Angelic Iconography in the First Pre-Christian Century?

The following fragments are from a corpus of works J. Strugnell called "The Angelic Liturgy," which describes angelic adoration and earthly worship as being concurrent and connatural. They are works of early Merkevah mysticism termed "Hekalot," or "Palaces," that aim to comprehend the environment of the Throne Chariot and the compartments/abodes of the angels, and clearly mark the coincidence of the Supernal with the mundane. "All that is above, thus also below."

In this respect, the passages may hint at the true configuration of the numinous Teraphim: sculpted, painted, or engraved representations of elohim (angels) fixed in alcoves in homes and places of worship... a functional prototype for Orthodox icons. Aniconism may also help to explain the dearth of explicit information about the manufacture of Teraphim, since they were regarded by some as an undesirable remnant of Aramaean paganism, while others venerated them on the same level as the priestly Ephod.

The passages are given as related by Geza Vermes in The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (note that "gods" is a literal translation of "elohim," or angels):

4Q405 14-15, i

... tongue of blessing from the likeness [of the gods] issues a [v]oice of blessing for the King of those who exalt, and their wonderful praise is for the God of gods ... their many-coloured ... and they sing ... the vestibules by which they enter, the spirits of the most holy inner Temple ... [And the likene]ss of the living 'gods' is engraved on the vestibules by which the King enters, luminous spiritual figures ... [K]ing, figures of a glorious l[ight, wonderful] spirits; [amo]ng the spirits of splendour there are works of (art of) marvellous colours, figures of the living 'gods' ... [in the] glorious innermost Temple chambers, the structure of [the most ho]ly [sanctuary] in the innermost chambers of the King, design[s of 'go]ds' ... likeness of ... most holy ... [the Temple] chambers of the Ki[ng] ...

4Q405 19 ABCD

The figures of the 'gods' shall praise Him, [the most] h[oly] spirits ... of glory; the floor of the marvellous innermost chambers, the spirits of the eternal gods, all ... fi[gures of the innermost] chamber of the King, the spiritual works of the marvellous firmament are purified with salt, [sp]irits of knowledge, truth [and] righteousness in the holy of [ho]lies, [f]orms of the living 'gods', forms of the illuminating spirits. All their [works (of art)] are marvellously linked, many-coloured [spirits], artistic figures of the 'gods', engraved all around their glorious bricks, glorious figures on b[ri]cks of splendour and majes[ty]. All their works (of art) are living 'gods', and their artistic figures are holy angels. From beneath the marvellous inner[most chambers] comes a sound of quiet silence: the 'gods' bless ...