Without doubt Aaron is intimately involved in the creation of the molten/golden calf. Does he act with good faith seeking to delay action until Moses descends from Mt Sinai, or because he fears for his life if he refuses to act? (He did the best he could under the circumstances.) Idolizing Aaron could mean “Defending Aaron.” Or Idolizing Aaron could mean Aaron-as-idol-maker, “Disparaging Aaron.” The preponderance of post-biblical writings exonerates Aaron, a minority view is that he is a blasphemer.
Avot de RabbiNatan.1974 (1955). The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan).Tr. JudahGoldin. New York: Schocken.
2.
BabylonianTalmud, 1938. Tr. Maurice Simon. London: Soncino. Avot, ‘Arakin, Megillah, Pesachim, Qiddushin, Sanhedrin, Shabbat, Sotah.
3.
Biblical Antiquities see Jacobson, Howard.
4.
Carasik, Michael, 2005. Tr. and annotations, The Commentators’ Bible, The JPS Miqa’ot Gedolot, Exodus.Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
5.
Cassuto, Umberto. 1983 (1951). A Commentary on the Book of Exodus. Tr. I. Abrahams. Jerusalem: Magnes.
6.
Childs, Brevard S.1974. The Book of Exodus: A Critical, Theological Commentary. OTL.Philadelphia: Westminster
7.
Durham, John I.1987. Exodus. WBC.Waco, TX: World.
8.
Endres, John C. with the assistance of Peter Caver Ajer. 2018. “Leaders without Blemish: Pseudo-Philo’s Retelling of the Biblical Golden Calf Story.”Golden Calf Traditions in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Eric F.Mason and Edmondo F.LupieriEds., Leiden: Brill, 97-109.
9.
FlaviusJosephus. See Josephus.
10.
Harrington, Daniel.1985. “Pseudo-Philo.” In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vol. 2, ed. J. H.Charlesworth. Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
11.
Hyatt, J. Philip.1971. The New Century Bible Commentary, Exodus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans; London: Marshall, Morgan, and Scott.
12.
Jacobson, Howard. 1996. A Commentary to Pseudo-Philo’s Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum. With Latin Text and English Translation, Vol. One.Leiden: Brill.
13.
Jacobson, Howard. 2013. Pseudo Philo, Book of Biblical Antiquities in Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture, vol. 1, eds. L. H.Feldman, J. L.Kugel, and L. H.Schiffman. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
14.
Josephus. Translation and Commentary. Judean Antiquities 1-4.2000. Trans and commentary Louis H. Feldman. Leiden: Brill.
Lupieri, Edmondo. 2018. “A Beast and a Woman in the Desert, or the Sin of Israel: A Typological Reflection.”Golden Calf Traditions in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Eric F.Mason and Edmondo F.Lupieri, Eds., Leiden: Brill, 157-75.
17.
MidrashRabbah (The Midrash). 1939. Edited by H.Freedman, MauriceSimon, and Judah J.Slotki. 10 vols. London: Soncino.
18.
Midrash Tanhuma, Exodus and Leviticus. Vol. 2 of Midrash Tanhuma: S. Buber Recension. 1997. Trans, John T.Townsend. Hoboken, NJ: Ktav.
19.
MidrashTanhuma-Yelammedenu, Genesis and Exodus: An English Translation of Genesis and Exodus from the Printed Version of Tanhuma-Yelammedenu. 1996. Edited and tr. SamuelBerman. Hoboken, NJ: Ktav.
20.
Mishnayoth. “Avot”, “Megillah.”1965. Tr. Philip Blackman. New York: Judaica.
21.
Pesikta de Rab Kahana: Rabbi Kahana’s Compilation of Discourses for Sabbaths and Festal Days. 1975. Tr.William G.Braude, and Israel J.Kapstein. JPS Classics. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
22.
Pirke de RabbiEliezer.1981 (1916). Tr.GeraldFriedlander. New York: Sepher-Hermon.
23.
Propp, William H. C.2008. Exodus 19-40: A New Translation. AYBC 2A. New York: Doubleday.
24.
Sarna, Nahum M.1991. The JPS Commentary—Exodus. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
25.
Schoenfeld, Devorah. 2018. “‘A Good Argument to Penitents’: Sin and Forgiveness in Midrashic Interpretations of the Golden Calf.”Golden Calf Traditions in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Eric F.Mason and Edmondo F.Lupieri, Eds., Leiden: Brill, 176-193.
26.
Sifre: A Tannaitic Commentary on the book of Deuteronomy. 1986. Tr. Reuven Hammer. New Haven, CT: Yale UP.
27.
Simkovich, Malka Z.2018. Discovering second temple literature: The scriptures and stories that shaped early Judaism. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
28.
Sterling, Gregory E.2018. “When Silence is Golden: The Omission of the Golden Calf Story in Josephus.”Golden Calf Traditions in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Eric F.Mason and Edmondo F.LupieriEds., Leiden: Brill, 87-96.
29.
Tanna debe Eliyyahu: The Lore of the School of Elijah. 1981. Tr.William G.Braude and Israel J.Kapstein. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.
Tobin, Thomas H.2018. “Philo of Alexandria’s Interpretations of the Episode of the Golden Calf.”Golden Calf Traditions in Early Judaism, Christianity and Islam.Eric F.Mason and Edmondo F.LupieriEds, Leiden:Brill, 73-86.
34.
Twersky, Geula. 2019. “An Examination of Aaron’s Role in the Sin of the Golden Calf.”Jewish Bible Quarterly.47.1.
