Early Christianity Sample Clauses

Early Christianity. Origen’s Allegorical Reception of םרח Origen (184–253 CE) wrote one of the earliest interpretations of ḥērem in Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic history. In his book, Homilies on Xxxxxx, Origen mainly focused on the spiritual aspects and emblematic meanings of the conquest story in Xxxxxx 6–7 as an allegory of “the spiritual battle” of early Christians—forming believers’ faith, life, and unity.108 According to the notes from Xxxxxx, Origen “believed that the ultimate goal of biblical interpretation was to unite the believer of Xxxxxx…[also] the spiritual aspect [of the text] was the key to the Christian life.”109 Although Origen did not explicitly mention or interpret the term ḥērem itself in Deuteronomy in his books of homilies, the thoughts of Origen were deeply saturated with his interpretation of the conquest story conducted by Xxxxxx at the Promised Land. Origen mentions, 108 Origen, Homilies on Xxxxxx, ed. Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxxxx (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2002), 32–35; cf., Xxxxxx, Violence in Scripture, 101–102. 109 Xxxxxx, Violence in Scripture, 102. In the time of Moses, it was not said, as it is in Xxxxx’ [i.e., Joshua’s, Gk. Ἰησοῦς] time, that “the land rested from wars” (Josh 11:23). It is certain that also this land of ours, in which we have struggles and endure contests, will be able to rest from battles by the strength of the Xxxx Xxxxx alone. Within us, indeed are all those breeds of vices that continually and incessantly attack the soul. Within us are the Canaanites; within us are the Perizzites; here are Jebusites.110 For Origen, the battles and wars for conquest of the Promised Land have a spiritual stratum of meaning, and these texts designate symbolic battles in the early Christians’ religion and faith. Origen explicitly mentioned the Canaanites, Perizzites, and Jebusites (cf., the list in Deut 7:1b) and asked, where they are now? Origen’s answer was that these tribes, designated as the objects of ḥēremic annihilation, and the accompanying conflicts were “within” the spiritual dimension of believers.111 In this case, rather than directly focusing on the meaning of the literal letters, Origen tries to find the benefits of symbolic and spiritual readings to constructively apply these problematic conquest narratives to the lives of Christians.112 His allegorical approach and application sets the fundamental setting of spiritual interpretation of the ḥēremic code and conquest narrative in recept...