So it's been a while since I've been in a history class, but I remember freshman year history we learned about idolatry and ever since then I was curious about the creators of the worshipped objects. Were they usually long dead before their objects were worshipped, were they seen as just like vessels for their work to go through? I've really got no idea. Any insight or links would be greatly appreciated.
This is a very broad question; the creation of cult images( a term I prefer as encompassing a more coherent range of practices and being less polemical than "idols") has been practiced in a wide range of societies with various different theologies attached to them. Do you have specific societies and time periods in mind?