Teraphim

Teraphim (Hebrew: תְּרָפִים‎) were household idols or small statues worshiped in the ancient Mesopotamian region. They are frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, appearing from the time of the patriarchs through the post-Babylonian exile period. Depending on the context, the term is translated as “household gods,” “idols,” or “images.” While interpretations vary, the most widely accepted view is that teraphim functioned as guardian deities within ancient households.

Teraphim excavated from the ancient Canaan

Etymology

The Hebrew word תְּרָפִים‎ (teraphim) is of uncertain origin. Some scholars trace it to the Hebrew root rapha (רָפָא), meaning “to heal,” suggesting a connection with healing or protective functions. Others link it to the Hittite word tarpišu, which referred to spiritual beings believed to bring blessings or misfortune.

Form and Function

Teraphim were crafted in various forms, often depicting human or animal figures. Some theories propose that they represented the faces or likenesses of deceased ancestors, while others suggest they may have been mummified human heads used in ancestral worship. Their size ranged from small portable objects to life-sized figures kept within family homes or shrines.

Teraphim in the Bible

Rachel Hides Her Father’s Idols, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1726–1728

Samuel Rebukes Saul, John Singleton Copley, 1798

Shaphan Reads the Book of the Covenant to Josiah, Maarten van Heemskerck & Philip Galle, 1569

• Rachel and Laban: When Jacob departed from the household of his father-in-law Laban, Rachel secretly stole her father’s teraphim, which he revered as household gods. Laban pursued Jacob to recover them, but Rachel hid the idols under a camel saddle and sat on them to avoid detection. According to Mesopotamian clay tablets that record aspects of daily life, possession of teraphim was associated with inheritance rights.
• Micah’s Household Shrine: During the period of the Judges, Israel experienced religious confusion, and individuals frequently established private shrines and offered sacrifices apart from the central sanctuary. A man named Micah, living in the territory of Ephraim, made an ephod and teraphim for his household sanctuary and offered sacrifices there. In this context, teraphim are thought to have been used in ancestral or domestic rituals.
• Saul and Michal: When King Saul disobeyed God, the prophet Samuel rebuked him, saying, “Rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry (teraphim).” Later, when Saul sought to kill David, his daughter Michal helped David escape and disguised a teraphim in his bed to make it appear as though he were ill.
• Divination Practices: In ancient Mesopotamia, teraphim were used in divination rituals. The prophet Zechariah denounced diviners who consulted teraphim, saying they “utter nonsense.” In a vision, Ezekiel described the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar using teraphim for divination to determine his route when attacking Jerusalem.
• Josiah, the 16th king of the southern kingdom of Judah, launched a national reformation movement to destroy idols and practice the commandment and covenant written in the Book of the Law. He demolished altars and images of foreign gods such as Asherah, Ashtoreth, Molech, and the Teraphim, and removed the priests who served those gods.
• Josiah’s Reformation: During the reign of Josiah, the 16th king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, widespread religious reforms were carried out to abolish idol worship and restore adherence to the commandments and covenant written in the Book of the Law. Josiah destroyed altars and images of foreign gods such as Asherah, Ashtoreth, Molech, and the teraphim, and removed the priests who served them.

See also

• Idol