The Shape of the ‘Image of God’: A Branching Structure
By Peter I. Markus
According to the Torah, man was created in the image of God. In Genesis, this is indicated in the verse 1:27 “And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him”. In the Hebrew phrase, tzelem has a meaning of image or representation, is used to refer to physical statues, and implies physical form. Also, ‘in our image’ in the verse 1:26, “Let us make man in our image”, according to Rashi corresponds to ‘in our form’ (Chabad.org website, Rashi commentary). What is this image or form? Various explanations of this verse include how man is like God in holiness, how man has free will like God, and various other metaphorical explanations, which are certainly correct if viewed from that perspective. However, an image, according to Merriam Webster, is a visual representation of a person, object, or scene produced on a surface. Is there an actual shape in this physical world that might correspond to this image?
We can presume that if man was created from the image of God, that physical human appearance must somehow correspond to this ‘image of God’. It is important to state that theologically, God does not have a physical form, and this essay does not mean to imply in any way that there is a physical form for God. However, although God does not have a shape, is there a shape that has Godliness? The world is a physical universe, has physical forms, and the physical form of the human has some sort of corresponding attribute of God contained within it, and we may refer to this physical shape as the ‘image of God’. According to the Torah, this shape is found in the shape of mankind.
This form or ‘image of God’ can be deduced in the following way — Let us take a drawing of a human.
Now, inverted, with the lines drawn slightly extended for clarity, we have this appearance,
which corresponds roughly to the appearance of a 5 branched menorah.
The human form shares the same general shape as a menorah. A menorah is basically a base, with a single stem, and branches extending off it at nodes, in opposing pairs. The base of the menorah corresponds to the human head, the stem corresponds to the trunk, and the menorah arms correspond to the limbs. The central shamus corresponds to the reproductive organ.
Therefore, the human form can be conceptualized as an upside down 5 branched menorah. This branched menorah-like structure would seem to be the physical shape corresponding to the ‘image of God’. In its generic form, the branched structure can have one pair or many pairs of arms, and they may emerge from the stem at various angles. In addition, the length of the stem in all directions should also be considered variable.
The branching shape is of course found in multiple examples in Judaism. The 5 branched menorah can be found in Jewish symbolism carved onto headstones, especially of women.
The menorah of the Temple was a 7 branched structure.
The menorah of Hanukah, the hanukkiah, is also a branching structure, having 9 branches.
There is also archeological evidence of an 11 branched menorah, found on a stone carving in the Khirbet Quisbiyye archeological site (The New Encyclopedia of Archeological Excavation in the Holy Land Vol.2, ed. Ephraim Stein, The Israel Exploration Society & Carta, Israel, 1993, p.544). This branching structure can be extended ad infinitum, to as many branches as one may imagine. This branching shape therefore also has the potential characteristic of infinity, corresponding well to this characteristic in the Divine. Additionally in Judaism, the sefirot are famously depicted in a branching type of diagram.
The branching structure makes its appearance in various narratives of the Torah. One of the punishments of the serpent in the Garden of Eden is having its limbs removed, thereafter having to crawl on its belly to move around (Genesis 3:14, Rashi commentary). The punishment, if viewed from an ‘image of God’ perspective represents the removal of the branches from the stem, essentially altering its ‘image of God’ shape, indeed a severe punishment. In another Torah narrative found in Numbers chapter 17, in order to prove the status of Aaron as the divinely appointed Kohen Gadol to the Israelite tribes, Aaron’s staff branches overnight sprouting buds, blossoms and almond fruit, essentially reproducing the branching structure, although in modified form as the almond tree has alternate rather than opposite branching (see subsequent image). As we shall see, modified branching forms are present throughout nature. In another example, during the battle against the Amalekites (Exodus chapter 17), Moses, supported by Aaron and Hur, needed to hold his hands up, perhaps emphasizing a branching shape, for the Israelites to prevail.
The festival of Sukkot in part is celebrated by blessings done with palm, willow, and myrtle branches called a lulav. In Leviticus 23:40, it states, “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, the fruit of the hadar tree, date palm fronds, a branch of a braided tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for a seven day period.” Of course, the fronds and tree branches themselves have a branching structure, but also traditionally three of the four species are bound together, fascinatingly making a 3 branched form.
Consideration of this branching shape may be helpful in the elucidation of further theological concepts. For instance, the covenant with God in Judaism is actualized by bris Milah or circumcision. This area of the body corresponds to the terminus of the central stem of the branching structure. In one possible conjecture, circumcision may be thought of as the release of the bound spiritual procreative energy of the main stem, which the bris procedure physically removes. Further in-depth analysis and interpretation of theological subjects could demonstrate even more potential meaning and symbolism found in this branching structure.
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The branching form is found in the symbolism of other religions as well. For instance, the Christian cross is one such branching structure.
It can be likened to a 3 branched form, with the branches extending at right angles. The Thor’s hammer of certain pagan religions
also has this appearance of the right-angle branching. Also, the Hand of Glory, essentially a human hand, found in traditional European folk magic, has an appearance of a 5 branched structure.
This symbol, the Hamsa, is found in many middle eastern cultures, and has the 5 branched appearance. It symbolizes abundance or is used as a protection amulet.
The branching form appears in Hinduism as well. Many idols are depicted with multiple arms curiously enough, essentially being structures that have multiple branches emerging from a central stem.
In addition, the Torah and Maimonides famously described nodes on the Temple menorah, which are the areas where the branches meet the stem.
In Hindu Yogic teaching there are energy centers located on the human torso, neck and head called chakras, which could be seen as the nodes in a human branching structure, albeit some of the nodes having branches and some without.
As mentioned, the staff of Aaron is described as made of almond wood, which in nature has alternate branching. The alternate branching is simply a modified form of the generic branching structure, in that each node has only one branch, with each adjacent node having its branch emerging in the opposite direction.
The branching structure is ubiquitous in nature as well. If we extend the branching to the tertiary level, we can see an image like this.
Clearly in nature trees have this general appearance, but in 3 dimensions, with the branches having different lengths.
The shape of rivers often has an irregular branching form,
as do the network of blood vessels of living creatures.
Furthermore, if we draw some of the branches and erase others in the tertiary branching form, the remaining image, amongst an infinite number of possible shapes, might look something like this.
This partial branching shape is found all over the natural world, for instance in lightning strikes.
or insect legs.
In general, the body form of most animals exhibit mirror symmetry, and it is often in a branching structure shape, as seen in the stick bug. This also applies to mammals, fish, and birds, reptiles, insects and many living creatures.
Even some of the smallest forms of life, bacteria, exhibit branching filamentous structures. Although each individual bacteria is a rod shape, they form a branching structure as they multiply, as seen in this photo of a Nocardia colony.
Philosophically, there is a recognized duality naturally present in the world, for instance good and evil, right and left, up and down, hot and cold, light and dark, etc. The duality is represented in the ‘image of God’, where the two opposing branches come off in an opposite fashion from a common node, visually representing the antipodal aspect of each duality which emerge from a common source.
In summation, we can see that the branching structure, in its generic and modified forms, is important in nature, appearing ubiquitously in our universe in both living creatures and physical material, and is present in diverse religious symbolism. This branching structure seems to be the physical form of the ‘image of God’, as deduced from the Torah scripture.
