Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 3.3

משנה: הַמּוֹצֵא כֵלִים וַעֲלֵיהֶן צוּרַת חַמָּה צוּרַת לְבָנָה צוּרַת הַדְּרָקוֹן יוֹלִיכֵם לְיָם הַמֶּלַח. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר עַל הַמְכוּבָּדִים אֲסוּרִין עַל הַמְבוּזִּין מוּתָּרִין. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר שׁוֹחֵק וְזוֹרֶה לָרוּחַ אוֹ מַטִּיל לַיָּם. אָמְרוּ לוֹ אַף הוּא נַעֲשֶׂה זֶבֶל וְנֶּאֱמַר וְלֹא יִדְבַּק בְּיָדְךָ מְאוּמָה מִן הַחֵרֶם:

MISHNAH: If somebody finds vessels and on them the form of the sun, the form of the moon, the form of a dragon, he should bring them to the Dead Sea. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, on honored ones it is forbidden, on contemptible ones permitted. Rebbi Yose said, he grinds them and disperses them into the wind or throws them into the Sea. They told him, but then it becomes fertilizer and it was said, nothing of the ban should cling to your hand.

הלכה: הַמּוֹצֵא כֵלִים כול׳. לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא כֵלִים שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם צוּרַת הַחַמָּה וְצוּרַת הַלְּבָנָה. הָא שְׁאָר כָּל הַמַּזָּלוֹת לֹא. לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא דְּרָקוֹן. הָא כָל הַנְּחָשִׁים לֹא. אֵי זֶהוּ דְּרָקוֹן. כָּל שֶׁצִּיצִין יוֹצְאִין בְּצַוָּארוֹ. וְתַנֵּי כֵן. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן (אֶלְעָזָר) [עַזַּאי] אוֹמֵר. אֵי זֶהוּ דְּרָקוֹן. כָּל שֶׁצִּיצִין יוֹצְאִין מִצַוָּארוֹ. הֶחָלָק מוּתָּר. הַמּוֹצֵא דְרָקוֹן עָשׂוּי כְמִין רָחוּשׁ אֲסוּרָה. רָחוּשׂ וְעָלָיו דְּרָקוֹן. נוֹטֵל אֶת הָרָחוּשׁ וּמַשְׁלִיךְ אֶת הַדְּרָקוֹן.

HALAKHAH: “If somebody finds vessels,” etc. They stated only “vessels and on them the form of the sun, the form of the moon,” therefore not any of the other planets. They only stated “dragon”, therefore not any snakes. What is a dragon? Any which has spikes on its neck. It was stated thus: “Rebbi Simeon ben (Azzai) [Eleazar] says, what is a dragon? Any which has spikes on its neck. “If it is smooth it is permitted. If one finds a dragon in the form of a something crawling it is forbidden. Something crawling and on it a dragon, he takes the crawling thing and throws away the dragon.

שְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר. כּוֹס בָּסִיס לִדְרָקוֹן אָסוּר. וּדְרָקוֹן בָּסִיס לַכּוֹס מוּתָּר. רִבִּי בָּא בְשֵׁם רַב. שִׁבְרֵי דְּרָקוֹן הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ מוּתָּרִין. דָּרָקוֹן שָׁלֵם וְנִשְׁבַּר הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ אֲסוּרִין. וּשְׁבוּרִים מִן הַשָּׂלֵם בָּאוּ. רִבִּי חִזְקְיָּה בְשֵׁם רַב. כֵּינִי. רָאָה אוֹתָן מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לִדְרַקוֹן שָׁלֵם וְנִשְׁבַּר אֲסוּרִין.

Samuel said, a cup which serves as base for a dragon is forbidden, a dragon which serves as base for a cup is permitted. Rebbi Abba in the name of Rav: Fragments of a dragon are permitted. If it was a whole dragon and broke, it is forbidden.But did the fragments not come from a whole one? Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rav: So it is: If one saw them bowing down before a whole dragon and then it was broken, it is forbidden.

