“In the most holy place he made two carved cherubim and overlaid them
with gold” (2 Chron. 3:10).
“Under it were panels all around, each of ten cubits, surrounding the sea;
there were two rows of panels, cast when it was cast. It stood on twelve
oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three
facing east; the sea was set on them” (2 Chron. 4:3-4).
“It was formed of cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub
and cherub. Each cherub had two faces” (Ezek. 41:18).
The Temple with all these statues was built by Solomon. What is
particularly remarkable is that just after construction was begun, God spoke
to Solomon as follows:
“Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, ‘Concerning this house
which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my
ordinances and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will
establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will
dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.’
So Solomon built the house, and finished it” (1 Kgs. 6:11-14).
What does Solomon do in the light of God’s admonition to “walk in my
statutes and obey my ordinances and keep all my commandments”? He
carves statues for the house of the Lord, and to the Lord’s delight!:
“When Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s
house and all that Solomon desired to build, the Lord appeared to Solomon
a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to
him, ‘I have heard your prayer and your supplication, which you have
made before me; I have consecrated this house which you have built, and
put my name there for ever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all
time’” (1 Kgs. 9:1-3).
The ancient Jewish practice in this regard was very strict, for they were
prone to imitate the idolatry of the pagans around them. The early
Christians, who lived in the age of the Incarnation, had no such difficulty.
So the Catacombs are a treasury of paintings, gilded glasses, depicting
scenes from the lives of Christ, His Mother, the Apostles and other persons
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