Byzantine Iconoclasm
The beginning of the 8th century witnessed the suppression and destruction of religious icons as the period of Byzantine Iconoclasm (literally "image-breaking") started. The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 effectively ended the first period of Byzantine Iconoclasm and restored the honouring of icons and holy images in general. However, this did not immediately translate into large scale depictions of God the Father. Even supporters of the use of icons in the 8th century, such as John of Damascus, drew a distinction between images of God the Father and those of Christ.