Typically, Westerners approach the idea of being made in the “image of God” by asking what unique attributes we have in common with God, like reason, intelligence, moral conscience, and the like. In Abraham’s time, however, being the “image of God” actually had a different connotation. A god’s “image” was its physical representation on earth, like an idol, or the sun or moon. Even more important, kings were said to be the “images” of their gods. A king represented his gods to his subjects, with the belief that the gods reigned over their people through the king’s commands.
