Bible History Online - The Ancient Obelisk

The ancient obelisk was a monumental pillar made of stone and was a major symbol of sun worship of the god ra in ancient Egypt. The Lord referred to them as idols of jealousy and swore that He would destroy the obelisks of Heliopolis and "overthrow idolatry." The above image is from Heliopolis which was the Greek name of the Hebrew Beth-shemesh. It was erected by Senwosret I of Egypt, 2000 BC. Ancient Heliopolis was located 8 miles northeast of modern Cairo and was world famous as the Egyptian city of science..

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God"

- Exodus 20:3-5

"He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire."

- Jeremiah 43:13

"And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed."

- Ezekiel 30:8

"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them; Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness."

- Ezekiel 16:36-37

"And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven."

- Deut 4:19