symbolizing endurance, vigor, and strength.
