***Christians were largely recruited from the lower class Jewish and Gentile populations who were illiterate. Having written Scripture was fine for the temples and for the priestly class, but over 95% of the population was illiterate. Icons were developed in the first century in order to remind the people of the faith, prayers, etc.***
I don’t suppose the children of Isreal were any more literate yet Moses was able to teach through the oral tradition. Why is it that God is so set against graven images?
God is a jealous God. He wants us to concentrate on Him, not on man made replacements.
Icons are not replacements; they are the theological equivalent of a string tied on your finger to remind you of something.