מָה נַן קַיָימִין. אִם דָּבָר בָּרִיא שֶׁנֶּעֱבָדִין אֲפִילוּ מְבוּזִּין אָסוּר. אִם דָּבָר בָּרִיא שֶׁאֵינָן נֶעֱבָדִין אֲפִילוּ מְכוּבָּדִין מוּתָּר. אֶלָּא כִי נָן קַיָימִין בִּסְתָם. אָמַר רִבִּי קְרִיסְפָּא. וְהָדָא כוֹסוֹת דָּבָר שֶׁל בִּיזָּיוֹן הוּא. דְּרִבִּי חִיָיה בַּר בָּא הֲוָה לֵיהּ קְוָוקִין וַהֲוַות טִימֵי דְרוֹמֶי צִיְירָה בְגַוָוהּ. אָתָא שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אֲמָר לֵיהּ. מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהַמַּיִם צָפִין עַל גַּבָּהּ דָּבָר שֶׁלְּבִיזָּיוֹן הוּא. וְאָהֵן קִיתוֹנָא מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁאַתָּה מַשְׁקִעוֹ בַמַּיִם דָּבָר שֶׁלְּבִיזָּיוֹן הוּא. בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן שָׁרוּן צָיְירִין עַל כּוֹתְלָא וְלֹא מָחִי בְּיָדַיְיהוּ. [בְּיוֹמוֹי דְּרִבִּי אַבוּן שָׁרוּן צָיְירִין עַל פְּסִיפָסס וְלֹא מָחִי בְּיָדוֹן.]

Where do we hold? If it is certain that they are worshipped, even the contemptible ones are forbidden. If it is certain that they are not worshipped, even the honored ones are permitted. But we must deal with the indeterminate case. Rebbi Crispus said, those cups belong to the contemptible category, for Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba had a pitcher and the (worth) [fortune] of Rome was pictured on it. He came to ask Rebbi Joḥanan who told him, since water swims on top of it, it is a contemptible one. A drinking cup is contemptible since one immerses it in water. In the days of Rebbi Joḥanan they started painting on walls and he did not protest against it. [In the days of Rebbi Abun they started depicting by mosaics and he did not protest against it.]

מָתִיב רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לְרַבָּנִן. וְהָכְתִיב וְאֶת חַטַּאתְכֶם אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם אֶת הָעֵגֶל. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ לְבוֹדְקָן כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבּוֹדְקִין אֶת הַסּוֹטוֹת. וַיִּזֶר עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם. אָמַר לוֹן. וְהָכְתִיב וְגַם מַעֲכָה אֵם אַסָּא הַמֶּלֶךְ הֵסִירֶהָ מִגְּבִירָה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ. מִשָּׁם רְאָיָיה. וַיִּכְרֹת אָסָא וגו׳. אָמַר לוֹן. וכִּתַּת נְחַשׁ הַנְּחוֹשֶׁת. וְכִי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הִיא. וַהֲלֹא מֹשֶׁה עֲשָׂאוֹ. אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל תוֹעִין אַחֲרָיו עַד שֶׁבָּא חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְהֶעֱבִירוֹ.

Rebbi Yose objected to the rabbis, is it not written: your sin which you had made, the calf? They told him, this teaches that he intended to examine them in the way one examines deviant wives: he strewed it on the surface of the water.He said to them, is it not written, and also Maacah, king Asa’s mother, he removed from power? They told him, is there proof from there? Asa cut down etc. He told them, he beat the bronze serpent to pieces. Was this an object of worship? Did not Moses make it? This teaches that Israel was erring after it until Hezekias came and removed it.

כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר וַיַּעַזְבוּ שָׁם אֶת עֲצַבֵּיהֶם וַיִּשָּׂ‌אֵם דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו. וְכָתוּב אַחֵר אוֹמֵר וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד וַיִּשָּׂרְפוּ בָּאֵשׁ. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חַלְפוּתָה וְרַבָּנִן. רִבִּי יוּסֵי בַּר חַלְפוּתָה אוֹמֵר. מַה שֶׁהָיָה שֶׁלְּמַתֶּכֶת וַיִּשָּׂאֵם דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו. וּמַה שֶׁהָיָה שֶׁלְּעֵץ וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד וַיִּשָּׂרְפוּ בָּאֵשׁ. וְרַבָּנִן אָמְרֵי. מַה שֶׁהָיָה אִיתַי הַגִּיתִּי מְבַטֵּל וַיִּשָּׂאֵם דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו. וּמַה שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה מְבַטֵּל וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד וַיִּשָּׂרְפוּ בָּאֵשׁ. מַה מְקַיֵים רִבִּי יוּסֵי בֶּן חַלְפוּתָא וַיִּשָּׂאֵם דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו. נְטָלוּם בִּשְׂפָיָיו.

One verse says, they abandoned their idols; David and his men carried them away. But another verse says, David gave orders and they were burned in the.fire. Rebbi Yose [ben Rebbi] Ḥalafta and the rabbis. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Ḥalafta says, what was of metal, David and his men carried them away. And what was of wood, David gave orders and they were burned in the fire. But the rabbis say, what Itai from Gat annulled, David and his men carried them away. And what he did not annul, David gave orders and they were burned in fire. How does Rebbi Yose [ben Rebbi] Ḥalafta confirm David and his men carried them away? They took them by their rims.