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Amazingly, there is one source on Otzar Hachochmah that refers to both the Tooth Fairy and a Jewish alternative: The Candy-throwing Angel. In the book ופקדת נווך by R' Erez Abrahamov, p. 70, it says ( …

Partial answer: It should be noted that the Rambam is basing himself off of Tosefta Avodah Zara 7:3: "פרצופות המטילין מים לכרכין לא יניח פיו ע"פ פרצוף מפני שנראה כנושק לעבודת כוכבים אבל מקבל בידו ושו …

I heard once that the Sanhedrin had to know exactly what the different forms of idolatry were and how they worked in order to correctly judge cases of avodah zara brought before them. Does anyone know …

Let's stop and think for a moment: "Aquinas goes to great lengths" - if the trinity was pure monotheism, why would one have to go to great lengths to prove it was so? And this is consistent throughout …

During the 1263 Disputation of Barcelona between Nachmanides and the Church of Aragon, Nachmanides was asked about the trinity (translation from the Jewish Encyclopedia): "Fra Pablo asked me in Geron …

That doesn't seem to be the case, according to the lines before what you quoted: Moreh Nevochim 3:46: " וכן היו כיתות מן הצאבה עובדים לשדים והיו חושבים שהם ישובו בצורת העזים - ולזה היו קוראים לשד …

A couple of sources state that they were transformed into household objects: Beresheet Rabbah 74:9: "אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן תְּרָפִים לֹא מָצָא קִיתוֹנִיּוֹת מָצָא, נַעֲשׂוּ תְּרָפִים קִיתוֹנִיּוֹת שׁ …

There are modern rabbis who have suggested this, likely following in the footsteps of academic biblical scholarship which holds this idea. I assume you're asking for classical sources on the subject. …

Related. Rambam famously describes how idolatry began in the days of Enosh (Hil. Avodah Zara 1:1-2) and finishes off by writing: "but the Rock of Ages, not a man was there to recognize Him or know Hi …

From a couple of sources it seems that they didn't originate the idea of Avodah Zara but assisted in developing it further. First, on the development of idolatry, Rambam states that idolatry came from …

In the book "Shu"t Ach Tov Leyisrael" by Rabbi Efraim Kachlon, he has a siman discussing the potential Avodah Zara status of Islam, and he mentions this claim about the Rogatchover (pg. 134-135): "וא …

To answer your question about a source for this being idolatry, Herodotus, known as "the Father of History", wrote about the Arabs: "they say that the cutting of their hair is done after the same fas …

According to Aderet Eliyahu on the verse, Rashi was making a drashic interpretation of the verse and was relating Eliyahu's statement to the gemara in Sanhedrin 39a which says: "The Gemara relates: A …

In the site Din it says that one may photograph an eclipse for study but not for pleasure. They base this on Shevet Halevi, vol. 7, 134, Qs 6-9 and Shut Aveni Yishfeh, vol. 1, 151.

A possible answer: Rambam on the mishnah states that this was done as part of worship of Baalim. The city of Baalbek, which was originally a Baal center of worship, eventually became a center of Bacch …