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Although the Israelites after moving into the Promised Land did not totally abolish these
forms of idolatry, we find that the Jews, after the Babylonian captivity, about 450 B.C., did, in
general, remove idolatrous worship from the land. They had been told by the prophets that their
captivity was because of their idolatry and Sabbath breaking (Isa. 10:11; Neh. 13:18). And, after
the captivity, the Rabbis made the Sabbath one of the main commandments. Also, they legislated
laws which were designed to separate the Jew from all appearances of idolatry. In fact, by the
time of our Saviour, the making of sculptures or pictures was so unknown among the Jews that
Caligula, the Roman Emperor, had to employ Phoenicians to make a statue of him to be put in Jeru-
salem because no Jew knew how to make one (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,
pp. 89, 90). This was the condition of the pious Jews regarding image-and picture-making during
the time of Christ.

Early Christians Forbade Images and Pictures

Not only did Jesus teach the commandments of God (Matt. 19:16-22), but His apostles also
did (I John 2:3, 4). Therefore it is no wonder that those individuals converted by Christ and the
apostles kept the commandments -- including the second.

Dr. Farrar in his monumental book, The Life of Christ as Represented in Art, on pages 5
and 6 says that early Christians of all ranks regarded the painting or representation of Christ as
profanity and as act of irreverence. There is ample evidence to show that they took the same stand
as the Jews as far as art was concerned. They needed no images or pictures to remind them of
Christ or the Father. Jesus had said that those who worship Him must do so "in spirit and in truth."
The only mediator between man and the Father is Christ -- there is no need of intermediate pictures
or images.

This early abhorrence for images and pictures of the Father or Christ was so indelibly
planted upon the minds of early Christians that for over 300 years after the death of the apostles,
there was no official representation of deity made. It is true that a few heretical individuals
(undercover, not openly) had sketched outlines of Christ in various places (to be mentioned later),
but the vast majority of professing Christians, Catholics or otherwise, refrained from portraying
anything connected with Christ until about the fourth century.

Early Catholic Officials Denounce Imagery as Idolatrous

Here is an example of how early Catholics looked upon the use of images and pictures of
Christ.

In the year 326 A.D., one of the great Catholic leaders, Eusebius of Caesarea, showed
great distaste for the request for a picture of Christ from the sister of Emperor Constantine. She had
requested a picture to see how Christ looked. Notice what Eusebius wrote back to her: "And since
you have written about some supposed likeness or other of Christ, what and what kind of likeness
of Christ is there?...Such images are forbidden by the second commandment. They are not to be
found in churches, and are forbidden among Christians alone" (Farrar, p. 56). This is striking testi-
mony that the Catholic Church at this time understood the laws of God on this matter. Farrar also
records that Irenaeus, Clement, Origen and Lactantius, all of whom were high-ranking Catholic

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