مجسمہ وتصویربندی سے متعلق یہودیت کے دینیاتی فکر کا علمی وتحقیقی جائزہ

A Study of Theological Intellect of Judaism regarding Iconography and Photography

Abstract

Iconography and Photography has been a controversial issue in Judaism, Christianity and Islam known as Semitic Religions. In the in hand article the classical concept of the issue is being brought up in the light of the first  portion of the Old Testament, the Pentatachue followed by the portion of Navi,im, the Prophets and the Kituvi,im , the Books. It is clear that the Prophet Musa sm not only discouraged the Israelites in the Senai Desert after their demand to have an Icon for worship but also broke down the Image of calf made by them. Later on the Book of Deuteronomy made proper sanction on such images and Iconography which was strictly followed by the later Version if the Old Testament. The behavior of Talmud, compiled as  an oral revelation in Babylonia in  the mid of 5th and 6th century AD is found very harsh and to some extent , with no concession regarding the subject matter. Despite the above classical prohibitions as derived from the original theological sources the modern Judaism is in pursuance of finding a way which may lead to legitimacy of  Iconography and Photography  on the ground of commercial need  and necessity along with a plea that modern electronic means may increase the popularity of Judaism even through  the prohibited printed pictures, films, movies and videos and hence some relief is being sought there in the midist of strict prohibitionary  sanctions  in the early Theo- classical literature as well as   in the current orthodox concepts of various Jewish schools.